The Black Eyed… Thieves?

The Black Eyed Peas have made interpolations an art form, a trademark really, but in turn, their secret recipe to the monstrous hit single has become transparent.

The chart topping group takes no shame in “drawing inspiration” from those who came before them.

Take the Peas’ 2005 money maker, “Don’t Phunk with My Heart,” from the album Monkey Business for example. The hit is built up around “I Wonder If I Take You Home” by Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam and the theme songs from two different 70s Bollywood flicks.

On the same album they borrow from Sting’s “Englishman in New York” and “Misirlou,” a little tune that most recognize as the staple song from Quentin Tarantino’s film Pulp Fiction.

The Black Eyed Peas’ last album, The Beginning, is no exception. The lead single, “The Time (Dirty Bit),” ripped the chorus from Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes’ 1987 Dirty Dancing hit “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life.”

Give the album a spin and you’ll stumble on another tune, “Light up the Night,” sampling the backdrop of Montell Jordan’s “This Is How We Do It,” originally the bass line from Slick Rick’s 1989 hit “Children’s Story.”

This all goes without mentioning Fergie and will.i.am’s solo repertoires.

Let’s take a quick look at just one of Fergie’s solo hits, “Fergalicious.” Will.i.am and his leading lady packed J.J. Fad’s “Supersonic,” Afro-Rican’s “Give It All You Got” and three other known samples into this one single song.

It all kind of makes you wonder how many artists are actually receiving royalty cheques signed and issued by team Black Eyed Peas.

Well, here’s a fact for you, not everyone is getting paid. Cue will.i.am’s fourth studio album, #willpower.

The BEP mastermind is being accused of ripping off Arty & Mat Zo’s track “Rebound,” for his latest single, “Let’s Go” featuring Chris Brown, by the DJs themselves.

Will.i.am is also currently battling British singer Tulisa in a lawsuit over royalties to his hit “Scream & Shout.”

Tulisa claims she owns lyrics to will.i.am and Britney’s #1 single, and interesting enough, will.i.am isn’t denying it.

Now this sort of press isn’t breaking news in the music industry.

“DJs collaborate online, they make a beat, they upload it, other DJs download it and play it in their countries and what not,” says will.i.am.

Back in 2009, Adam Freeland accused the Peas of plagiarism. The British DJ claimed the chart toppers stole the beat from his track “Mancry” and used it in “Party All the Time,” a tune featured on their triple platinum album The E.N.D.

Listen to the tracks back to back and be the judge. By the sounds of it, Adam wasn’t being a drama queen.

“DJs collaborate online, they make a beat, they upload it, other DJs download it, play it in their countries and what not,” will.i.am recounts.

It seems anything is up for grabs in will.i.am’s delusional fantasy world (when a DJ confirms this practice, I’ll drop the delusional part).

Adam Freeland’s case wasn’t the first of its kind, and Arty & Mat Zo’s likely won’t be the last.

If will.i.am is willing to pull a fast one on international superstars like Daft Punk, then no one’s safe. In 2007, lawyers of the French electronic duo stepped in when will.i.a.m “sampled” their hit, “Around the World,” for a remix of his single, “I Got It from My Mama,” without permission.

In the end, Daft Punk denied will.i.am use of their song.

Concerning Adam Freeland, there’s no denial in any sense of the word.

“They’re not denying they sampled my track, but I’d be more flattered if Radiohead stole my music,” Adam teases over the phone. “Now, I don’t want to get into a dissing match.”

The Peas don’t seem too interested in confrontation either. Despite steal.i.am’s sticky fingers, they preach peace and positivity the same way their music does.

“At this point we’ve reached so many goals and reached so many dreams, now it’s about going on tour, having fun and making new memories,” Fergie says.

You’ve got to give it to them. The Peas have always done a bang-up job at keeping conflict and controversy at a minimum. That’s why you can dig up more tabloid headlines about Fergie wetting herself on stage than starting cat fights.

Though Adam Freeland agrees that a good smack upside the head is in order, in his eyes, it is much simpler than that.

“It’s up to people to use their own ethics and treat people the way they would like to be treated. Some people don’t appreciate how much money goes into making a record,” Adam says

Still this doesn’t seem to be an open and closed case of disrespect. The Black Eyed Peas come across as having a profound appreciation for the DJ profession.

“The DJ is the key,” will.i.am says of their function in the music industry today.

Fergie goes as far as crediting DJs for supplying a model that they used in the production of their 2009 album The E.N.D.

“[The E.N.D.] was made through the mind of a DJ. Go into a club, you’ll have a DJ who will play a verse and then move off to the next song,” Fergie explains. “It’s crafted in a way that a DJ would spin another record into it. That’s why it changes so much.”

If the Peas can easily cite DJs as inspirational forces responsible for their musical direction, why couldn’t they officially credit Adam Freeland, Daft Punk and Arty & Mat Zo for their tunes from the get go?

“Maybe it was a genuine mistake,” Adam laughs. “But seriously, it’s a very delicate situation.”

There is a lesson to be learned here, at least Adam Freeland thinks so.

“If you really like something, then the right thing to do is pay for it and proceed properly,” Adam says. “Otherwise it is theft.”

Yes, even if you are the Black Eyed Peas.

Posted by Marc Andrew on Apr 29 2013. Filed under Interviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.