WhereIsAtlas · Black Eyed Peas
What Happened to Black Eyed Peas?
The LA group that fused hip-hop and pop and owned the 2000s — still active, but a very different band without Fergie.
Black Eyed Peas went from an underground LA hip-hop crew to one of the biggest pop groups of the 2000s. After Fergie left in the late 2010s, the trio of will.i.am, apl.de.ap and Taboo kept going and are still touring today.
From underground hip-hop to global pop
Black Eyed Peas started in 1995 in Los Angeles as a conscious hip-hop group founded by will.i.am and apl.de.ap, with Taboo joining soon after. Their early albums, Behind the Front and Bridging the Gap, were well regarded but far from the pop mainstream the band would later inhabit.
The Fergie era
Everything changed with the addition of Fergie in 2003. Elephunk and Monkey Business turned the group into a global phenomenon, producing an extraordinary run of hits including "Where Is the Love?", "My Humps", "Let's Get It Started" and "Pump It". "I Gotta Feeling" became one of the most successful singles of all time.
The departure that changed everything
Fergie left the group in the late 2010s, and Black Eyed Peas carried on as a trio of will.i.am, apl.de.ap and Taboo, adding a touring singer. The band kept releasing music and playing live, even as the lineup that defined its biggest years was gone.
Where the Black Eyed Peas are now
Black Eyed Peas are still active, performing at major events and festivals, including Rock in Rio in 2026. Fergie has reunited with them on stage on occasion, as at the 2026 American Music Awards, but the group's core remains will.i.am, apl.de.ap and Taboo.
Entries in this story
Sources
- Black Eyed Peas - Wikipedia — Wikipedia (2026-09-05)
- Fergie reunites with Black Eyed Peas at American Music Awards 2026 — The Philippine Star (2026-09-05)