Elephunk

The Black Eyed Peas | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 24, 2003)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: A&M
• ASIN: B00009V7RF
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (267 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #38,849 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #53 in Music > World Music > Reggae > Dance Hall

Track Listings

1. Hands Up

2. Labor Day (It's A Holiday)

3. Let's Get Retarded

4. Hey Mama

5. Shut Up

6. Smells Like Funk

7. Latin Girls

8. Sexy

9. Fly Away

10. The Boogie That Be

11. The Apl Song

12. Anxiety

13. Where Is The Love

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Black Eyed Peas have at times been accused of sounding too Tribe for their own good, but this time out Will.i.am and crew have consciously expanded their horizons. Problem is, perhaps they've tried too hard. As the title suggests, Elephunk borrows from every single element of funk known to man and (with the exception of the one straight-out rock & roll track, "Anxiety") tries to cram them all into a semi-hip-hop format. While such willingness to experiment is admirable, in this case the attempt comes off as slightly desperate and too diffuse. Elephunk settles itself into a groove when BEP's newest member Fergie’s lush girlie vocals are allowed to dominate, as they do on the discofied "The Boogie That Be." --Rebecca Levine

Product Description

UK edition of 2003 album features 16 tracks including 2 UK bonus tracks, 'Rock My Shit' & 'What's Goin Down'. Universal.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

47 of 53 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best albums I've ever heard, October 12, 2003

By 

"tanyamc" (Ohio) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Elephunk (Audio CD)

This album is absolutely awesome, and has something for everyone. It brings together R&B, Rap, and Jazz with socially conscious lyrics. There is not a single song that I don't like on it. Fergie, the newcomer to this group, definately adds a new feel to this album.
1) Hands up - a high energy start to the album. The saxophone on this song is very jazzy, and has the whole song has a bit of a retro feel.
2) Labor Day - Pure Fun. You can really dance to this song.
3) Let's Get Retarded - This song starts out by saying that it means no disrespect (look up the lyrics if you're concerned about it) Actually, it uses "retarded" to describe losing control of your body when you dance. Anybody who listens to more than just the chorus of this song would realize this.
4) Hey Mama - Has a latin, almost jamaican, feel. Sounds a little like Sean Paul's "Get Busy." Fun song.
5) Shut Up - Fergie shines on this song! More pop sounding than the rest of the album, but it still has a groove. Fergie's vocals alone make this song worth listening to. Beautiful.
6) Smells like Funk - This also has a retro feel to it. Nothing particularly spectacular about this song, but it's still solid.
7) Latin Girls - Very latin feel to this one. Another fun song to dance to.
8) Sexy - Funktastically Beautiful Song. They did a nice job mixing the piano into this slower song.
9) Fly Away - This song is my absolute favorite - Fergie really shines on this one. A wonderfully free song... you just have to hear it.
10) The Boogie that Be - Mostly rap, with a classic sound to it.
11) The Elephunk Theme - An exotic song, with melodies that sound middle-eastern or Indian, blended with aggressive rap.
12) The Apl Song - An calming song, with beautiful melodies.
13) Anxiety - Aggressive rap on top of a some rocking guitar.
14) Where is the Love - This is a little longer than the radio cut.
15) Hidden Track - I don't know what this one is called, but it's a nice song. It's slow, soft, and sexy with rap verses blended into a melodic chorus.

27 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Every song shines, February 21, 2004

By 

Katie "cookieheadfred" (Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Elephunk (Audio CD)

'Elephunk' is an awesome album. This is one of the first albums I can listen to, in it's entirtey, without having to skip any tracks. Whether I'm listening to the upbeat 'Smells Like Funk', the sultry 'Sexy' or even the angst-filled 'Anxiety' I can always find something about the song to love. Adding Fergie for a female voice was an ingenius move. She really adds alot to the group when singing songs such as 'Let's Get Retarded' and 'Shut Up'.

Just so everyone buying the album for 'Hey Mama' knows, the lyrics were changed on the single version to avoid sounding too political ("then drop bombs like we're in the Middle East" was cut) and to add more of Fergie (her "off the richter" lyrics are not part of the CD version). Both versions basically sound the same other than the slightly altered lyrics though.

The first six tracks are all quite fast, then 'Latin Girls' slows it down quite a bit. 'The Apl Song' is one of my very favorites on the album. I absolutely love the lines "A version of my ghetto where life felt for real/Some would call it hell but to me it was heaven". The song is sung in both Tagalog and English, which sounds awesome. It's about having to work together and live off the land, and it truly is a very beautiful song.

Check out 'Elephunk' if you're a fan of Hip Hop, or even Pop. If you like 'Shut Up' and 'Hey Mama', chances are you'll love the album. The lyrics, vocals, and beats are all very good, and the album overall is awesome.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Breath of fresh air, July 3, 2003

By 

"sicccj" (Livermore, Ca United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Elephunk (Audio CD)

For as long as I can remember I have loved hip-hop and for most of my life it was the only genre of music I listened to. Unfortunatly, for the last few years, hip-hop and rap has been in my opinion pretty awful, save for a few artists here and there. Elephunk is one of the top five best hip-hop album I've ever heard period. I just bought it today and instantly fell in love with it, unusual considering it normally takes me about a week before I really like any album. When I heard "Where is the Love" on the radio a month or so ago, I knew this album would be special. Will.i.am's production is what sets Elephunk apart from everything else. If you are like me, you are sick of just about all the producers out there. These beats were designed with music in mind and sound like they took a lot of time on each and every one. The album doesn't stop at outstanding production though. The lyrical content is intellegent and delivered in a way that is both interesting and pleasing to the ear. The album features a wide range of lyrical topics including discrimination, love and the rockin' party tracks. Sometimes I think the goal of hip-hop these days is to try and master what someone else's work. BEP could care less what everyone else in rap is doing, that I think is the secret to their success. Most people will probably sleep on this album because record companies will probably continue to shove other rappers down their throats. But like a fine wine i suppose, only a select few can experience quality like Elephunk. This album has renewed my faith in hip-hop.