The Black Eyed Peas

The Black Eyed Peas
Monkey Business
(A & M)
When Elephunk broke through huge into the mainstream, it was a breath of fresh air. Fast-forward two years, and Monkey Business is the awaited follow-up. The lead single “Don’t Phunk With My Heart” (“phunk” (funk) is on par with Chingy’s “hurr” (here) for annoyance) has become the musical equivalent to nails on a blackboard — it is EVERYWHERE. (Take a page from Gwen’s book — a new single every other week.) By adding Fergie (what do you mean I’m not Nelly Furtado?) to the mix, BEP were able to move from hip-hop to pop music almost effortlessly — all they needed, apparently, was to add a little T and A. But where Elephunk sounded filling and fresh, Monkey Business is nothing more than a pixie stick for your ears: all sugar, no substance.
—Trevor Savory
categories: Juno nominee (2006)