Monkey Business by Black Eyed Peas

Riding on the mainstream success of Elephunk the Peas are back with another radio friendly, mass market ready album - MONKEY BUSINESS.

Personally, I hadn't even heard of the Peas till Elephunk came out. I bought the album and have been very pleased with it. I think for the most part its a solid album. I wouldn't say it's ground breaking or particularly innovative - but it's enjoyable music to listen to. That's exactly how I feel about MONKEY BUSINESS. It's solid but not innovative.


Production: Will.I.Am constructed the majority of this album's amazing beats. Even if you don't like the lyrics you gotta admit that the production is solid. Will.I.Am and Ron Fair executive produced the album. Additional production credits go to: Timbaland on My Style, Apl.de.ap on Feel It, and Noize Trip on Disco Club.

Features: Monkey Business includes some interesting collaborations with artists such as Justin Timberlake (My Style), Dante Santiago (Dum Diddly), James Brown (They Don't Want Music, and Sting (Union).


Track Listing:
* Pump It - Starts off like those beach commercials you sometimes see in the summer on TV pitching sun-tan lotion or something. The original track that this song is based on is used in Pulp Fiction, I just noticed that the other day. Anyway, it's a funky track...I actually kind of like it. I like to spin it when I'm cruisin with my girl, she really digs this one. Track Grade: C

N*ggas wanna hate on us
N*ggas be envious
I know why they hatin on us
'cause BEP so fabulous
I'm gonna be real on us
Nobody got nothin on us...

* Don't Phunk With My Heart - This is one of those made for radio tracks that almost everyone hears. It gets so much rotation I'm pretty tired of it. But if I'm in the right mood it's still a great song to listen to. The hook is sung by Fergie and it's pretty catchy. As with most BEP songs this is a very upbeat song. Track Grade: C+

You can't stop me once I've started,
You can't return me once you bought it,
I'm comin baby dont doubt it,
So lets be about it.

No, no, no, no - don't phunk with my heart!

* My Style - My Style features Justin Timberlake, and it actually sounds pretty good. At first I didn't know Timberlake was in it, I couldn't figure out who was singing the hook. I was taken back when I read the album insert. This is one of my favorite tracks on the album. And luckily, Timberlake doesn't do much of that really high-pitched girly singing. Track Grade: B+

Paparrazi put me in their magazine,
I got 8 million ways to rock it like this,
and ain't nobody drop their styles like this,
I'm gonna give it to ya like that and like this,
and my momma always told me,
"My baby's a genius."

* Don't Lie - Apparently the BEP have a problem with honesty. Because they have this theme on their albums. On Elephunk the track Shut Up was about lying and now this one is more obviously about the same subject. I'll be curious to see if they do another one on the next album. I'm not a real fan of this song, I don't really like the whole soft-rock feel to it. It's a bit too pop for me. Sounds like a song you're more likely to hear on a Top 40 or soft-rock radio station than a Hip Hop radio station. I'll pass on it when I have the chance. Track Grade: C

* My Humps - This is another great song but it's starting to be played way too much on the radio. Since hip hop tracks related to dancing and booty tend to do well...that's the general theme of this club track. It really gets the ladies going at the clubs I've been to. Humps and lumps? Not exactly the words I'd use, but whatev. Move your lady lumps... Track Grade: B

Whatcha gonna do with all that junk?
All that junk inside that trunk?
I'ma get, get, get, get you drunk,
get you love drunk off my hump.
Whatcha gonna do with all that a$$?
All that a$$ inside them jeans?
I'ma make, make, make, make you scream.
Make you scream! Make you scream!


* Like That - I don't like the way this song starts, it sounds a lot like elevator music. But once it gets moving the beat is pretty tight. The hook is very simple and repetitive. But what makes this track sic is that Talib Kweli features on it at the 2 minute mark. Talib is one of my all-time favorite emcees. He's so tight, his flow is amazing and, of course, the lyrics are on point. Listen to it to appreciate... Track Grade: B+

To be in Fight Club even Brad
had to crack a tooth.

I love that line.

* Dum Diddly - The dum go diddly, and the rim shot sound like a gun shot...supposedly. This is actually a fairly solid track if you wanna dance or sing along. It's an energetic song. I like the "ooh" sample in the background it rounds out the solid production. The topic is shallow, just basically tellin you to dance and that BEP keeps ya movin. But it's catchy. Track Grade: C

* Feel It - Can you feel the high? Well, the intro to this song is a little too high for me. We gonna make ya'll feel it. Another song to inspire the listener to dance. This is an average track. Track Grade: C

Can ya feel it in ya body ya'll?
Can ya feel it?
Can ya feel it in ya body ya'll?

* Gone Going - I really dislike this song. This is not hip hop and doesn't belong on what's supposed to be a hip hop album. This is one of those where BEP goes very wrong. I wasn't sure if I was listening to the right album when this song came on! If I wanted to listen to this kind of acoustic guitar heavy, lazy singing, I'd pop in a John Mayer CD or something. Not my style at all. This has to be the worst song on the album. Track Grade: F

* They Don't Want Music - BEP team up with James Brown on They Dont Want Music. I think this is a gem, it's pretty ill. I think this track should be on the radio. The hook is tight. It's got that soul feel to it. Very fun to listen to... One of my favorite tracks. Track Grade: A

They don't want music,
they don't know how to use it,
all they want just,
boom, boom, boom.

* Disco Club - This track took six people to write, did you know that? That just seems weird to me that it takes so many people to write one track. This is one of the few beats not produced by Will.i.am, Disco Club is produced by Noize Trip. The disco thing must be an emerging trend in hip hop...50 Cent did it too. Odd. Anyway, this is another average track. Track Grade: C

* Bebot - This song is Phillipino throughout. You will likely not understand 99.9% of the lyrics. So since I can't understand what the hell they're rappin about I can only comment on the beat - and it's good. Track Grade: C+

* Ba Bump - I'm really wondering how many tracks about dancing with girls can be packed onto once CD. I think BEP holds the record. The beat has an ill saxaphone-like sample and I like the way Will.i.am flows. This is a really tight track but the same topics throughout the album start to get tiring. Track Grade: C+

It's the beat that makes ya
bump ya bump...

* Audio Delite At Low Fidelity - This is a countdown track - One's for the (insert phrase), Two for the (insert phrase). This has to be a filler track 'cause it really lacks anything of substance. Did Will bite that kill it with a skillet line? Hmm... Track Grade: D

* Union - This was an odd way to end the album I thought. It's a really soft song with piano and sax melodies. I think the problem is they brought Sting on the track and totally removed themselves from the high-energy dance music they usually make. I think this is another failed track. Track Grade: F

Lets start a un-ion.
Calling every hu-uman.
Let's live in un-ison.

Just weird and crappy...the topic is positive but it's just a bad track.

Price: $9.98 @ Target


Final Comments:

Overall, I'm fairly pleased with the album. It starts off strong but finishes weak. It's got a little of everything...except real hip hop. This is what I consider a version of Hip Pop. Kind of like Nelly, Chingy, and others...this is watered down hip hop. But even more so. However, I try not to be too anal about music...it sounds good and I can vibe to some of the tracks. So I like it. I'm sure there will be plenty of people who cry about how it's mediocre and such. But if that was the case - would so many people buy it? It appeals to the middle of the road listeners...like a good politician. Ha ha ha!

My least favorite tracks are Feel It, Union and I wasn't too impressed with Gone Going either - it sounded like some John Mayer crap.

Overall, I would recommend this to most pop fans. I'd say MONKEY BUSINESS gets a C, entirely average. I would be very careful recommending this to a true hip hop fan.


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Thanks for reading my review! Be sure to check out my other ones as well! Thanks!