Black Eyed Peas - Bridging the Gap

Once upon a time, hip-hop was about having a good time and (brace yourselves) getting down! The Black Eyed Peas are bringing that mentality back to the future. They reinvigorated blasé dance floors and seduced discriminating heads with their debut, Behind the Front, and they do it again on Bridging the Gap. In the open-minded old-school tradition of producers like Afrika Bambaataa, the album is diverse and delicious, a grab bag of influences from reggae to drum & bass and beyond. Songs like "BEP Empire," produced by Gang Starr's notorious DJ Premier, give the Peas a harder-edged beat to roll with, which they rock rapturously. Then "Weekends," featuring Toronto down-tempo diva Esthero, is a fun dance floor number. And these two tracks are just the tip of the iceberg. Bridging the Gaps is a listen-all-the-way-through album. Every drum roll is vivacious, rollicking, and the judicious sample choices meld beautifully with the organic beats. Similarly open-minded, talented guests such as Macy Gray, De La Soul, and Mos Def also stop by to bless the mic. As James Brown would say, "Get up off of that thing, and dance 'til you feel better." --Lizz Mendez Berry Amazon.com

 Sell-out? Are you high?!?!
I've read review after review here stating BEP sold out. Can we please remove this moniker from the English language. It's old and I'm over it. Musicians make albums to make money, just as we go work ten hours a day to get PAID! That being said, this IS a classic hip-hop album. Perhaps BEP in their finest hour. Having never heard Behind the Front, I would say this has got to be their best album. The beats are infectious and the cameos are kick a**. Charlie the Tuna hasn't even been mentioned, but he sets it off on "Get Original" and Macy Gray is addictive on "Request Line". My old roommate, Jason, turned me on to this and I don't think I could ever thank him enough. I remember seeing these guys play at Warped Tour over ten years ago, believing they would be destined for greatness. Now, to see them recieving the accolades they deserve, it makes me proud to say, "I'm BEP 4 life." On another note, adding Fergie to the group, made Black-Eyed Peas achieve the greatness they deserve. Shame on you to turn your backs on them now. September 12, 2007

 Great album
Thank you BEP for your first two albums. They are classics and can be played forever. As for the pop albums, Elephunk is wack and Monkey Business is incredibly mainstream but well done. You made it brother's and that's all that matters, right? Wrong. Get back to being real. September 9, 2006

 Before Change, Emphasizing Love for Hip Hop
In their second album, Bridging The Gap, Black Eyed Peas emphasize their love and commitment to hip hop more than they did in the previous album--opening with "This is the hip hip hip, the hop hop hop" ("BEP Empire"), then making a twisted homage to Afrika Bambaataa's "Planet Rock" ("Go Go," which may be the album's most unforgettable track to long-term hip hop fans), and listing names of hip hop giants ("Rap Song"). The excess may get some audience's nerve, knowing their directional change afterwards. Guest appearances of Primo, De La, and Mos Def prove the scene's positive reaction to their debut, though none of them does remarkable job here. August 6, 2006

 Better Then...Forget Now
Before THE BIG SELLOUT, B.E.P. were a very enjoyable hip-hop combo along the lines of De La Soul (jr.).
Their early stuff is fun, creative and INTELLIGIBLE.
Lately they've become the mass-media posterchildren for Old Money to point to and say "See WHY those BLACKS don't deserve equality?!!! JUST LOOK AT THEM !!! HE'S JUMPING AROUND LIKE A MONKEY , BARKING LIKE A DOG (oh look at the white girl I guess she's sexy that'll sell records!) THAT's WHY hah hah ha"

AT least they USED to make decent records.
And I thank them for that.
It's just too bad they lost faith. July 15, 2006

 Close to a classic
Man this is what I'm talking about. This is the kind of BEP that i used to love before they turned to the mainstream life. I got this album as a Christmas gift last December and I'm quite thankful to have it in my collection. The lyrics on here are really stellar and the production is amazing. Real Hip-Hop still exists in society but people fail understand that. Easily the best BEP release besides "Behind The Front". January 25, 2006

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