''Behind the Front'' is the debut studio album by American hip hop group

Black Eyed Peas Black Eyed Peas (also known as The Black Eyed Peas) is an American musical group consisting of rappers will.i.am, apl.de.ap, Taboo. The group's line-up during the height of their popularity in the 2000s featured Fergie, who replaced Kim H ...

released on June 30, 1998 through Interscope Records and

will.i.am Music Group will.i.am Music Group is a vanity label founded by music artist will.i.am of Black Eyed Peas. Popular artists that were signed to the label other than will.i.am or Black Eyed Peas include Fergie, Macy Gray, Cheryl, and Sérgio Mendes. Initiall ...

Background

Most of the tracks were demos for the '' Grass Roots'' album, with added verses by new member

Taboo A taboo or tabu is a social group's ban, prohibition, or avoidance of something (usually an utterance or behavior) based on the group's sense that it is excessively repulsive, sacred, or allowed only for certain persons.''Encyclopædia Britannica ...

. The song " Joints & Jam" appeared on the soundtrack of the movie '' Bulworth'', where it was billed as "Joints & Jams". "Be Free" also features in the film '' She's All That''. On the back cover, "Skit 3" is listed after "Duet", when it actually appears after "Communication". This was their only studio album to be released in a Parental Advisory version and an edited version until the release of '' Masters Of The Sun Vol. 1''. On the edited version's back cover, "Skit 3" is properly listed after "Communication".

Release and promotion

''Behind the Front'' was released for vinyl on June 30, 1998 through Interscope Records, will.i.am's imprint

and

Universal Music Group Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as just Universal Music) is a Dutch–American multinational music corporation under Dutch law. UMG's corporate headquarters are located in Hilversum, Netherlands and its ...

. Three singles from the album were released–double single "Fallin' Up/¿Que Dices?" in December 1997, "Joints & Jam" in November 1998 and the final single "

Karma Karma (; sa, कर्म}, ; pi, kamma, italic=yes) in Sanskrit means an action, work, or deed, and its effect or consequences. In Indian religions, the term more specifically refers to a principle of cause and effect, often descriptively ...

" in April 1999. In 1997, a music video for the song "Head Bobs" was filmed and finished, however, the band decided to not release the song as a single. Around the same time a music video for the song "Fallin' Up" was also created, however, was decided that the album's first official single would be "Joints & Jam", with its respective music video released. A similar video to "Joints & Jam" was filmed for the song "What It Is", but like "Head Bobs" and "Fallin Up", the song wasn't an official single. The last music video to be released from the album was "Karma", the album's second and final official single. All five music videos were included on the DVD '' Behind the Bridge to Elephunk'' (2004).

Critical reception

''Behind the Front'' received generally favorable reviews from music critics. Matt Conaway of

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Music ...

gave the album three and ½ stars out of five, stating: "Black Eyed Peas bring some positivity and fun back into hip-hop. Musically there is almost no realm this group does not touch -- right from the jump, the stylistic innocence of "Fallin Up," complete with striking guitar licks, sums up what BEP is all about." Marcus Reeves of

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...

gave the album three out of five stars, stating: "Behind the Front, offers an organic mixture of sampled melodies and live instruments aimed at those of us seeking a little enlightenment with our well-oiled boogie." Tony Green of Jazz Times also proclaimed that the Black Eyed Peas "provide a musical hip-hop shot that rises beyond mere discussions of consciousness" which "sounds, well dope, with a live band accentuated by clever samples."

Track listing

* All songs produced by will.i.am, except where noted. ;Notes * signitifes a

co-producer A film producer is a person who oversees film production. Either employed by a production company or working independently, producers plan and coordinate various aspects of film production, such as selecting the script, coordinating writing, dir ...

Personnel

* will.i.am – vocals on all tracks; m.p.c 3000 on tracks 1–3, 5, 6, 8–14 and 16;

Fender Rhodes The Rhodes piano (also known as the Fender Rhodes piano) is an electric piano invented by Harold Rhodes, which became popular in the 1970s. Like a conventional piano, the Rhodes generates sound with keys and hammers, but instead of strings, t ...

on tracks 8 and 16;

Hammond b3 organ The Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond and John M. Hanert and first manufactured in 1935. Multiple models have been produced, most of which use sliding drawbars to vary sounds. Until 1975, Hammond organs generated ...

on tracks 2, 10 and 13; Moog on track 9;

theremin The theremin (; originally known as the ætherphone/etherphone, thereminophone or termenvox/thereminvox) is an electronic musical instrument controlled without physical contact by the performer (who is known as a thereminist). It is named afte ...

on track 12;

marimba The marimba () is a musical instrument in the percussion family that consists of wooden bars that are struck by mallets. Below each bar is a resonator pipe that amplifies particular harmonics of its sound. Compared to the xylophone, the timbre ...

s on track 9; melody phone on track 16 *

apl.de.ap Allan Pineda Lindo (born November 28, 1974), known professionally as apl.de.ap (), is a Filipino-American rapper, singer and record producer. He is a founding member of the hip hop group Black Eyed Peas. Early life Allan Pineda Lindo was born ...

– vocals on all tracks except 4 *

– vocals on all tracks except 4, 7, 9 and 15 ;Musicians *Kevin Feyen – guitar on tracks 1, 5, 6, and 8–16 *Mike Fratantuno – bass on tracks 1–3, 5, 8, 10, 11, 13 and 16 *Terrence Yoshiaka – drums on track 5; percussion on tracks 1 and 6 *Brian Lapin – Rhodes on tracks 1, 5, 9, 11, 12 and 15; Hammond b3 organ on track 11; bass on track 9; Moog on tracks 9, 11 and 16 *Ramy Antoun – congas on track 6 *Darell Cross – drums on track 15 *J. Curtis – guitar on track 4 *DJ Drez – turntables on track 15 *Carlos Guacio – Rhodes and bass on track 4 *Peter Kim – bass on track 15 *DJ Motiv8 – turntables on tracks 3 and 8 *Matt Nabours – violin on track 14 *Tommy O. – flute on track 14 *Paul Poli – turntables on track 3 and 7 *Miles Tackett – bass on track 14 and cello on track 5 ;Guest vocals * Kim Hill – tracks 4, 7 and 11 *Dawn Beckman – tracks 2 and 8 *Einstien Brown – track 6 *Ingrid Dupree – track 3 * Redfoo – rap (track 9) * Macy Gray – track 14 * Sierra Swan & Planet Swan – track 1

Charts

References

{{Authority control 1998 debut albums Albums produced by will.i.am A&M Records albums Interscope Geffen A&M Records albums Black Eyed Peas albums