Rating:
Genre:
Rap
Release Date: 06/07/2005
Hip-hop artists with commercial aspirations need never appear pandering to their audience, since a tough, defiant stance -- aka keeping it real -- is exactly what will draw in most crossover listeners anyway. Nevertheless,
the Black Eyed Peas quickly embraced the
pop world after the surprising success of third album
Elephunk, and only continued their repositioning as a mainstream act with 2005's
Monkey Business. That focus is immediately clear on the opener,
"Pump It Up," where they gladly welcome listeners on a track whose sample --
Dick Dale's
"Misirlou," already ubiquitous before it appeared in
Pulp Fiction -- has to replace
"I'll Be Missing You" or
"Walk This Way" as the most conspicuous case of an unmissable
rock riff being used on a
rap track. With the Wal-Mart audience safely in tow, the group moves on to motivate its
hip-hop base by reaching for every trick in the grab bag of contemporary
urban music.
"Disco Club" is a serviceable re-creation of
Cassidy's
"Hotel," and the group's newest member,
Fergie, tucks into the hyper-sexual
Kelis/
Ciara archetype on
"My Humps." Unlike
Elephunk, the
Justin Timberlake feature here (
"My Style") is placed early in the program, and it's bolstered by a
Timbaland production. Most of the tracks on
Monkey Business are the same type of
party rap singalongs that
Black Eyed Peas made their name with in the past. Other than
"Disco Club," the best is
"Feel It," a rare production by the group's
apl.de.ap that has the streamlined sound and detailed production of the hits off
Elephunk. At the very tail end of the disc, where
Timblerlake was slotted previously, there's one brief glance at their socially conscious past --
"Union," featuring
Sting and
Branford Marsalis, which floats the usual bromides about peace and equality.
Monkey Business might sell just as well, or better, than
Elephunk, but what the group made sound effortless in the past sounds labored and canned here.
~John Bush, All Music Guide
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