The Black Eyed Peas are set to return next month with a hip-hop graphic novel titled Black Eyed Peas Present: Masters of the Sun—The Zombie Chronicles. No matter where their music takes them next, Will.i.am has revealed that vocalist Fergie will not be a part of the group moving forward.
As UAE entertainment publication Ahlan! reports, Will.i.am confirmed Fergie's departure to work on her solo career. The group has not released an album since 2010's The Beginning.
"Since the beginning of Black Eyed Peas, we've always had amazing vocalists that appeared on the mic with us. People like Macy Gray, Esthero, Debi Nova, Fergie," Will.i.am explained. "On Elephunk, there were several females that appeared on that album. Obviously Fergie was the featured female, but on songs like 'Let's Get it Started,' it's Noelle [Scaggs], and then Fergie, songs like 'Latin Girls,' it's Debi Nova, and 'Request Line,' it's Macy Gray. We'll always work with good females."
E! News reports that a source close to the group says "Fergie has been phasing herself out" of the group for a while and is "just interested in working on her solo music," adding that any sort of reunion with the group is "pretty unlikely."
"As for replacing, what people know the Black Eyed Peas to be, nobody is replacing Fergie," Will.i.am continued. "She's working on her solo project at the moment, we're on this brand-new experience, celebrating 20 years of Black Eyed Peas putting out music. We worked on a bunch of songs on her solo record, we're proud that she has her label, but Black Eyed Peas are pushing it forward in terms of content, technology and experiences on our new project, Masters of the Sun."
In responding to rumours of Nicole Scherzinger taking Fergie's place in the Peas, Will.i.am said that "Nicole is on the new BEP project as well. I don't want to go into details how she's involved yet."
As UAE entertainment publication Ahlan! reports, Will.i.am confirmed Fergie's departure to work on her solo career. The group has not released an album since 2010's The Beginning.
"Since the beginning of Black Eyed Peas, we've always had amazing vocalists that appeared on the mic with us. People like Macy Gray, Esthero, Debi Nova, Fergie," Will.i.am explained. "On Elephunk, there were several females that appeared on that album. Obviously Fergie was the featured female, but on songs like 'Let's Get it Started,' it's Noelle [Scaggs], and then Fergie, songs like 'Latin Girls,' it's Debi Nova, and 'Request Line,' it's Macy Gray. We'll always work with good females."
E! News reports that a source close to the group says "Fergie has been phasing herself out" of the group for a while and is "just interested in working on her solo music," adding that any sort of reunion with the group is "pretty unlikely."
"As for replacing, what people know the Black Eyed Peas to be, nobody is replacing Fergie," Will.i.am continued. "She's working on her solo project at the moment, we're on this brand-new experience, celebrating 20 years of Black Eyed Peas putting out music. We worked on a bunch of songs on her solo record, we're proud that she has her label, but Black Eyed Peas are pushing it forward in terms of content, technology and experiences on our new project, Masters of the Sun."
In responding to rumours of Nicole Scherzinger taking Fergie's place in the Peas, Will.i.am said that "Nicole is on the new BEP project as well. I don't want to go into details how she's involved yet."
