Interview with Taboo of Black Eyed Peas
By David Friedman
From Murder Dog Vol. 8# 2
Before you joined up with will.i.am and apl.de.ap in Black Eyed Peas, you were part of a group called Grass Roots. What was that about?
Grass Roots was the family group and that was made up of dancers, poets, MCs, graffiti artists, rappers. And basically, I was part of that. I was part of this group called Pablo. I was an MC with this spoken word-type group. And then in ’95 when Will and Apl started Black Eyed Peas, I joined the Peas. And now we’re here.
Did Pablo ever release an album?
No. We were just still trying to find our sound, but the group wasn’t doing anything or making any moves. So we just disbanded and went our separate ways.
When did you first meet Will and Apl?
Well, they were called Atban Klann when they were signed to Ruthless Records in ’92. And I met ’em at this club called Ballistics in ’91. We started breakdancing from there. And Will was rapping and he won a freestyle contest and Ruthless signed him. I was part of the movement Grass Roots which is the family. Let me give you a better example: It’s sort of like they were Snoop Doggy Dogg and I was part of the Dogg Pound.
Were Will and Apl making traditional Hip Hop music on Eazy-E’s label? What did Eazy-E think of their style?
Their music was still the same. It utilized a lot of live instruments, but I guess it’s grown now and it’s more on a different level. But it’s still on the same sound. He felt that there was a vision there, but he just didn’t know how to deliver it because he was bombarded by the gangsta stuff. So before he died, he was like, ‘Yo, y’all gonna be with me? Forget what Jerry and Terry say. You guys are gonna be with me. I’m gonna put you out.’ So he was really into the project. It was just that there was so much other shit on that label that it kind of got lost up in the whole storm.
What are your feelings about Gangsta Rap?
I’ve got to respect it as Hip Hop because, no matter what, it’s still Hip Hop. The Gangsta Rap – there’s so many labels. All that stuff is Hip Hop, no matter if it’s Snoop Doggy Dogg or X Clan or Black Eyed Peas or Mos Def. It’s all Hip Hop. And once they start separating it like, ‘What do you think about Gangsta Rap?’ it’s like ‘That’s part of Hip Hop.’ There’s nothing wrong with Hip Hop. They just choose to express themselves in a different way and they have their vision of what their life is; we have our vision of what our world is. There’s enough room for all of us to shine at the same time.
So you wouldn’t say that Gangsta Rap takes away from traditional Hip Hop?
No, man. Not at all. We all have strong voices that need to be heard and I feel like they just express it in a different way. It’s sort of like a movie. I guess they could be like the Arnold Schwarzenegger blowing shit up and killing people. And we’re like ‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon’ type shit.
Who are your main influences in music?
Stevie Wonder, Sade, Prince, Slick Rick, Big Daddy Kane, De La Soul, Tribe Called Quest. I would also say that a personal influence is my son, just for him living every day and doing what he does to inspire me to do what I do.
What does your son think of Black Eyed Peas music?
He loves it. He loves the whole b-boy aspect as well. He wants to partake in breakdancing and incorporate that into what he does.
Is breakdancing nearly dead in terms of popularity or is it still a big thing?
It’s hot. There’s a humongous b-boy scene, but it’s just that they don’t saturate that. When you see different things being saturated, they’re saturated for the wrong reasons. Like a lot of times they’re saturated for corporate reasons. But the b-boy scene is humongous and it’s not just in the United States. It goes to Japan and in Europe. And I feel that breakdancing is even more in tune now than it was back then because now the styles are incredible. The kids are more technical now. It’s about crazy power that they showcase.
I’ve read that Black Eyed Peas are huge overseas. You’ve even played in countries where they don’t understand English, right?
Yeah, but the audiences out there are more appreciative than the audiences out here. ’Cause out here it’s about, ‘Oh, they sold a million records? Oh, they’re not dope no more. They ain’t underground.’ Or ‘What? They have a girl singing in the chorus? Oh, I don’t like that shit.’ But over there, they just like music for music whether it’s a girl singing, whether it’s underground, whether it’s mainstream. It’s all just music to them.
In a lot of cases, females singing the chorus on an all-male rap album doesn’t sound good. But on your new album, “Bridging The Gap,” you pull it off on songs like “Weekends” featuring Esthero and “Request + Line” featuring Macy Gray.
It’s the chemistry. It’s all about the chemistry and how we complement each other’s sound. And basically Esthero, Kim Hill and Macy Gray complement the Black Eyed Peas’ sound. To make it sound good, to make it sound like it’s not some guys rapping and a girl singing in the chorus, it’s actually done creatively with a thought process behind it.
Which Hip Hop artists do you listen to these days?
Slum Village, Talib Kweli, Black Star, Broshigeez, Montezuma Project – just groups from L.A. that you’ve never even heard of, but they’re doing a lot and they’re making moves. And eventually they’ll get to the point where they’ll be showcasing.
Will and Apl signed with Eazy-E nine years ago, yet the first Black Eyed Peas album, “Behind The Front,” came out in ’98. Why did it take so long to release an album?
It’s politics. A lot of it is timing, politics, marketing plans. The label has to be behind the record, radio has to be behind the record, video, whatever outlet of promotion that you have – that is the way to do it. In ’92 when that was happening, there were a lot of things going on on that label that took away from them having promotions and having videos and having all that stuff. I think that was a blessing in disguise because I think it was a learning experience for Will and Ap. And now we know exactly what steps to take not to allow the same thing that happened at Ruthless to happen to us now.
Was releasing “Behind The Front” more fulfilling in light of the years of struggle?
Oh yeah. There’s always an accomplishment after a struggle because once you feel the struggle you understand what it’s like not to have something out there. And when you do have something out there, you appreciate it because you’re saying to yourself ‘Damn, it took me this long to put my album out and now it’s really out?’ It’s a blessing in disguise ’cause you understand the hardship and how much heart and soul you put into it to be able to create it – no matter how long it takes.
What are your favorite songs to listen to on “Bridging The Gap”? And what are your favorite songs to perform live?
To listen to, I would have to say ‘Request + Line,’ the new single right now; ‘BEP Empire (The Empire Strikes Black),’ the last song on the CD. And then to perform live, I like to perform ‘Release,’ I like to perform ‘Tell Your Mama Come,’ ‘Weekends’ – off the new album.
Is there one song you helped write that has a special meaning to you?
I would have to say, for me personally, it was ‘Tell Your Mama Come’ just because I really got to utilize my Spanish skills. That was something that I always wanted to do. I finally got to showcase that it could be some abstract Spanish shit and it don’t have to be Kid Frost. Basically, it’s about a gathering of people coming together and no matter who you bring – you can tell your mom to come, you can tell your cousin, your homey, your little brother and your little sister – and that’s what we like to present at our show. It’s a gathering of good feeling and a celebration of Hip Hop. That’s what that song’s about, ‘Tell Your Mama Come.’
Journalists often write about the Black Eyed Peas’ choices of clothing. What are you wearing right now and why is that important to anyone?
Right now, I’m wearing my boxers and a fuckin’ tank top – a wife beater. No, I’m playin’. Clothes really don’t make the MC. I mean, I could be in some church shoes and some knee-high socks and some fuckin’ OP shorts and a tank top and still rip you. But it’s all about who you are as a person and we choose to be individuals and stand for that individuality. That’s why you won’t find us rockin’ Fubu gear and all that stuff. It’s cool, but it’s not us. We’d rather have an identity for ourselves and we’ve always been like this since the beginning of time for us. We’ve always had that extra ‘oomph’ as far as the fashion thing goes.
Could you tell me about your personality vs. Apl’s vs. Will’s?
Well, my partner Will, he’s like the quirky, real silly but fun and real entertaining, animated. He’s real punctual with his cadences and he’s a master of the drum machine, at what he does. And then APL, he’s like the cool, calm, collected cat that’s in the background. He’s not really too boisterous, but when he voices it, beware ’cause he’s like the alligator that snaps. And he’s able to tap into a world when he’s dancing that a lot of people can’t tap into because he’s able to utilize acrobatics and his footwork and different styles and techniques. And then me, they call me ‘The Instigator.’ I like to instigate shit like crowd-surfing and people to bounce. The performing aspect is my biggest role as a Black Eyed Pea, and I feel like that is what’s gonna take me the furthest for myself and for everybody else. We’re gonna be able to use these individual talents to be able to be successful and have longevity as Black Eyed Peas.
You have a band that backs you up called Beat Pharmacie, right?
They’re good guys. Terry, our drummer, and Mike, our bassist, have been around since 1995 and they stuck out through hard times, through goods times. And now we’ve reached the point where we’ve kind of shortened our band. We don’t have our keyboardist no more and we don’t have our singer, Kim Hill. But it works out to be pretty good because we have a small unit, but it’s a great unit because we know each other.
What are your favorite Hip Hop albums of all time?
‘Bridging The Gap,’ Black Eyed Peas, in stores now. ‘Behind The Front,’ Black Eyed Peas, in stores now. De La Soul, ‘De La Soul Is Dead.’ Tribe Called Quest, ‘Midnight Marauders.’ Talib Kweli & Hi-Tek, Reflection Eternal – I like that album. X Clan, ‘To the East, Blackwards’ – it was real militant, real pro-black, but it was hot because they would utilize funk samples. And what they were talking about was on some ol’ other shit, and the delivery of the MC, which was Brother J., was incredible. And also Slick Rick, ‘The Great Adventures of.’ Boogie Down Productions, the first one. I mean, I could go on and on.
Are there a lot of rappers who are Native Americans like you, Taboo?
Not at all. I feel like one of the only ones who’s representing for the whole culture. I’m not just representing my certain tribe; I’m representing the whole nations – 51 nations.
Where did you grow up and which tribe do you belong to?
I grew up in this place called East Los Angeles and my tribe is the Shoshone tribe. They migrated from the Dakotas, my ancestors, and then they migrated to Arizona. Just being brought up in a Mexican world when I was young and then, later on, understanding my native culture, it kind of showed me the best of both worlds as far as understanding Catholicism on the Mexican side and understanding ceremony and ritual on the Native American side. It influenced me in my dancing and my music because a lot of the native tribes, that’s what they’re inspired by – dancing and drum and singing.
Black Eyed Peas have played shows with a lot of non Hip Hop acts, including No Doubt and Everclear. How do those audiences respond to your music?
Well, I love performing with non-rap bands like you said. I love performing with people such as No Doubt, Lit, Limp Bizkit. Doing these rock tours, we get a lot of experience, a lot of inspiration. And we find out ways of being with diverse crowds and not trying to fall into a category of just doing Hip Hop shows. Because we’re able to rock a Macy Gray tour, able to rock No Doubt, able to rock OutKast, Tribe Called Quest. It’s easy for us because we’re a live band that puts on a show, and it’s a show that anybody could enjoy no matter what gender or creed or color you are.
