An interesting fact is that the 'hip-hop' group Black Eyed Peas rapped about what real hip-hop was about ten years before The END. Ironically, the collective could now be seen as the norm, which they themselves initially disapproved of. The bitter fan of the first hour could designate the singer Fergie - who was included in the group in 2003 - as an accomplice for the alleged commercial sale.
Ultimately it was a conscious choice for BEP to focus on the mainstream. The Grammies won have proven that this turnaround has worked out very well. The END (short for The Energy Never Dies) is Black Eyed Peas's third album as a pop group. The use of the autotune program for this record reflects the quartet's eternal urge to adapt. Hip-hop has had to make way for a kind of electro-pop that not only sounds pretentious, but also unoriginal and bland. Moreover, Fergie's singing sometimes reminds us Hits will undoubtedly be scored, but discussion about the group's identity problem is inevitable. (GL)more
