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The Black Eyed Peas' fourth outing, MONKEY BUSINESS, picks up right where their platinum-selling breakout album, ELEPHUNK, left off, with the feel of a non-stop party run by an ultra-savvy DJ. "Pump It" opens the disc on a straight sample of ... Full DescriptionDick Dale's surf classic "Misirlou," as the three MCs of BEP float in and out--sometimes rapid-fire, sometimes measured--with Fergie stepping in on cue to alternately sing softly or with deep, soulful emotion.
The Peas' origins are tied to the DJ-driven world of breakdancing, and that flavor saturates MONKEY BUSINESS, as beats drop in and out, tracks blend into other tracks, and a lighthearted spirit of sophisticated ecstasy prevails. The aforementioned "Pump It" slides flawlessly into the lively single "Don't Phunk with My Heart," and the stage for the album is set. Icons James Brown and Sting drop by, on the uncompromisingly funky "They Don't Want Music" and the reggae-soaked "Union," respectively, but they're just guests on board for the ride (along with Justin Timberlake, John Legend, and others), part of the musical mural. The Black Eyed Peas turned from underground favorites to hit-making performers on ELEPHUNK; this follow-up continues that upward progression.
Recording information: Glenwood Place, Burbank, CA; Metropolis Studios, London, England; The Record Plant, Los Angeles, CA.
Black Eyed Peas: Fergie , Apl, Taboo, Will.i.am (vocals).
Additional personnel: Dante Santiago, James Brown, John Legend, Justin Timberlake, Sting, Cee-Lo (vocals); Q-Tip, Talib Kweli (rap vocals).
Uncut (p.94) - 3 stars out of 5 - "Will-I-Am's production is gliding yet hard, blasting off with 'Pulp Fiction' Dick Dale guitar, and giving contemporary bounce to '80s synth beats." Hide Description Monkey Business Music | List Price | $13.95 (You save $3.10) | | Category | Rock/Pop Albums, Rock CDs, R&B, Urban Soundtrack, Underground/Alt Rap, Rap, Enhanced CD | | Label | A & M | | Orig Year | 2005 | | All Time Sales Rank | 620  | | CD Universe Part number | 6857134 | | Catalog number | 000434102 | | Discs | 1 | | Release Date | Jun 07, 2005 | | Studio/Live | Studio | | Mono/Stereo | Stereo | | Producer | Will.i.am; Timbaland | | Personnel | Will.I.Am - vocals Fergie Taboo Apl.de.ap
Also: John Legend, James Brown, Sting, Justin Timberlake, Cee-Lo, Q-Tip, Talib Kweli, Dante Santiago | | Additional Info | Digipak |
Black Eyed Peas Monkey Business Songs Purchase Monkey Business CD To buy, Click on price to add to cart | Black Eyed Peas Elephunk CD (2003) Bonus Track
Monkey Business album
$10.85 With distinct, cuttingly insightful, yet subtle lyrics fed over consistently catchy beats and eclectic arrangements, L.A.'s Black Eyed Peas have earned a high level of respect within the rap world, significant attention at college radio, and even the occasional crossover hit. Third release ELEPHUNK sees the addition of a fourth member, enchanting female vocalist Fergie (introduced with verve on the dancehall "Hey Mama"), and the continued elevation of their style and skills, as the group journeys all over the map, never falling into a funk of boredom.
ELEPHUNK opens the ears from the outset with the flophouse jazz backbeat of "Hands Up," simultaneously easy-going and infectious, before crashing into the fluorescent, straight-up party anthem "Labor Day" using the familiar JB's "The Grunt" sample as successfully as the Bomb Squad did back in 1988. Then there's the perfectly chiseled but fiery "Shut Up" with its insistent Knight Rider-theme beat and call-and-response. ELEPHUNK closes on an unlikely duet with Justin Timberlake, "Where Is the Love," an earnest state-of-the-world ballad that somehow creates a fitting ending to a solid album from one of hip-hop's most intelligent groups.
Recorded at Stewicha, Los Feliz, California; Record Plant, Hollywood, California; Glenwood Studio, Burbank, California; Velvet One, Sacramento, California.
Producers: Will.I.Am, Apl.De.Ap, Ron Fair.
Black Eyed Peas: Will.i.am (vocals, Wurlitzer piano, Moog synthesizer, drum programming); Apl.de.ap (vocals, ...
| | Gwen Stefani Love, Angel, Music, Baby CD (2004)
Monkey Business CD music
$10.85 Historically, it's a tricky endeavor for the singer from an enormously successful band to embark on a solo career. Gwen Stefani, the glamorous vocalist for No Doubt, sidesteps the issue on her first solo album, LOVE, ANGEL, MUSIC, BABY, by largely eschewing the No Doubt sound. In its place, there's a strong emphasis on the R&B and hip-hop flavors that were hinted at in preceding No Doubt records. Towards that end, Stefani gamely enlists the assistance of Dr. Dre, the Neptunes, Andre 3000 of Outkast, and others, on an album that references everything from Japanese pop culture ("Harajuku Girls") to FIDDLER ON THE ROOF ("Rich Girl," featuring rapper Eve). Sensual R&B rhythms, frenetic hip-hop beats, and yes, the occasional pop/rock echo of No Doubt, all share space on LOVE, ANGEL, MUSIC, BABY, filtered through a fun-loving, party-starting sensibility.
Personnel include: Gwen Stefani (vocals); Andre 3000 (vocals); Eve (rap ...
| | Mariah Carey The Emancipation of Mimi CD (2005)
Monkey Business music CDs
$15.25 With the lofty title THE EMANCIPATION OF MIMI, it's clear that Mariah Carey wants listeners to know she's releasing an important record. Here she aims to reveal an aspect of herself that has previously been held back by career missteps and tabloid-worthy drama. It's refreshing, then, that 2005's EMANCIPATION returns the focus to Carey's remarkable voice, as the singer makes her most accomplished record in over a decade.
Carey opens the album by exhibiting some of the most sincerely soulful vocals of her career on the one-two punch of the up-tempo "It's Like That" and the beautiful ballad "We Belong Together." Her able voice expertly complements both the hazy hip-hop of Snoop Dogg on "Say Somethin'" and the acrobatics of Twista on the dream-like "One and Only." In her early years, Carey would have adorned the latter track with vocal tricks to show off her five-octave voice, but she has wisely learned to rein in her frills. In fact, restraint is the key word on THE EMANCIPATION OF MIMI, a straightforward and satisfying pop-R&B collection.
Personnel include: Mariah Carey (vocals); Trey Lorenz (vocals); Nelly, ...
| | Kanye West Late Registration CD (2005)
Monkey Business songs
$12.45 Rapper/producer Kanye West's second album, LATE REGISTRATION, incredibly lives up to expectations following his universally acclaimed debut, THE COLLEGE DROPOUT, which took the art of sampling to a new plateau. Here, for example, "Gold Digger" features a sample of the legendary Ray Charles alongside actor Jamie Foxx in Oscar-reprising character as Charles. "Addiction" pairs a frenetic African beat with a stuttering, singular use of a snippet of Etta James crooning "My Funny Valentine," while "Diamonds From the Sierra Leone" teams the majestic Bond glory of Shirley Bassey's "Diamonds Are Forever" with perfectly subtle Miami bass to explosive effect. All the while, West pulls lyrics out of his rhyme bag at a fever pitch, tackling hefty topics like civil war in Africa and the impact of drugs on leading Black minds.
Throughout the album, West merely continues to perfect his craft, slowing tracks down and speeding them up into an awe-inspiring mosaic. While his MC style is often discounted as being of secondary importance, he shines when put up against the best in the game, as with Common on the bluesy "My Way Home" or Nas on the lush "We Major." And in the spirit of Bob Dylan, West knows how to make the most of a very original voice. LATE REGISTRATION ...
| | Eric Bachmann Crooked Fingers CD (2000)
Monkey Business album
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| | Various Artists Definition Of Ill CDs (2001)
Monkey Business CD music
$25.59 DEFINITION OF ILL was originally released as a single Various Artists CD. The second CD contains a continuous in-the-mix CD compiled ...
| | Various Artists Star Funk V.16 CD (1994) (Import) Canada
Monkey Business music CDs
$34.65 Track Listing of songs: Could It Be Love (Remix) - Loni Gamble; Hold on I'm Coming - Karen Silver; ...
| | Deuce Mob Going Solo CD (1996)
Monkey Business songs
$11.49 ;1996;Prev.Thump 9940 Chicano Rap
Recorded at Cochrane Studios, Studio City, California; Paramount Studios, Los Angeles, California; Ensync Studios, Denver, Colorado; F.T.M. Studios, Lakewood, Colorado.
Producers: DJ Fame, Kid Frost, John Martinez.
Additional ...
| | Collage Basnie CD (2003) (Import) Reissue; Remastered; Enhanced CD; United Kingdom
Monkey Business album
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| | Various Artists Staedtizism 3 CD (2002) (Import) Germany
Monkey Business CD music
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| | Chamillionaire Chamillitary CD (2005)
Monkey Business music CDs
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| | Michael Shane Borden & the Dies Modern Sounds Of CD (2004)
Monkey Business songs
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| | Wayne Shorter Native Dancer CD (1975)
Monkey Business album
$5.75 NATIVE DANCER was Shorter's first collaboration with Brazilian superstar Milton Nascimento, and helped introduce Nascimento to American audiences.
Digitally remastered by Debra Parkinson (CBS Records Studio, New York).
This is part of the Columbia Contemporary Jazz Masters series.
This album is a rare gem. A lush Brazilian-jazz hybrid, it was released in the midst of Wayne Shorter's tenure with Weather Report, after an astounding run of inventive post-bop releases for the Blue Note label in the '60s. Five of the nine tracks were written by Milton Nascimento, and NATIVE DANCER's success on its release in 1975 served to introduce this fine Brazilian singer/composer to an American audience.
The aptness of the pairing of these two musicians is readily apparent on a tune such as "Tarde," where Nascimento's vocal phrasing mirrors Shorter's saxophone. The ensemble is equally inspired, with Herbie ...
| | Rane Magnetic North CD (2008)
Monkey Business CD music
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