Following the global success of their third studio album Elephunk (2003), the group embarked on the Elephunk Tour. While touring, they began recording Monkey Business in June 2004, continuing for the following six months at various locations worldwide. Executive producers
Ron Fair and
will.i.am enlisted producers
Printz Board, Noize Trip,
Timbaland and
Danja for the album. Their final product was a
hip hop and
pop record incorporating an array of genres, such as
crunk,
funk,
reggae,
Raï,
calypso,
soul,
jazz and
Latin rock. Similarly to Elephunk, it explores lyrical themes such as relationship complexities, sexual attraction, partying, fame and, to a lesser extent, social issues. Controversy arose over the lyrics of the track "
My Humps", which center on a woman using her physical attributes to accomplish her goals.
Monkey Business received mixed reviews from
music critics, who complimented its production but criticized its lyrical content and the Black Eyed Peas' inclining to commercialization with the album. It debuted at number two on the US
Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 291,000 units, becoming the group's first top-ten album on the chart. The album was certified
triple platinum by the
Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), selling over four million copies in the United States. Internationally, it reached number one in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Mexico, New Zealand and Switzerland, and has sold over nine million copies worldwide. Despite its critical response, the album won two
Grammy Awards for its singles "
Don't Phunk with My Heart" and "My Humps", receiving three additional nominations.
Monkey Business produced four singles. "Don't Phunk with My Heart" became the group's highest-peaking single on the US
Billboard Hot 100 at the time, peaking at number three, and reached number one in Australia, Canada, the Czech Republic, Finland and New Zealand. "
Don't Lie" peaked at number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100, being overshadowed by its successor "My Humps", which began receiving heavy unsolicited airplay. After its official release as a single, "My Humps" peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100, reaching number one in Australia, Canada, Ireland and New Zealand. The final single "Pump It" became the album's lowest-peaking single on the Billboard Hot 100, reaching number 18. The album was further promoted with two global concert tours–
The Monkey Business Tour (2005–2006) and the Black Blue & You Tour (2007).
Background and development
In June 2003, the Black Eyed Peas released their third studio album Elephunk. During its production,
Fergie joined the group as its female vocalist.[2] Led by a global hit single and the group's first top-ten hit on the US
Billboard Hot 100 "
Where Is the Love?", the album was a
sleeper hit and became their breakthrough record.[3] It peaked at number 14 on the US
Billboard 200, was certified
double platinum by the
Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and garnered six
Grammy Award nominations, including the group's first win for "
Let's Get It Started".[4] The commercial success of Elephunk made a substantial impact on the group's prominence, and its members
will.i.am and Fergie planned on recording solo studio albums in 2004. However, the plans were postponed as they "felt it was important to install the next Black Eyed Peas record this year with the momentum that we've had, which will only allow our solo adventures to be successful and continue to keep our franchise going".[5] Fergie stated: "For us, Black Eyed Peas are feeling really good right now, and for me to come out with a solo record, it just doesn't feel right. This is a family, and we're on a certain kind of wave and I wanna keep riding on that wave together. It's my boys."[5] She would later release her debut solo studio album The Dutchess in September 2006, and will.i.am released his third studio album Songs About Girls in September 2007.
Recording and production
Monkey Business was recorded in "two and three-month spurts" throughout 2004 while the Black Eyed Peas were on their Elephunk Tour, in support of their third studio album Elephunk (2003).[6] The executive producer
will.i.am co-wrote all the tracks, and produced or co-produced all tracks except "My Style" and "Disco Club". Among other producers were
apl.de.ap,
Timbaland,
Danja,
Printz Board, Noize Trip, and the executive producer
Ron Fair. apl.de.ap co-wrote nine tracks,
Fergie co-wrote eight, and
Taboo co-wrote two.[7] The production commenced in June, while the group was touring the United Kingdom.[8] They recorded six tracks at the
Metropolis Studios in London.[7] The recording sessions continued in July during the tour's stop in Japan, where "
Pump It" was partly recorded in a
bullet train.[7] Upon the group's return to the United States, they recorded most of the tracks at the Stewchia in
Los Feliz, Los Angeles.
On August 11, a fire caused by unattended candles broke out at the Glenwood Studios in
Burbank, California while the group was recording, destroying approximately $50,000 worth of gear and instruments.[9] Other recording locations for Monkey Business included Amerycan Studios,
Henson Recording Studios and the
Record Plant in Los Angeles; Morning View Studios in
Malibu, California;
Smart Studios in
Madison, Wisconsin; Daddy's House and
Sony Music Studios in New York City; The Brothel in Philadelphia; Osi and Calvin Studios in Washington, D.C.; the
Hit Factory Criteria in Miami, and the Peas Tour Bus.[7] In December, it was revealed the group had recorded "They Don't Want Music" with
James Brown, and that Monkey Business was being mixed and neared completion.[10] The album was mastered by
Brian Gardner at the
Bernie Grundman Mastering in Los Angeles.[7]
Music and lyrics
Monkey Business is a
hip hop and
pop album incorporating an array of genres, such as
crunk,
funk,
reggae,
Raï,
calypso,
soul,
jazz and
Latin rock.[11][12][13][14][15][16] It opens with "
Pump It", a hip hop-funk track heavily sampling
Dick Dale's 1962
surf rock version of "
Misirlou".[17] The
Bollywood-inspired "
Don't Phunk with My Heart" was described as a lyrical sequel to the group's single "
Shut Up" (2003), with
will.i.am explaining: "When you're on bad terms with a significant other, you don't want to break up. You tell her things and at the time you really mean them. But she's saying, stop fucking with me."[12] "My Style"–the group's second collaboration with
Justin Timberlake–features "an ingenious mix of creative beats, subtle full-band backing, and multi-layered vocals".[15] "
Don't Lie" is a "breezy, grooving romantic apology".[18] will.i.am claimed the song was written from an experience in which he deceptively bended the truth to an ex-girlfriend: "It's a song about owning up and apologizing and realizing your faults. It's about being a man or a woman – an adult – and confronting situations honestly."[19] "
My Humps" is a hip hop and
dance track backed by an
electro-influenced drum beat, and ends with a piano-driven
hidden track "So Real".[17] The song sparked controversy because of its title and lyrics, which center on a woman who uses her
breasts and
buttocks to accomplish her goals.[20]
"Underground hip hop" track "Like That", featuring
Q-Tip,
Talib Kweli,
CeeLo Green and
John Legend, begins with a sample from
Astrud Gilberto's 1965 version of "
Who Can I Turn To?".[21][7] The seventh track "Dum Diddly" was described by Neil Drumming from Entertainment Weekly as a "glossy, faux-reggae" track.[13] "Feel It" lyrically encourages its listeners to dance.[22]Country-influenced "Gone Going" addresses the emptiness of
materialism.[23] It's built around a hip hop beat and a live string-horn arrangement.[24] "They Don't Want Music", featuring
James Brown, is a horn-driven jazz,
lounge and funk track.[16][17] "Disco Club" is about men "cruising clubs for casual hookups".[23] The "funky" dance track "Bebot", whose title means "hot chick", is rapped entirely in
Tagalog, much like "The Apl Song" from Elephunk (2003).[25] "Ba Bump" features its male protagonist getting a woman drunk and having sex with her afterwards.[23] "Audio Delite at Low Fidelity" lyrically details the group's history up until the release of Monkey Business, referencing their rise to prominence; it ends with the hidden track "Change".[26] The album's closing track "Union" heavily samples "
Englishman in New York" by
Sting, who makes a guest appearance.[7] A jazz-influenced track,[27] it lyrically demands social equality.[13]
Title and artwork
The Black Eyed Peas gave numerous explanations to the title of Monkey Business. In the "BEP Q&A" portion of the album's booklet, two definitions of the title were written.[7]
"DEFINITION 1: With success, people treat you differently. They can go from viewing you like a person to viewing you like a product. And that's one definition of Monkey Business."
In an interview with The Record, the members described an experience in Paris during their Elephunk Tour (2004) which inspired the title. According to
will.i.am, they were inside of a van when a large group of fans came and started banging on its windows and looking inside, to which
Taboo said he felt as if they were caged monkeys in a zoo.[12]
The album cover for Monkey Business was photographed by
Albert Watson. It depicts
Fergie, Taboo and
apl.de.ap surrounding will.i.am as he's shouting into a
megaphone, against a red background.
Shepard Fairey and Florencio Zavala designed the artwork and its logo, as directed by Mike Jurkovac.[7]
Release and promotion
In May 2004, the Black Eyed Peas announced Monkey Business would be released by November.[8] Its release was then postponed to early 2005, before ultimately being set for June 7 in the United States.[28] The promotion of the album had already commenced in January, when the
Best Buy commercial featuring the group performing "
Pump It" was released.[29] They performed "
Don't Phunk with My Heart" for the first time during the 2005/2006
MTV Networks UpFront at the
Madison Square Garden on May 3, 2005.[30] The group promoted the album in the United Kingdom by performing "Don't Phunk with My Heart" on the May 6 episode of Top of the Pops and the May 13 episode of Later... with Jools Holland.[31][32] There, they commenced their promotional tour at the
Brixton Academy in London on May 6, and performed at various venues and festivals across Europe and North America, including
Wango Tango, until June 2.[33][34] On June 3, the Black Eyed Peas embarked on
The Monkey Business Tour at
The Joint in Las Vegas;[35] the tour was originally set to commence on June 11, but three earlier dates were later added.[28] "Don't Phunk with My Heart" was subsequently performed at the
2005 MuchMusic Video Awards on June 19,[36] on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on June 24,[37] at the
Live 8 concert in Philadelphia on July 2,[38] and at the
2005 Teen Choice Awards on August 16.[39]
The Black Eyed Peas promoted "
My Humps" on Total Request Live on November 1,[40] and performed it at the
2005 MTV Europe Music Awards on November 3.[41] At the
NRJ Music Awards on January 21, 2006, the group performed a medley of "Don't Phunk with My Heart", "
Don't Lie" and "Pump It".[42] On March 21, an
extended play (EP) titled Renegotiations: The Remixes was released, including alternative versions of seven non-single tracks from Monkey Business.[43] Simultaneously with The Monkey Business Tour, the group embarked on the
2006 Honda Civic Tour in the US from March 23 until May 21.[44]Live from Sydney to Vegas, a
video album documenting The Monkey Business Tour's June 3, 2005 show in Las Vegas and the October 3, 2005 show at the
Sydney SuperDome, was released on December 5, 2006.[45] After visiting North America, Asia, Oceania, South America and Europe, The Monkey Business Tour ended on December 29 at the
Mandalay Bay in
Paradise, Nevada.[46] On September 11, 2007, the Black Eyed Peas embarked on the third concert tour in support of Monkey Business, the
PepsiCo-sponsored Black Blue & You Tour, visiting select countries across Africa, North America, Europe, South America, Asia and Oceania until October 30.[47][48]
"
Don't Lie" was released as the second single from Monkey Business on June 29, 2005.[56] It failed to duplicate the success of "Don't Phunk with My Heart", partly due to the rising success of "
My Humps", which had not been released as a single yet. The song peaked at number 14 on the US Billboard Hot 100, reaching the top ten in Australia, Austria, Canada,
CIS, Denmark, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway and the United Kingdom, and on the
European Hot 100 Singles.[51][57][58][59][60] Despite a mixed critical reception, the song was nominated for
Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals at the 48th Annual Grammy Awards.[4] Its accompanying music video was directed by The Saline Project and shows the members in
Rio de Janeiro.[1]
"My Humps" became an unsolicited hit on
contemporary hit radio across the US, which caused it to be released as the third single Monkey Business on September 20, 2005.[61] It peaked at number three on the US Billboard Hot 100 and atop the charts in Australia, Canada, Ireland and New Zealand.[51][62][63] Its
mastertone was certified double platinum by the RIAA on June 14, 2006, for sales of two million units in the US.[64] The song received mixed to negative reviews from
music critics, who criticized its lyrical content; some even regarded it one of the
worst songs ever written.[65] Despite the negative critical reception, it won Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals at the
49th Annual Grammy Awards (2007),[4] while being nominated for numerous other awards, including the
MTV Video Music Award for Ringtone of the Year.[66] Its accompanying music video was directed by
Fatima Robinson and Malik Sayeed, and shows Fergie dancing with
backup dancers as images of expensive items such as
Louis Vuitton purses and jewelry, which are supposed to have been bought for her by men, appear on the screen.[1] At the
2006 MTV Video Music Awards, it won
Best Hip-Hop Video.[67]
"
Pump It" was released as the fourth and final single from Monkey Business on January 16, 2006.[68] It became the lowest-peaking single from the album, peaking at number 18 on the US Billboard Hot 100.[51] Internationally, it reached the top ten in Australia, Belgium, Canada, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, New Zealand, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, and on the
European Hot 100 Singles.[69][70][71][72][73] Its accompanying music video was directed by Francis Lawrence and features the group competing and fighting with a gang inside a parking garage.[1]
In July 2005, it was announced that "Like That" would be released simultaneously with "Don't Lie" as the dual second single from Monkey Business; however, only "Don't Lie" was released.[21] "Like That" ended up being released as a
promotional single on
12-inch vinyl in late 2005.[74] Its accompanying music video was directed by Syndrome and
Nabil Elderkin, and was released on December 13.[75] While it was never released as an official single, it was included on the Black Eyed Peas'
extended play (EP) Renegotiations: The Remixes (2006), with its music video being an
iTunes Store bonus track.[76] "Dum Diddly", whose Noizetrip Remix was a
B-side to "Pump It", was released as a promotional single in France in 2006.[77] Grammy Award-nominated "Gone Going" began receiving contemporary hit radio airplay in March 2006, which allowed it to peak at number 37 on the US
Mainstream Top 40 despite not being released as a single.[78] In 2006, Patricio Ginelsa directed music videos for two other non-single tracks–"Union" and "Bebot".[79][25] The latter was filmed in the Philippines in July and was independently funded by the group members. Showcasing the Filipino culture, it features prominent Filipino-American artists and performers, including American Idol's
third season third-place finalist
Jasmine Trias.[25]
Monkey Business received mixed reviews from
music critics upon its release. At
Metacritic, which assigns a
normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album has received an
average score of 48, indicating "mixed or average reviews", based on 20 reviews.[80]Robert Christgau gave the album a three-star honorable mention, saying: "What all pop might be—so much brighter and kinder than it is".[82] John Bush from
AllMusic labeled most of the tracks "the same type of
party rap singalong that Black Eyed Peas made their name with on Elephunk", further adding: "Monkey Business could easily sell just as well, or better, than Elephunk, but what the group made sound effortless in the past sounds strained and canned here."[81] He selected "Feel It" and "Disco Club" as the album's highlights.[81] Nathan Rabin from The A.V. Club gave the album an unfavorable review, criticizing the album's lyrical content for managing to "devolve even further" than those of Elephunk, as well as what he perceived as lack of originality due to excessive sampling.[27] Nicholas Taylor from
PopMatters shared Rabin's sentiments but nevertheless praised the album for being a "great party record".[15] Neil Drumming from Entertainment Weekly declared it "such a bland meringue: a succession of cotton candy raps about chicks, partying, and partying with chicks, broken up by choruses destined to evaporate outside a shindig's perimeter".[13]
Betty Clarke from The Guardian commended the Black Eyed Peas' use of the "good-guy rap plus pop-profundity multiplied by numerous special guests" formula but dismissed the lyrical themes. She singled
James Brown's appearance on "They Don't Want Music" out as the album's highlight.[83] Courtney Ryan Fitzgerald from Paste praised the album's production, calling its songs "danceable" and "catchy".[84]Rolling Stone editor
Christian Hoard was positive towards Monkey Business, calling it "just as bright if not quite as fun as Elephunk".[18] Sal Cinquemani from Slant Magazine condemned the album for being "virtually unlistenable", but classified "Gone Going" as its highlight.[24] Azeem Ahmad from
musicOMH felt similarly, saying the album was "impossible to listen to in one sitting because it's too much of a strain on the brain to absorb."[17] Talia Kraines from
BBC wrote: "With its witty rhymes and clean lyrics, [Monkey Business] is hip hop for families", but noted the group's downgrade in lyrical themes since their debut studio album Behind the Front (1998).[11] Jason King from The Village Voice described the album as "zany, antiseptic kitsch, like the soundtrack to the ultimate
Old Navy commercial".[16]
In the United States, Monkey Business debuted and peaked at number two on the
Billboard 200 chart dated June 25, 2005, behind
Coldplay's X&Y, with first-week sales of 291,000 units.[97] The Black Eyed Peas' first top-ten album on the chart, it spent its first 23 weeks within the top ten, later spending additional five non-consecutive weeks there.[98][99][100][101][102][103][104][105][106][107][108][109][110][111][112] The album debuted atop both the
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and
Top Rap Albums, becoming their first number-one album on both charts.[113][114] It placed within the top 20 on the year-end Billboard 200 in both 2005 and 2006, and has spent a total of 73 weeks on the Billboard 200 as of 2023.[115][116][117] The album was certified
triple platinum by the
Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipments of three million units on December 21, 2005.[118] By 2011, it had sold over four million copies in the US.[119]
Monkey Business fared similarly in Europe, where it debuted atop the
European Top 100 Albums.[130] It also debuted at number one in France, Germany and Switzerland, while reaching the top ten in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain.[125][131][132]International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) certified the album double platinum for sales of two million copies across Europe.[133] In the United Kingdom, it debuted at number four on the
UK Albums Chart,[134] atop the
UK R&B Albums Chart,[135] and at number five on the
Scottish Albums Chart,[136] with first-week sales of 49,260 copies.[137] The album has also been certified triple platinum by the
British Phonographic Industry (BPI), selling over a million copies in the country by June 2009, according to Music Week.[138][137]Monkey Business was the world's fourth best-selling album of 2005,[139] and has sold over nine million copies worldwide.[140]
Controversy
Following the release of Elephunk (2003), the Black Eyed Peas had already been scrutinized by music critics and media outlets for
selling out, accusations which originated from the fact the group criticized artists doing so years earlier, and continued throughout the promotional campaign for Monkey Business.[3][141] Some critics claimed their endorsements of various companies caused them to suffer from overexposure; Nathan Rabin from The A.V. Club stated: "With Elephunk, The Black Eyed Peas made the rare leap from underrated and overlooked to obnoxiously (and undeservedly) overexposed."[27] Sal Cinquemani from Slant Magazine was especially critical of the group's newfound popularity and commercial success, labeling them "disposable pop".[24]will.i.am responded to the backlash by stating:
"We don't do anything that doesn't fit with the music. We kinda lend ourselves to benefits so we did the
Democratic National Convention to get people out there to vote. And then we'll do a
Best Buy commercial 'cause they sell music. Then we did the first
iTunes commercial. We did the
NBA 'cause it's like, who's not gonna do the NBA? We did the
Super Bowl, 'cause who ain't gonna do the Super Bowl? And if they asked you to do two years at the
Grammys, you ain't gonna do it? And then we did the
Emmys 'cause they said, 'Ain't nobody ever did the Emmys.'"[142]
Further controversy arose over the lyrical content of "My Humps", the third single from Monkey Business, which centers on a female protagonist using her
breasts and
buttocks in order to accomplish her goals, namely expensive material goods.[143] Some critics even regarded it as the
single worst song ever written.[20][65] Furthermore, multiple publications labeled the song
sexist and
misogynistic.[144][145] In response to the controversy,
Peaches and
Alanis Morissette both covered the song, with Morissette parodying its accompanying music video as well.[146][147]Fergie thought the parody was "brilliant" and sent Morissette a buttocks-shaped cake.[148] will.i.am would later reveal the controversy surrounding the song caused the group to cease performing it live, having last performed it during their
The Beginning Massive Stadium Tour (2011).[149]
^"Top 50 Álbumes 2006"(PDF) (in Spanish). Productores de Música de España. Archived from
the original(PDF) on March 26, 2010. Retrieved August 31, 2021.