C. F. Earl - Black Eyed Peas

Black Eyed Peas

by C.F. Earl

Superstars of Hip-Hop

Alicia Keys

Beyonc

Black Eyed Peas

Ciara

Dr. Dre

Drake

Eminem

50 Cent

Flo Rida

Hip Hop: A Short History

Jay-Z

Kanye West

Lil Wayne

LL Cool J

Ludacris

Mary J. Blige

Notorious B.I.G.

Rihanna

Sean Diddy Combs

Snoop Dogg

T.I.

T-Pain

Timbaland

Tupac

Usher

Black Eyed Peas

by C.F. Earl

Mason Crest

Black Eyed Peas

Mason Crest 370 Reed Road Broomall, Pennsylvania 19008 www.masoncrest.com

Copyright 2013 by Mason Crest, an imprint of National Highlights, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission from the publisher.

Printed and bound in the United States of America.

First printing
9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Earl, C. F.

Black Eyed Peas / by C.F. Earl.

p. cm. (Superstars of hip hop)

Includes index.

ISBN 978-1-4222-2511-0 (hardcover) ISBN 978-1-4222-2508-0 (series hardcover) ISBN 978-1-4222-2537-0 (softcover) ISBN 978-1-4222-9213-6 (ebook)

1. Black Eyed Peas (Musical group)Juvenile literature. 2. Rap musiciansUnited StatesBiographyJuvenile literature. I. Title.

ML3930.B577E37 2012

782.4216490922dc22

[B]

2011005426

Produced by Harding House Publishing Services, Inc.

www.hardinghousepages.com

Interior Design by MK Bassett-Harvey.

Cover design by Torque Advertising & Design.

Publishers notes:

All quotations in this book come from original sources and contain the spelling and grammatical inconsistencies of the original text.

The Web sites mentioned in this book were active at the time of publication. The publisher is not responsible for Web sites that have changed their addresses or discontinued operation since the date of publication. The publisher will review and update the Web site addresses each time the book is reprinted.

DISCLAIMER: The following story has been thoroughly researched, and to the best of our knowledge, represents a true story. While every possible effort has been made to ensure accuracy, the publisher will not assume liability for damages caused by inaccuracies in the data, and makes no warranty on the accuracy of the information contained herein. This story has not been authorized nor endorsed by the Black Eyed Peas.

Contents

Hip-Hop lingo

Breaking also called b-boying or break dancingis a style of hip-hop dancing. It involves spinning, headstands, and flips.

Rap is a kind of music where rhymes are chanted, often with music in the background. When people rap, they make up these rhymes, sometimes off the top of their heads.

DJ is short for disc jockey. A DJ plays music on the radio or at a party and announces the songs.

A contract is a written agreement between two people. Once youve signed a contract, its against the law to break it. When a musician signs a contract with a music company, the musician promises to give all her music to that company for them to make as CDs and then selland the music company promises to pay the musician a certain amount of money. Usually, a contract is for a certain period of time.

A label is a company that produces music and sells CDs.

An album is a group of songs collected together on a CD.

A single is a song that is sold by itself.

Today, the Black Eyed Peas are known around the world. Their music has been heard by millions of people. But the four Black Eyed Peas werent always superstars. Their songs werent always played on the radio, in clubs, or at parties.

Fergie, will.i.am, Taboo, and apl.de.ap were once just four hip-hop fans. They all loved music. They loved it so much they wanted to make their own. But it took a while for the Black Eyed Peas to find each other. It took a while for them to become the group that fans everywhere love today.

The Black Eyed Peas got their start when two high school friends got together.

William in Los Angeles

will.i.ams real name is William James Adams Jr. He was born on March 15, 1975.

William was an only child. He grew up in the projects of East Los Angeles. His mother raised him. William doesnt remember his father.

When apl.de.ap first came to the United States, he spoke no English. That didnt stop him from becoming friends with will.i.am, and this friendship and shared love of music and performing sowed the seeds for the Black Eyed Peas.

William was different from other kids in his neighborhood. He wore different clothes. He was quieter.

Williams neighborhood had people of many different backgrounds. William went to an all-black church with his mom. He rode the school bus with mostly white kids. Lots of Mexican families lived in his neighborhood. William got along with everyone. It didnt matter where they were from or what they looked like.

William liked to hang out with all the kids at his school. He liked to move from one group to another. He talked to the black kids for a while. Then he talked to a group of Asian kids. He spent some time with white friends. Then he hung out with his Latino friends.

If I didnt go to that school, Black Eyed Peas wouldnt be what it is, will.i.am said later. I dont think we would be able to relate to every country on the planet.

William Meets Allan

Because he grew up in the kind of place he did, William learned how to get along with different kinds of people. He became best friends with Allan Pineda Lindo, Jr. Today, Allan is known as apl.de.ap.

Allan came from the Philippines. When William met him, Allan didnt know how to speak English. But the differences between them didnt keep them from becoming good friends.

Allan Pineda Lindo, Jr. was born on November 28, 1974, in the Philippines. Allans father was a U.S. serviceman serving in the Philippines. Soon after Allan was born, his father left the family. Allans mother raised him alone.

When Allan was young, he learned he had something wrong with his eyes. He had trouble controlling the movement of his eyes. He also had trouble seeing clearly.

An American group called the Pearl S. Buck Foundation helped Allan. The group connected Americans and children in Asia. Each American could give a little money every month to help a child live a better life. A man named Joe Ben Hudgens was the one who helped Allan.

When Joe learned about Allans eye problems, he brought Allan to the United States. Allan was finally able to get some help with his condition. But when he saw more of the United States, he asked Joe if he could stay. Three years later, Allans mother agreed to let Joe adopt him. It was a hard choice, but she decided Allan needed help from American doctors.