Puneet Varma (Editor)

Behind the Front

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Released
  
June 30, 1998

Length
  
73:53

Release date
  
30 June 1998

Recorded
  
1997–1998

Artist
  
The Black Eyed Peas

Behind the Front httpsuploadwikimediaorgwikipediaen118Beh

Producer
  
will.i.amPaul PoliC-LosBrian Lapin

Behind the Front(1998)
  
Bridging the Gap(2000)

Label
  
Insomniac/Interscope Records

Genres
  
Hip hop music, Alternative hip hop

Similar
  
The Black Eyed Peas albums, Hip hop music albums

The black eyed peas fallin up


Behind the Front is the debut studio album by American hip hop group Black Eyed Peas. It was released on June 30, 1998 through Interscope Records and will.i.am Music Group. The album received positive reviews from music critics but failed to chart.

Contents

Black eyed peas behind the front 2 clap your hands


Background

Most of the tracks were demos for the Grass Roots album, with added verses by new member Taboo. The song "Joints & Jam" appeared on the soundtrack of the movie Bulworth, where it was billed as "Joints & Jams". "Be Free" also features in the film She's All That. On the back cover, "Skit 3" is listed after "Duet", when it actually appears after "Communication". This was their only studio album to be released in a Parental Advisory version and an Edited version. On the edited version's back cover, "Skit 3" is properly listed after "Communication".

Release and promotion

Behind the Front was released for vinyl on June 30, 1998 through Interscope Records, will.i.am's imprint will.i.am Music Group and Universal Music Group.

Three singles from the album were released–double single "Fallin' Up/¿Que Dices?" in December 1997, "Joints & Jam" in November 1998 and the final single "Karma" in April 1999.

In 1997, a music video for the song "Head Bobs" was filmed and finished, however, the band decided to not release the song as a single. Around the same time a music video for the song "Fallin' Up" was also created, however, was decided that the album's first official single would be "Joints & Jam", with its respective music video released. A similar video to "Joints & Jam" was filmed for the song "What It Is", but like "Head Bobs" and "Fallin Up", the song wasn't an official single. The last music video to be released from the album was "Karma", the album's second and final official single. All five music videos were included on the DVD Behind the Bridge to Elephunk (2004).

Critical reception

Behind the Front received generally favorable reviews from music critics. Matt Conaway of AllMusic gave the album four out of five stars, stating: "Black Eyed Peas bring some positivity and fun back into hip-hop. Musically there is almost no realm this group does not touch -- right from the jump, the stylistic innocence of "Fallen Up," complete with striking guitar licks, sums up what BEP is all about."

Track listing

  • All songs produced by will.i.am, except where noted.
    • Notes
  • [a] signitifes a co-producer
    • Sample credits
  • "Fallin' Up" contains a sample from "Comanche" by Jorge Ben.
  • "Clap Your Hands" contains a sample from "Handclapping Song" by The Meters and "Tenement Yard" by Jacob Miller.
  • "Joints & Jam" contains a sample from "Grease" by Frankie Valli and "Love Till the End of Time" by Paulinho da Costa.
  • "The Way U Make Me Feel" contains a sample from "Here We Go (Live at the Funhouse)" by Run-DMC and "Something in the Way (You Make Me Feel)" by Stephanie Mills.
  • "Karma" contains a sample from "El Raton" by Cheo Feliciano and The Joe Cuba Sextet and "One Way or Another" by Blondie.
  • "Be Free" contains a sample from "White Horse" by Laid Back.
  • "Say Goodbye" contains a sample from "Heaven and Hell Is on Earth" by 20th Century Steel Band.
  • "What It Is" contains a sample from "Funkin' for Jamaica (N.Y.)" by Tom Browne.
  • "A8" contains a sample from "O Homem Da Gravata Florida" by Jorge Ben.
  • "Positivity" contains a sample from "Cinco Minutos" by Jorge Ben.

    • Personnel

  • will.i.am – vocals on all tracks; m.p.c 3000 on tracks 1–3, 5, 6, 8–14 and 16; rhodes on tracks 8 and 16; hammond b3 organ on tracks 2, 10 and 13; moog on track 9; theremin on track 12; marimbas on track 9; melody phone on track 16
  • apl.de.ap – vocals on all tracks except 4
  • Taboo – vocals on all tracks except 4, 7, 9 and 15
    • Musicians
  • Kevin Feyen – guitar on tracks 1, 5, 6, and 8–16
  • Mike Fratantuno – bass on tracks 1–3, 5, 8, 10, 11, 13 and 16
  • Terrence Yoshiaka – drums on track 5; percusions on tracks 1 and 6
  • Brian Lapin – Rhodes on tracks 1, 5, 9, 11, 12 and 15; hammond b3 organ on track 11; bass on track 9; moog on tracks 9, 11 and 16
  • Ramy Antoun – congas on track 6
  • Darell Cross – drums on track 15
  • J. Curtis – guitar on track 4
  • DJ Drez – turntables on track 15
  • Carlos Guacio – Rhodes and bass on track 4
  • Peter Kim – bass on track 15
  • DJ Motiv8 – turntables on tracks 3 and 8
  • Matt Nabours – violin on track 14
  • Tommy O. – flute on track 14
  • Paul Poli – turntables on track 3 and 7
  • Miles Tackett – bass on track 14 and cello on track 5
    • Guest vocals
  • Kim Hill – tracks 4, 7 and 11
  • Dawn Beckman – tracks 2 and 8
  • Einstien Brown – track 6
  • Ingrid Dupree – track 3
  • Redfoo – rap (track 9)
  • Macy Gray – track 14
  • Sierra Swan & Planet Swan – track 1

    • Songs

    1Fallin' Up5:10
    2Clap Your Hands4:57
    3Joints & Jam3:36

    References

    Behind the Front Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA


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