Behind the Front

Behind the Front
Studio album by Black Eyed Peas
Released	June 30, 1998
Recorded	1997–1998
Genre	Alternative hip hop
Length	73:53
Label	Interscope, will.i.am
Producer	will.i.am, Paul Poli, C-Los, Brian Lapin
Black Eyed Peas chronology
Behind the Front (1998) Bridging the Gap (2000)Bridging the Gap2000
Singles from Behind the Front
"Fallin' Up/¿Que Dices?" Released: December 3, 1997 "Joints & Jam" Released: November 9, 1998 "Karma" Released: April 6, 1999

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Behind the Front is the debut studio album by American hip hop group Black Eyed Peas, released on June 30, 1998.

Background

Most of the tracks were demos for the Grass Roots album, with added verses by new member Taboo. The song "Joints & Jam" appeared on the soundtrack of the movie Bulworth, where it was billed as "Joints & Jams". "Be Free" also features in the film She's All That. On the back cover, "Skit 3" is listed after "Duet", when it actually appears after "Communication". This was their only studio album to be released in a Parental Advisory version and an Edited version. On the edited version's back cover, "Skit 3" is actually listed after "Communication".

Music videos

In 1997, a music video for the song "Head Bobs" was filmed and finished, however, the band decided to not release the song as a single. Around the same time a music video for the song "Fallin' Up" was also created, however, was decided that the album's first official single would be "Joints & Jam", with its respective music video released. A similar video to "Joints & Jam" was filmed for the song "What It Is", but like "Head Bobs" and "Fallin Up", the song wasn't an official single. The last music video to be released from the album was "Karma", the album's second and final official single. All five music videos were included on the DVD Behind the Bridge to Elephunk.

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producers	Length
1.	"Fallin' Up (Contains "Skit 1")" (featuring Sierra Swan & Planet Swan)	William Adams, Allan Pineda, Jaime Gomez, Kevin Feyen, Brian Lapin	will.i.am	5:09
2.	"Clap Your Hands" (featuring Dawn Beckman)	Adams, Pineda, Gomez, Z. Modeliste, A. Neville, L. Nocentelli, G. Porter	will.i.am	4:57
3.	"Joints & Jam" (featuring Ingrid Dupree)	Adams, Pineda, Gomez, Paul Poli, G. Phillinganes, B. Gibb, T. Smith	Paul Poli, will.i.am*	3:35
4.	"The Way U Make Me Feel" (featuring Kim Hill)	Adams, Kim Hill, C. Guaico	C-Los, will.i.am*	4:19
5.	"Movement (Contains "Skit 2")"	Adams, Pineda, Gomez, Feyen, Lapin, Fratantuno, T. Yoshiaka	will.i.am	4:42
6.	"Karma" (featuring Einstein Brown)	Adams, Pineda, Feyen, Debbie Harry, N. Harrison	will.i.am	4:28
7.	"Be Free" (featuring Kim Hill)	Adams, Pineda, T. Stahl, J. Goldberg	will.i.am	4:06
8.	"Say Goodbye" (featuring Dawn Beckman)	Adams, Pineda, Gomez, Feyen, Lapin, M. Oliver	will.i.am	4:01
9.	"Duet" (featuring Redfoo)	Adams, Pineda, S.K. Gordy, Lapin, Feyen	will.i.am, Brian Lapin*	4:21
10.	"Communication (Contains "Skit 3")"	Adams, Pineda, Fratantuno, Feyen, Yoshiaka	will.i.am	5:41
11.	"What It Is" (featuring Kim Hill)	Adams, Pineda, Fratantuno, T. Browne, Smith	will.i.am	4:45
12.	"¿Que Dices?"	Adams, Pineda, Gomez, Feyen, Lapin	will.i.am	4:01
13.	"A8"	Adams, Pineda, Gomez, Feyen, Fratantuno	will.i.am	3:52
14.	"Love Won't Wait" (featuring Macy Gray)	Adams, Pineda, Macy Gray, Feyen, Lapin	will.i.am	3:35
15.	"Head Bobs"	Adams, Pineda, Feyen, Lapin	Lapin, will.i.am*	4:14
16.	"Positivity" (includes Hidden Outro)	Adams, Pineda, Gomez, Feyen, Lapin, Fratantuno	will.i.am	8:07

(*) (co-produced)

Samples used

• "Fallin' Up" contains a sample from "Comanche" by Jorge Ben.
• "Clap Your Hands" contains a sample from "Handclapping Song" by The Meters and "Tenement Yard" by Jacob Miller.
• "Joints & Jam" contains a sample from "Grease" by Frankie Valli and "Love Till the End of Time" by Paulinho da Costa.
• "The Way U Make Me Feel" contains a sample from "Here We Go (Live at the Funhouse)" by Run-DMC and "Something in the Way (You Make Me Feel)" by Stephanie Mills.
• "Karma" contains a sample from "El Raton" by Cheo Feliciano and The Joe Cuba Sextet and "One Way or Another" by Blondie.
• "Be Free" contains a sample from "White Horse" by Laid Back.
• "Say Goodbye" contains a sample from "Heaven and Hell Is on Earth" by 20th Century Steel Band.
• "What It Is" contains a sample from "Funkin' for Jamaica (N.Y.)" by Tom Browne.
• "A8" contains a sample from "O Homem Da Gravata Florida" by Jorge Ben.
• "Positivity" contains a sample from "Cinco Minutos" by Jorge Ben.

Personnel

Black Eyed Peas

• will.i.am - vocals on all tracks; m.p.c 3000 on tracks 1-3, 5, 6, 8-13, 14 and 16; rhodes on tracks 8 and 16; hammond b3 organ on tracks 2, 10 and 13; moog on track 9; theremin on track 12; marimbas on track 9; melody phone on track 16
• apl.de.ap - vocals on all tracks except 4
• Taboo - vocals on all tracks except 4, 7, 9 and 15

B.E.P. musicians

• Kevin Feyen - guitar on tracks 1, 5, 6, and 8-16
• Mike Fratantuno - bass on tracks 1-3, 5, 8, 10, 11, 13 and 16
• Terrence Yoshiaka - drums on track 5; percusions on tracks 1 and 6
• Brian Lapin - rhodes on tracks 1, 5, 9, 11, 12 and 15; hammond b3 organ on track 11; bass on track 9; moog on tracks 9, 11 and 16

Additional musicians

• Ramy Antoun - congas on track 6
• Darell Cross - drums on track 15
• J. Curtis - guitar on track 4
• DJ Drez - turntables on track 15
• Carlos Guacio - rhodes and bass on track 4
• Peter Kim - bass on track 15
• DJ Motiv8 - turntables on tracks 3 and 8
• Matt Nabours - violin on track 14
• Tommy O. - flute on track 14
• Paul Poli - turntables on track 3 and 7
• Miles Tackett - bass on track 14 and cello on track 5

Guest Vocalists

• Kim Hill - vocals on tracks 4, 7 and 11
• Dawn Beckman - vocals on tracks 2 and 8
• Einstien Brown - vocals on track 6
• Ingrid Dupree - vocals on track 3
• Redfoo - rap on track 9
• Macy Gray - vocals on track 14
• Sierra Swan & Planet Swan - vocals on track 1