Black Eyed Peas - Elephunk [Bonus Track]

Nominally a rap group, in truth Black Eyed Peas call on so many forms of songwriting and production that slotting them into hip-hop is like slotting Prince into r&b -- technically true, but very limiting. Elephunk, the group's third straight winning LP, doesn't have top-notch rapping, but as driven by frontman Will.I.Am, it does possess some of the most boundary-pushing productions in contemporary, (mostly) uncommercial hip-hop -- right up at the level occupied by Common and OutKast. The smart, brassy opening club thump "Hands Up" hits another level with a sly bridge flaunting some heavy metallic slide guitar, while the highly pressurized love jam "Shut Up" features great interplay between Taboo and new member Fergie. Space doesn't allow for description of each track, but suffice to say any Will.I.Am track is going to feature loads of ideas and fresh sounds, not to mention plenty of stylistic change-ups -- from the digital-step ragga of "Hey Mama" (featuring Tippa Irie) to the Latinized, loved-up "Latin Girls." Like a latter-day Digital Underground, Black Eyed Peas know how to get a party track moving, and add a crazy stupid rhyme or two ("bop your head like epilepsy" from the suitably titled "Let's Get Retarded"). [The album was also released with a bonus track, "Let's Get It Started."] ~ John Bush, All Music Guide

Name Credits Andrew Van Meter Production Coordination apl.de.ap Drum Programming, Producer, Vocals BLK Art Direction Chris Clancy Marketing Chris Lord-Alge Mixing Christine Sirois Assistant Engineer Chuck Prada Percussion Dante Santiago Vocals (Background) Dave Buckner Drums Dave Chegwidden Shaker, Conga David Sonenberg Management David Treahearn Assistant Debbie Nova Vocals Dylan Dresdow Engineer Elisa Yastic Artist Coordination Elizabeth Lea Trombone Frank Wolf Engineer Fred Davis Legal Advisor George Pajon Guitar Horndogs ? Indrani Photography J. Curtis Guitar Jacoby Shaddix Vocals Jason Villaroman Engineer Jun Ishizeki Engineer Justin Timberlake Vocals Keith Harris Drums Lee Groves Programming Lor e Phillips Stylist Mark "Spike" Stent Mixing Markus Klinko Photography Michelle Ozbourn A&R Mike Fratantuno Guitar (Acoustic), Bass, Bass (Upright), Guitarron Nicole Frantz Art Coordinator Noelle Scaggs Vocals (Background) Printz Board Horn, Moog Synthesizer, Group Member, Trumpet, Clavinet Ray Brady Guitar Ron Fair Conductor, String Arrangements, Executive Producer, Producer, Vocal Producer, Piano Sergio Mendez Piano Seth Friedman A&R, Management Taboo Vocals Tal Herzberg Digital Editing, Engineer Terence Yoshiaki Drums Terry Dexter Vocals (Background) Tim Izo Orindgreff Flute, Group Member, Horn, Saxophone Tippa Irie Vocals Tobin Bass, Guitar Tony Maserati Mixing