Maps of Music
Elephunk (2003)
Where the lyrics of Elephunk take you, and where it was really made.
A&M Records did not think three of the album's songs would be hits, yet all three were released as singles and became international hits.
View on the mapKey places
Recording at Record Plant in Los Angeles (2003)
Recording site Record Plant Studios — Record Plant in Los Angeles is named as one of the studios where the album was recorded. The point marks the studio's building location. Google Maps · Apple Maps
How to get there: See the map for directions.
Most tracks recorded at The Stewchia (2003)
Recording site Motown Recording Studios — Most of the album's tracks were recorded at The Stewchia in Los Feliz, Los Angeles. The place is recorded by name only, so the point is approximate. Google Maps · Apple Maps
How to get there: See the map for directions.
Recording at The Enterprise in Burbank (2003)
Recording site The Enterprise Studios — The Enterprise in Burbank is listed among the recording locations for the album. The point is set at city-district level, not the exact building. Google Maps · Apple Maps
How to get there: See the map for directions.
Anxiety recorded at Velvet Tone in Sacramento (2003)
Recording site 12 Trak Studios — The track Anxiety was the only song recorded at Velvet Tone in Sacramento, California, during March to July 2002. The point is at city-center level. Google Maps · Apple Maps
How to get there: See the map for directions.
Album story
Overview
- Elephunk is the third studio album by American group the Black Eyed Peas
- Released June 24, 2003 by A&M Records, Interscope Records and will.i.am Music Group
- Hip-hop and pop record mixing R&B, Latin, funk, dancehall, rock and dance
- Lyrical themes include relationships, partying and social issues
- Four singles were released from the album
Background
- Production began August 2001 and was affected by the September 11 attacks
- Fergie joined as the female vocalist, replacing Kim Hill, who left in 2000
- Sessions were extended to May 2003, and the release was postponed several times
- The group had earlier released Behind the Front (1998) and Bridging the Gap (2000), both critically acclaimed but commercially unsuccessful
Recording
- Recording began August 23, 2001 with the track Smells Like Funk
- Most tracks were recorded at The Stewchia in Los Feliz, Los Angeles
- Other sessions took place at studios across California
Cover
- Designed by BLK/MRKT Design Studio in Los Angeles, with photos by Markus Klinko
- Each member appears in a corner, with an elephant's head in the center on a light blue background
Sources: en.wikipedia.org · en.wikipedia.org · en.wikipedia.org
Artist
Formation
- Formed in Los Angeles in 1992 by rappers will.i.am, apl.de.ap and Taboo.
- Started as an alternative hip hop trio; early albums Behind the Front (1998) and Bridging the Gap (2000) were released through Interscope Records.
- Rebranded toward a more marketable pop-rap sound after the early albums.
Members
- Current core members: will.i.am, apl.de.ap and Taboo.
- Fergie was the lead singer from 2002 until her departure in 2018.
- J. Rey Soul joined in 2018 as a touring member and later appeared as a featured artist on recordings.
Career
- Breakthrough with Elephunk (2003) and the single "Where Is the Love?", which topped the UK chart for seven weeks.
- Monkey Business (2005) debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 and was certified triple platinum by the RIAA.
- The E.N.D. (2009) topped the Billboard 200 and produced three Hot 100 number-one singles, including "I Gotta Feeling".
- Performed at the Super Bowl XLV halftime show in February 2011.
- Went on indefinite hiatus in 2011, briefly reunited in 2015, and released Masters of the Sun Vol. 1 (2018), Translation (2020) and Elevation (2022).
- Estimated to have sold around 80 million records.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Reception
At release
- Generally positive reviews from critics, though some were less enthusiastic
- Metacritic average of 66 from 15 reviews
- AllMusic's John Bush wrote that the album possesses some of the most boundary-pushing productions in contemporary, (mostly) uncommercial hip-hop
- Entertainment Weekly's Evan Serpick gave a less favorable review and called the single Where Is the Love? horrifyingly trite
- Blender's Joseph Patel labeled the album too simple for its own good
Reappraisal
- Credited with pushing the Black Eyed Peas into stardom and cementing them as pop culture icons
- Credited with establishing the group as a viable act worldwide, mainly through the lead single Where Is the Love?
Records
- Debuted at number 33 on the US Billboard 200 and peaked at number 14 after the 2004 reissue
- Peaked at number three on the UK Albums Chart and reached number one in Switzerland
- Six Grammy Award nominations and one win
- Certified quadruple platinum by the RIAA in June 2025
- Sold over nine million copies worldwide as of September 2013
Sources: en.wikipedia.org · en.wikipedia.org · en.wikipedia.org
Trivia
- A&M Records representatives did not consider the songs Where Is the Love?, Shut Up and Let's Get Retarded to be hits; all three were released as singles and became international hits.
- The album's title came from will.i.am's comparison of the sound to an elephant's movement.
- Nicole Scherzinger was the original choice for the female vocal on Shut Up, and Dante Santiago then suggested Fergie for the session.
- The cover was the first time the group was credited as The Black Eyed Peas.
- Elephunk was a sleeper hit in both the US and abroad.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org · en.wikipedia.org · en.wikipedia.org · en.wikipedia.org
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