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The Black Eyed Peas transcended hip-hop to become one of the most commercially successful pop groups of the 2000s. Their career began modestly, with a pair of albums inspired by the positive-minded likes of A Tribe Called Quest and De La Soul. After adding Fergie, the group’s pop instincts reached full flight. Ignited by the Top Ten hit “Where Is the Love?” and the Grammy-winning party anthem “Let’s Get It Started,” the group scored three multi-platinum albums in 2003’s Elephunk, 2005’s Monkey Business, and 2009’s The E.N.D. (Energy Never Dies). While still connected to hip-hop, the group’s sound turned toward dance-pop -- a savvy move that transformed them from a cult act to a mainstream phenomenon. The group's earliest connections go back to the early ‘90s, when high schoolers will.i.am (William James Adams, Jr.) and apl.de.ap (Allan Pineda Lindo, Jr.) were part of Tribal Nation, a breakdancing crew. Eventually the pair focused more on music and split off on their own as Atban Klan...