Music
Store

1)Hands Up- gets the CD off to a good start. One of the best party songs of the past few years. The perfect opener for this CD.
2)Labor Day- probably my favorite song on the CD. The beat is infectious, the vocals are top notch, and I think would be an even bigger hit than "Hey Mama" if they release it as a single.
3)Let's Get Retarded- the title threw me off at first, but they say right off the bat it's not meant to be offensive. It really is a good song and it's no wonder it is their latest single.
4)Hey Mama- yes, it's not the same version we heard on the radio, MTV, and VH1. Does that make this version bad? No, the track still holds up even without the excellent Fergie vocals heard on the single version.
5)Shut Up- I like the way this song sounds. The vocals play off each other very well, and even though it's about a disastrous relationship, you can still dance to it.
6)Smells Like Funk- another really good song. I like the beat.
7)Latin Girls- a little long, but it's still a really good song.
8)Sexy- I like the feel of this song. It's very smooth and it sounds great.
9)Fly Away- a great showcase for Fergie. She probably sounds her best on this song.
10)The Boogie That Be- another really good party song. The beats are really strong.
11)The APL Song- a good song. I like the way this song tackles an overused subject but still makes it sound very good.
12)Anxiety- a surprisingly strong rock song. The appearance of Papa Roach sounds strange in theory, but makes perfect sense when you hear it.
13)Where is the Love- not my favorite, but I really do like this song now. I understand the lyrics more now. They even make Justin Timberlake look good.
14)Let's Get It Started- the radio version of Let's Get Retarded. My only problem with it is that if they could put this single onto the CD, why couldn't they put the version of Hey Mama we all want to hear on it?
HIDDEN TRACK)Third Eye- probably the most political song on the CD. I really enjoyed this song and think it's the perfect way to close a near-perfect album.

I highly recommend this CD. I can't think of one song that I don't like, and that is a rarity nowadays. This album should have gotten so much more praise from critics than it got, but I believe someday this album will get the respect it deserves.


It's Fun   February 11, 2005
 17 out of 25 found this review helpful

I'm not a huge fan of the hip-hop/rap genre, but once in awhile I come across an artist who has something that appeals to me. My original foray into this genre was way back in junior high with artists such as DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince, Arrested Development, and MC Hammer. I also listened a little bit to artists such as NWA, but not as much.

Since that time, little has peaked my interest in that genre until now. The Black Eyed Peas have the ability to be both fun and intelligent at the same time. That seems to be lacking these days in the hip-hop arena. I remember listening to Arrested Development and thinking that they wouldn't last very long because their music was too honest. It opened up too many old wounds that had been ignored up to that point.

The Black Eyed Peas haven't really cracked old scars with "Elephunk," but they do manage to get you thinking. I thoroughly enjoyed "Where Is The Love." It's a good song with a good message. "Let's Get Retarded" is my least favorite song on this album. It's radio-ready brother, "Let's Get It Started," sounds so much better lyric-wise. "Hey Mama" is pretty good, though I enjoyed the radio version better with Fergie's nice voice. "Shut Up" has a sound to it that is very appealing to the ears. It has a good beat and is fun to listen to. Other songs that are standouts included "Smells Like Funk" and "Hands Up." There's also a hidden track at the end of the disc which is also very good.

In summary, this may not be the best Black Eyed Peas disc out there. Judging from other reviews, it is their weakest. However, it seems to have a wider appeal than their other albums and end the end may open new listeners up to their earlier stuff. That means that "Elephunk" will have served its purpose, which is to make a little more cash for the Peas and spread their message a little farther along.

Highly recommended.


Let's Get Stupid.   August 12, 2004
 14 out of 30 found this review helpful

Every once in a while a song comes along that seems to hit the top 40 and have something intelligent to say. In this case it would be BEP's "Where Is The Love". It caught my attention and stood out from all the other mundane fluff on the radio, MTV and VH1. It could be classified alongside such classic commentaries as The Temptations' "Ball Of Confusion" or The O'Jays' "For The Love Of Money" or Marvin Gaye's "Inner City Blues" or even such standards as "Do They Know It's Christmas?" and "We Are The World". I always enjoy a pop song that has a brain.

So, how is the rest of the album? Well, I felt several of the songs were definitely aimed at the teen crowd such as "Hands Up", "Let's Get Retarded", "Hey Mama", "Shut Up", "Smells Like Funk" and others. I'm a little too experienced and old for such comedic fodder, but the melodies of the songs were what count. Catchy, infectious and certainly positive messages carry "Elephunk" to the very end. BEP's certainly cover the gamut utilizing no less that three different languages and five musical styles including funk, hip hop, rap, rock, Latin and dance.

However, what made "Elephunk" a good, but average album was the over-production of the songs. Many of these songs could easily fit in on a J-Lo, Fugees, Sean Paul, or other hip hop flavor of the month group. In the years to come this cd will age itself compared to the band's other material. So, "Elephunk" may best be remembered for "Where Is The Love" and "Hey Mama" and that's it. As a side note, (and this will date myself) I could not help but find an inadvertant similarity between the melody of "Smells Like Funk" and Taco's 1982 cover of "Puttin' On The Ritz". I dare anyone to listen to both songs and not hear the distinct similarity. "If you're blue and you don't know where to go to why don't you go where fashion sits. Puttin' on the ritz."


Where exactly is the love?   July 19, 2004
 13 out of 20 found this review helpful

Speechless, thats the only way to describe it. When i first heard the single "Where is the Love" gag reflexes arose and vomiting ensued. Was that a little to harsh? I think not. Their "funky beats" and "genius rhymes" are nothing more than a groups struggling attempt to become celebrated hip pop "artists". Now, nothing is wrong with wanting making money, but when mainstream heavy hitters are added to to somewhat underground hip hop group's recipe im inclined to ask myself, Where is the love? The love im referring to, is the love of making good music, not vacuous lyrics stratigicly placed beneath poppy, radio friendly beats and Justin Timberlake. Through their first two albums it was the words, innovativly strung together into lines of rhymes, that ran throughout my head daily, not the teribbly misplaced guitar riff from Papa Roach in Anxiety. Im opting not to touch on the other tracks for the simple reason that it might just throw me into a paroxysm of histaria. I own both of their previous albums and belive me, if i could strike this album from their discography i would. This is not quality hip hop, and if you perceive it otherwise i suggest research on your part is necessary, and you might start with "Behind the Front" and "Bridgin the Gap". Listen to the album if you must, but while you do, ask yourself what exactly it is that your hearing, music or corporate balderdash.


Talkin' 'bout goin' soft...   August 4, 2004
 11 out of 15 found this review helpful

What I do not understand is why on one hand people accuse G Unit, Jadakiss and Twista of turning commercial and on the other enjoy listening to this "new" black eyed peas cd. They have apparently turned their back on Hip Hop & Rap to get some money. What you can find here is just plain pop-music, which I occasionally listen to in clubs, respectively the radio, but generally try to avoid. For those who like HIP HOP/RAP pls stick to the roots, kanye west and talib kweli.