The Beginning, Interscope **
It's difficult to square the alt.hip-hop label with a massive pop crossover appeal, but that is the great strength of will.i.am, Black Eyed Peas' hugely influential frontman. This, their sixth studio album, kicks off with
The Time
, a dance floor sweetheart that contains an inch-perfect sample of
I've Had The Time Of My Life
. There's another great sample selection on the disco/funk track
Fashion Beats
, with Chic's
My Forbidden Lover
insinuating itself.
Elsewhere, the 1980s-style synth swirls and slap-funk basslines get an aerobic workout on the longest track,
Don't Stop The Party
, while
XOXOXO
, which is all autotuned up, sounds like something left over from the Michael Jackson catalogue. The best track is Do It Like This, its staccato rhythms and minimalist lines owing something to
Get Ur Freak On
. The Beginning doesn't pack the wallop of previous releases, but there's still some state-of-the-art stuff here. See blackeyedpeas.com
Download tracks: XOXOXO, Do It Like This
