Does Black Eyed Peas Write Their Own Music? Songwriting Credits & Scores

By the Numbers

9

Studio Albums

128

Tracks Credited

100%

Self-Written

80 million

Records Sold

34

Years Active

289

Collaborators

Authorship Breakdown 128 / 128 self-written

Who wrote the songs?

Across all 128 tracks: how many Black Eyed Peas wrote alone, how many they co-wrote, and how many were written by others. The bracket marks every track they hold any writing credit on.

Black Eyed Peas has a writing credit100%

9%

91%

Sole author11tracks9%

Co-written117tracks91%

Outside writers0tracks0%

Role Fingerprint how they contribute

Black Eyed Peas's roles across the catalogue

Share of all 128 tracks where they are personally credited, by role.

Lyricist (words)100%

Composer (music)100%

Producer91%

Performer100%

Member Credit Breakdown share of tracks each member is credited on

Percentage of all 128 tracks, across every album, where each member holds a credit - split by role.

Member	Period	Lyrics	Music	Production	Performance
will.i.am	1992-present	100%	100%	88%	100%
apl.de.ap	1992-present	82%	82%	5%	100%
Taboo	1992-present	59%	59%	0%	100%
J. Rey Soul	2018-present	0%	0%	0%	33%
Fergie Former	2002-2011, 2015-2018	23%	23%	0%	44%
Dante Santiago Former	1992-1995	0%	0%	0%	1%
Mookie Mook Former	1992-1995	0%	0%	0%	0%
DJ Motiv8 Former	1992-1995	1%	1%	1%	0%

Authorship Over Time writing credit per album

Black Eyed Peas's writing credit per album, in release order. Hover any bar for the album.

avg 100%

100%

1998Behind the Front

2000Bridging the Gap

2003Elephunk

2005Monkey Business

2009The E.N.D.

2010The Beginning

2018Masters of the Sun Vol. 1

2020Translation

2022Elevation

Early · 100% written

Mid · 100% written

Late · 100% written

Authorship by Decade track-weighted

100%

1990s

Behind the Front

100%

2000s

Bridging the Gap, Elephunk +2 more

100%

2010s

The Beginning, Masters of the Sun Vol. 1

100%

2020s

Translation, Elevation

Authorship Spectrum pure performer to complete author

Where Black Eyed Peas sits on the scale from a pure performer (0%, sings songs written by others) to a complete author (100%, writes everything). The bright marker is their catalogue authorship score, plotted against other artists on the site.

Black Eyed Peas

Other artists on the site

Reference artists spread across the scale, closest by genre and era.

Backstreet Boys25%

NSYNC41%

Michael Jackson51%

TLC59%

Usher74%

John Legend83%

Chris Brown91%

100%Black Eyed Peas

Pure Performer0%

Songwriter~50%

Complete Author100%

Who Really Wrote the Hits signature songs

Joints & Jam

Behind the Front

Written by will.i.am, apl.de.ap, Taboo, Paul Poli, Gregory Phillinganes, Barry Gibb, Busta Rhymes, William Adams, Allan Pineda, Jaime Gomez, Trevor George Smith Jr.

Co-wrote

Request + Line

Bridging the Gap

Written by will.i.am, apl.de.ap, Michael Fratantuno, George Pajon Jr., Rhett Lawrence, Natalie Hinds, William Adams, Allan Pineda

Co-wrote

Weekends

Bridging the Gap

Written by will.i.am, apl.de.ap, Taboo, Tony Butler, Sylvester Stewart, William Adams, Allan Pineda, Jaime Gomez

Co-wrote

Where Is the Love?

Elephunk

Written by will.i.am, Justin Timberlake, Taboo, apl.de.ap, Printz Board, Michael Fratantuno, George Pajon Jr., J. Curtis, William Adams, Jaime Gomez, Allan Pineda

Co-wrote

Hey Mama

Elephunk

Written by will.i.am, Anthony Henry, William Adams

Co-wrote

Don't Phunk with My Heart

Monkey Business

Written by will.i.am, Fergie, Printz Board, George Pajon Jr., Full Force, Kalyanji Anandji, Indeewar, William Adams, Stacy Ferguson

Co-wrote

Don't Lie

Monkey Business

Written by will.i.am, apl.de.ap, Taboo, Fergie, Chris Peters, Drew Peters, Slick Rick, William Adams, Allan Pineda, Jaime Gomez, Stacy Ferguson, Ricky Walters

Co-wrote

My Humps

Monkey Business

Written by will.i.am, David Payton, William Adams

Co-wrote

Pump It

Monkey Business

Written by will.i.am, apl.de.ap, Fergie, Thomas van Musser, Nicolas Roubanis, William Adams, Allan Pineda, Stacy Ferguson

Co-wrote

Boom Boom Pow

The E.N.D.

Written by will.i.am, apl.de.ap, Taboo, Fergie, William Adams, Allan Pineda, Jaime Gomez, Stacy Ferguson

Wrote it

I Gotta Feeling

The E.N.D.

Written by will.i.am, apl.de.ap, Taboo, Fergie, David Guetta, Frédéric Riesterer, William Adams, Allan Pineda, Jaime Gomez, Stacy Ferguson

Co-wrote

Meet Me Halfway

The E.N.D.

Written by will.i.am, apl.de.ap, Taboo, Fergie, Keith Harris, Jean Baptiste, Sylvia Gordon, William Adams, Allan Pineda, Jaime Gomez, Stacy Ferguson

Co-wrote

Imma Be

The E.N.D.

Written by will.i.am, apl.de.ap, Taboo, Fergie, Keith Harris, Jared Tankel, Daniel Foder, Thomas Brenneck, Michael Deller, William Adams, Allan Pineda, Jaime Gomez, Stacy Ferguson

Co-wrote

Rock That Body

The E.N.D.

Written by will.i.am, apl.de.ap, Taboo, Fergie, David Guetta, Mark Knight, Adam Walder, Jean Baptiste, Jaime Munson, Robert Ginyard Jr., William Adams, Allan Pineda, Jaime Gomez, Stacy Ferguson

Co-wrote

The Time (Dirty Bit)

The Beginning

Written by will.i.am, apl.de.ap, Damien LeRoy, Franke Previte, John DeNicola, Donald Markowitz, William Adams, Allan Pineda

Co-wrote

Just Can't Get Enough

The Beginning

Written by will.i.am, apl.de.ap, Taboo, Fergie, Joshua Alvarez, Stephen Shadowen, Rodney Jerkins, Julie Frost, William Adams, Allan Pineda, Jaime Gomez, Stacy Ferguson

Co-wrote

Don't Stop the Party

The Beginning

Written by will.i.am, apl.de.ap, Taboo, Fergie, Joshua Alvarez, Damien LeRoy, William Adams, Allan Pineda, Jaime Gomez, Stacy Ferguson

Co-wrote

Ritmo (Bad Boys For Life)

Translation

Written by will.i.am, apl.de.ap, Keith Harris, J Balvin, Francesco Bontempi, Michale Gaffey, Peter Glenister, Annerley Gordon, Giorgio Spagner, William Adams, Allan Pineda, José Álvaro Osorio Balvin

Co-wrote

Mamacita

Translation

Written by will.i.am, Johnny Goldstein, Ozuna, apl.de.ap, Taboo, Madonna, Bruce Gaitsch, Susan Leonard, Patrick Leonard, William Adams, Juan Carlos Ozuna Rosado, Allan Pineda, Jimmy Luis Gómez, Madonna Ciccone

Co-wrote

Girl Like Me

Translation

Written by will.i.am, apl.de.ap, Taboo, Shakira, Johnny Goldstein, Brendan Buckley, Albert Menendez, Tim Mitchell, William Adams, Allan Pineda, Jimmy Luis Gómez, Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll

Co-wrote

Don't You Worry

Elevation

Written by will.i.am, apl.de.ap, Taboo, Shakira, David Guetta, Yonatan Goldstein, Mikkel Cox, Tobías Frederiksen, William Adams, Allan Pineda, Jimmy Luis Gómez, Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll

Co-wrote

Discography 9 albums

All songwriter credits use stage names: 'William Adams' normalized to 'will.i.am', 'Allan Pineda' to 'apl.de.ap', 'Jaime Gomez' to 'Taboo', 'Stacy Ferguson' to 'Fergie'.

1998100%

Behind the Front

Interscope / Ruthless Records

16 tracks

2000100%

Bridging the Gap

Interscope

14 tracks

2003100%

Elephunk

A&M / Interscope

14 tracks

2005100%

Monkey Business

A&M / Interscope

15 tracks

2009100%

The E.N.D.

Interscope

15 tracks

2010100%

The Beginning

Interscope

12 tracks

2018100%

Masters of the Sun Vol. 1

Epic Records

12 tracks

2020100%

Translation

Epic / Interscope

15 tracks

2022100%

Elevation

Epic Records

15 tracks

Collaborator Network who they worked with most

Black Eyed Peas128 tracks

JG20 GP17 JB14 KH14 KF11 YG11

Bubble size = tracks worked on together. JG Johnny Goldstein · GP George Pajon Jr. · JB Jean Baptiste · KH Keith Harris · KF Kevin Feyen · YG Yonatan Goldstein

The Writers & Producers Behind Black Eyed Peas 6 key collaborators

JG

Johnny Goldstein

Producer & Songwriter

Translation / Elevation20 tracks

GP

George Pajon Jr.

Songwriter

Bridging the Gap / Elephunk / Monkey Business / The E.N.D.17 tracks

JB

Jean Baptiste

Songwriter

Elephunk / Monkey Business / The E.N.D. / The Beginning14 tracks

KH

Keith Harris

Songwriter

Monkey Business / The E.N.D. / The Beginning / Masters of the Sun Vol. 114 tracks

KF

Kevin Feyen

Songwriter

Behind the Front11 tracks

YG

Yonatan Goldstein

Songwriter

Translation / Elevation11 tracks

The Authorship Story

Data Insight

will.i.am is the engine of Black Eyed Peas, he is credited as writer and producer on virtually every track across all nine albums, giving the group one of the most lopsided authorship distributions in pop history. apl.de.ap and Taboo accumulate co-writing credits steadily but rarely take production roles. Fergie's credits spike significantly during her era (Elephunk through The Beginning), particularly on tracks where she co-wrote the topline. The two earlier albums without Fergie show a leaner writing team and a more traditional hip-hop production style, while the post-Fergie era features J. Rey Soul primarily as a performer with minimal writing credit.

Quick Facts

SalesHave sold an estimated 80 million records, one of the best-selling acts of all time
GrammysWon six Grammy Awards, including three at the 2010 ceremony
will.i.amWrites and produces nearly every song, the creative engine of the group
Chart record'Boom Boom Pow' and 'I Gotta Feeling' held the top two Hot 100 spots for weeks in 2009
Fergie eraStacy Ferguson joined as lead singer for Elephunk in 2003, driving their pop breakthrough

Creative Fingerprint

One writer-producer at the wheel: Black Eyed Peas are credited on 100% of their catalogue, but will.i.am writes and produces nearly every track, so the group's authorship is heavily concentrated in one member plus a recurring team.

The Story

Black Eyed Peas are an American musical group from Los Angeles, formed in 1992 by will.i.am, apl.de.ap, and Taboo. After a decade of underground hip-hop on albums like Behind the Front (1998) and Bridging the Gap (2000), the group added Fergie as a full member in 2002 and pivoted to a more pop-oriented sound with Elephunk (2003). That transformation proved enormously successful: Monkey Business (2005) and The E.N.D. (2009) generated a string of global chart-toppers including 'Where Is the Love?', 'I Gotta Feeling', and 'Boom Boom Pow'. The group has sold an estimated 80 million records worldwide, making them one of the best-selling acts of the 2000s. After a 2011 hiatus, they reconvened without Fergie and with new vocalist J. Rey Soul for Masters of the Sun Vol. 1 (2018), Translation (2020), and Elevation (2022).

Awards & Recognition

Won six Grammy Awards, including Best Pop Vocal Album for The E.N.D.

'Boom Boom Pow' and 'I Gotta Feeling' held the top two spots on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2009

'I Gotta Feeling' became one of the best-selling digital singles of all time

Have sold an estimated 80 million records worldwide

Frequently Asked Questions Black Eyed Peas

Does Black Eyed Peas write their own songs?

Yes, and the credit is unusually concentrated. The group is credited on 100% of its catalogue, but will.i.am writes and produces nearly every track. The other members contribute verses and ideas, and a recurring team of collaborators fills out the credits. Songs like 'Boom Boom Pow' and 'I Gotta Feeling' are built around will.i.am's production.

Who is the main songwriter in Black Eyed Peas?

will.i.am is the creative engine, writing and producing nearly every Black Eyed Peas song. apl.de.ap and Taboo add verses, and Fergie sang lead during their biggest era, but will.i.am shapes the sound and the songwriting.

Who wrote 'I Gotta Feeling'?

'I Gotta Feeling,' from The E.N.D. (2009), was written by the group with producer David Guetta and Frédéric Riesterer. will.i.am led the writing, and it became one of the best-selling digital singles ever.

Who wrote 'Where Is the Love?'?

'Where Is the Love?,' from Elephunk (2003), was written by the group along with Justin Timberlake, who sang on the original. It marked their shift toward socially conscious pop and was their commercial breakthrough.

When did Fergie join Black Eyed Peas?

Stacy Ferguson, known as Fergie, joined as lead singer in 2002 and debuted on Elephunk in 2003. Her arrival helped turn the group from an underground hip-hop act into a global pop force.

How many albums has Black Eyed Peas released?

This catalogue covers nine studio albums, from Behind the Front (1998) through Elevation (2022), including the blockbusters Elephunk, Monkey Business, and The E.N.D.

How many Grammys has Black Eyed Peas won?

The group has won six Grammy Awards, including three at the 2010 ceremony and earlier wins for 'Let's Get It Started' and 'Don't Phunk with My Heart.'

What genre is Black Eyed Peas?

Black Eyed Peas make hip-hop, pop, and dance-pop, moving from conscious rap on 'Where Is the Love?' to electro-dance anthems like 'Boom Boom Pow' and 'I Gotta Feeling.'

Sources

Wikipedia: Black Eyed Peas