Is this the real thing or a substitute? In 1998, Black Eyed Peas released their debut, Behind the Front, and by most accounts, it snugly filled a hole left behind by the absent, optimistic talents of A Tribe Called Quest and De La Soul.
So in the same year that Jurassic 5 complete their first proper release and De La Soul finally return, is there any room for a group like BEP anymore? Well, maybe.
While the album fails in its titular intention of bringing together the two exclusionary worlds of rap and rock, it still diligently follows in the footsteps of its predecessor's highs.
Maybe one might have to look toward Kim Hill -- the group's backing vocalist -- who seems to have a larger impact this time.
Hill hovers over terrific sun-streaked ditties like "Tell Your Mama Come" and the irrepressible "Hot" without a hitch.
The other collaborations follow her lead too.
From Macy Gray to Les Nubians to Mos Def to, yes, even Jurassic 5 and De La Soul, none of these guest artists feel out of place or contrived.
Undoubtedly, this second release finally proves that BEP get to mark their own territory in the history of old-school, soulful -- and playful -- hip-hop.
Because Bridging the Gaps is a terrific follow-up full of warmth.
Unlike what the advertisements might say, this is a multi-ethnic, multi-faceted substitute that should be accepted immediately.
| Title/Composers | Performer | Listen | Time | Size | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | B.E.P. EmpireWilliam Adams, Jaime A. Dávila "Tame" Gómez, Curtis Mayfield, Allen Pineda | The Black Eyed Peas | Play | 04:40 | 10 MB | 29 MB |
| 2 | WeekendsWilliam Adams, Jaime A. Dávila "Tame" Gómez, Allen Pineda, Sylvester "Sly Stone" Stewart | The Black Eyed Peas | Play | 04:47 | 10 MB | 31 MB |
| 3 | Get OriginalWilliam Adams, Haldane Danny Browne, Allen Pineda, Clifford Smith, Charles Stewart | The Black Eyed Peas | Play | 02:52 | 6 MB | 18 MB |
| 4 | HotWilliam Adams, Allen Pineda | The Black Eyed Peas | Play | 04:05 | 9 MB | 28 MB |
| 5 | Cali to New YorkWilliam Adams, Kelvin Mercer, George Pajon | The Black Eyed Peas | Play | 04:47 | 11 MB | 31 MB |
| 6 | Lil' Lil'William Adams, Allen Pineda | The Black Eyed Peas | Play | 04:10 | 9 MB | 29 MB |
| 7 | On My OwnWilliam Adams, Celia Faussart, Kim Hill, Allen Pineda, Dante Smith | The Black Eyed Peas | Play | 03:52 | 8 MB | 27 MB |
| 8 | ReleaseWilliam Adams, Jaime A. Dávila "Tame" Gómez, Allen Pineda | The Black Eyed Peas | Play | 05:08 | 11 MB | 33 MB |
| 9 | Bridging the GapsWilliam Adams, John Collins, George Pajon, Allen Pineda, Bill Withers | The Black Eyed Peas | Play | 04:56 | 11 MB | 33 MB |
| 10 | Go GoWilliam Adams, Arthur Baker, Allen Pineda, Ellis Williams | The Black Eyed Peas | Play | 04:53 | 11 MB | 31 MB |
| 11 | Rap SongWilliam Adams, Charles Bobbit, Jaime A. Dávila "Tame" Gómez, Wyclef Jean, Allen Pineda | The Black Eyed Peas | Play | 03:33 | 8 MB | 25 MB |
| 12 | Bringing It BackWilliam Adams, Allen Pineda | The Black Eyed Peas | Play | 03:35 | 8 MB | 25 MB |
| 13 | Tell Your Mama ComeWilliam Adams, Jaime A. Dávila "Tame" Gómez, George Pajon, Allen Pineda | The Black Eyed Peas | Play | 03:14 | 7 MB | 23 MB |
| 14 | Request LineWilliam Adams, Mike Fratantuno, Rhett Lawrence, Allen Pineda | The Black Eyed Peas | Play | 09:21 | 21 MB | 55 MB |
| 64 mins | 146 MB | |||||
| 63 mins | 424 MB | |||||
| Artist | Job | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | William Adams | Art Direction, Composer, Producer |
| 2 | Ian Alexander | Art Direction, Executive Producer |
| 3 | Arthur Baker | Composer |
| 4 | The Black Eyed Peas | Primary Artist |
| 5 | Printz Board | Bass, Keyboards, Trumpet |
| 6 | Charles Bobbit | Composer |
| 7 | Haldane Danny Browne | Composer |
| 8 | Roberto Cani | Strings |
| 9 | Chali 2na | Featured Artist |
| 10 | Susan Chatman | Horn Section, Strings |
| 11 | John Collins | Composer |
| 12 | Tom Coyne | Mastering |
| 13 | De La Soul | Featured Artist, Guest Artist |
| 14 | Dylan Dresdow | Mixdown Engineer |
| 15 | Esthero | Featured Artist, Guest Artist |
| 16 | Celia Faussart | Composer |
| 17 | Mike Fratantuno | Composer |
| 18 | Seth Friedman | Package Design |
| 19 | Suzanna Giordono | Strings |
| 20 | Jaime A. Dávila "Tame" Gómez | Composer |
| 21 | Macy Gray | Featured Artist, Guest Artist |
| 22 | Kim Hill | Composer |
| 23 | Kim Hill | Vocals |
| 24 | Wyclef Jean | Composer, Featured Artist, Guest Artist, Guitar, Producer |
| 25 | Rhett Lawrence | Composer, Producer |
| 26 | Tatiana Litvin | Art Coordinator |
| 27 | Curtis Mayfield | Composer |
| 28 | Kelvin Mercer | Composer |
| 29 | Mos Def | Featured Artist, Guest Artist |
| 30 | Les Nubian | Featured Artist |
| 31 | Les Nubians | Guest Artist |
| 32 | George Pajon | Composer |
| 33 | Dave Pensado | Mixing |
| 34 | Allen Pineda | Composer |
| 35 | Dejuana Richardson | Engineer |
| 36 | Eddie Sancho | Engineer |
| 37 | Clifford Smith | Composer |
| 38 | Dante Smith | Composer |
| 39 | Charles Stewart | Composer |
| 40 | Sylvester "Sly Stone" Stewart | Composer |
| 41 | Dexter Thibou | Engineer, Mixing |
| 42 | Ellis Williams | Composer |
| 43 | Bill Withers | Composer |
The Black Eyed Peas
| Quality | Format | Encoding | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | MP3 | 320kps 44.1kHz | MP3 is an audio coding format which uses a form of lossy data compression. The highest bitrate of this format is 320kbps (kbit/s). MP3 Digital audio takes less amount of space (up to 90% reduction in size) and the quality is not as good as the original one. |
| CD Quality | FLAC | 16bit 44.1kHz | FLAC is an audio coding format which uses lossless compression. Digital audio in FLAC format has a smaller size and retains the same quality of the original Compact Disc (CD). |