This album is absolutely awesome, and has something for everyone. It brings together R&B, Rap, and Jazz with socially conscious lyrics. There is not a single song that I don't like on it. Fergie, the newcomer to this group, definately adds a new feel to this album.
1) Hands up - a high energy start to the album. The saxophone on this song is very jazzy, and has the whole song has a bit of a retro feel.
2) Labor Day - Pure Fun. You can really dance to this song.
3) Let's Get Retarded - This song starts out by saying that it means no disrespect (look up the lyrics if you're concerned about it) Actually, it uses "retarded" to describe losing control of your body when you dance. Anybody who listens to more than just the chorus of this song would realize this.
4) Hey Mama - Has a latin, almost jamaican, feel. Sounds a little like Sean Paul's "Get Busy." Fun song.
5) Shut Up - Fergie shines on this song! More pop sounding than the rest of the album, but it still has a groove. Fergie's vocals alone make this song worth listening to. Beautiful.
6) Smells like Funk - This also has a retro feel to it. Nothing particularly spectacular about this song, but it's still solid.
7) Latin Girls - Very latin feel to this one. Another fun song to dance to.
8) Sexy - Funktastically Beautiful Song. They did a nice job mixing the piano into this slower song.
9) Fly Away - This song is my absolute favorite - Fergie really shines on this one. A wonderfully free song... you just have to hear it.
10) The Boogie that Be - Mostly rap, with a classic sound to it.
11) The Elephunk Theme - An exotic song, with melodies that sound middle-eastern or Indian, blended with aggressive rap.
12) The Apl Song - An calming song, with beautiful melodies.
13) Anxiety - Aggressive rap on top of a some rocking guitar.
14) Where is the Love - This is a little longer than the radio cut.
15) Hidden Track - I don't know what this one is called, but it's a nice song. It's slow, soft, and sexy with rap verses blended into a melodic chorus.

'Elephunk' is an awesome album. This is one of the first albums I can listen to, in it's entirtey, without having to skip any tracks. Whether I'm listening to the upbeat 'Smells Like Funk', the sultry 'Sexy' or even the angst-filled 'Anxiety' I can always find something about the song to love. Adding Fergie for a female voice was an ingenius move. She really adds alot to the group when singing songs such as 'Let's Get Retarded' and 'Shut Up'.

Just so everyone buying the album for 'Hey Mama' knows, the lyrics were changed on the single version to avoid sounding too political ("then drop bombs like we're in the Middle East" was cut) and to add more of Fergie (her "off the richter" lyrics are not part of the CD version). Both versions basically sound the same other than the slightly altered lyrics though.

The first six tracks are all quite fast, then 'Latin Girls' slows it down quite a bit. 'The Apl Song' is one of my very favorites on the album. I absolutely love the lines "A version of my ghetto where life felt for real/Some would call it hell but to me it was heaven". The song is sung in both Tagalog and English, which sounds awesome. It's about having to work together and live off the land, and it truly is a very beautiful song.

Check out 'Elephunk' if you're a fan of Hip Hop, or even Pop. If you like 'Shut Up' and 'Hey Mama', chances are you'll love the album. The lyrics, vocals, and beats are all very good, and the album overall is awesome.

I must admit, I was a bit hesitant to listen to this CD after seeing the hype they had received on MTV and top 40 radio stations. Rap and hip-hop have taken a turn for the worse in the past years, and the Black Eyed Peas are no different, right? Wrong! Black Eyed Peas may be the only artist, besides Outkast and a couple others, that actually deserve the attention they receive on the radio and MTV. Their mix of Jazz, Hip-hop, Rap, R&B, along with their knack for writing conscious lyrics, make for a very unique and enjoyable listen.

The albums opener "Hands Up" serves as a fine intro. "Labor Day (It's a Holiday)" is equally enjoyable, also featuring a Public Enemy sample. "Smells Like Funk" is one of my favorites. "Let's Get Retarded" has the most addictive chorus on the album, describing the loss of control when dancing, or getting high. If you think they are making of the physically challenged, try using your brain, and realizing a fun loving group like Black Eyed Peas would never make fun of such a thing. Other standouts include "Hey Mama" and "Where Is the Love?".

Overall, I can see why this album has received all the hype, since it's so poppy. Every once and awhile you do find some good hip-hop in the Top 40, and this is it. I think it's time for me to go "Get Retarded".

ok 14-yr-old guy here. i jusdt got this cd and it is awesome. fergie is amazing vocally, and fashionally. anyway here's my review of the cd:

1. hands up (5/5) great opener, a nice prelude to the other tracks
2. labor day ( it's a holiday)(5/5) probably my thrid fave on the album, fergie voice carries the chorus phenomenally.
3. let's get retarded-(4/5) ok, very catchy, but kinda outta place, great party song though
4. hey mama -5/5 intersting
5. shut up-5/5- my second fave on the album this joint is smokin!! you all have got to check out the video for this, fergie doesn't wear a shirt in the video!!
6. smells like funk- 4/5- probably my fourth fave- insanely catchy- but only ok lyrically
7. latin girls-5/5 another great song, i love the j.lo reference
8. sexy-5/5- now this is the way a love song should be written, tied for my fave on the album
9. fly away-4/5- pretty good, they give fergie a little too much credit on this song but other than that it's great
10. the boogie that be 5/5-fergie shines as the peas dominate this track
11. th apl song-4/5- once again don't really see it's place, this is basically just apl doing his thing, good though
12. anxiety-5/5- BEP and papa roach the next hit collaboration?? i think so!! the track kicks major butt. clearly illustrates one's struggle with anxiety. tied for my fave on the album.
13. where is the love 5/5- aww yeah, u gotta love this song, it's awesome can't say enough about it, BEP shines on this track. tied for my fave on the album.

there is a bonus track here but it should track 14 and not on the same track as "where is the love?"
the bonus track is a little hard to undertsand, i dind't hear it until i hit the repeat button onmmy cd player

overall: great cd, should've gotten it sooner, the tracks are blazin. fergie is the perfect addition to the peas and she rocks!!!! fergie!!!!!!!! get it now!!!! do not listen to that crap-ass amazon.com review listen to the people who bought the cd!!!

Politically conscious hip hop quartet (is it just me or is there a new member?) release their latest effort, Elephunk, borrowing the title from another animal loving neo-soul group, White Stripes, who released Elephant earlier this year. Anywho, The Black Eyed Peas have established themselves as a funky, influential & intresting aspect of the music industry, one that has kept both fans & critics attention and most commonly reacting with a positive spirit. Their new album does little to disappoint, and their multi-genre style continues to get people attracted.

The album's highly pop influenced lead single "Wheres the Love" featuring pop's reigning pretty boy prince Justin Timberlake, while very mainstream, is actually not all to bad. I believe that the group put the song as its closing though to try and stop fans from just listening to one song and then shutting off, hoping that fans will give it a straight through listen. It is safe to say though that if people are buying this record solely based on the lead single, they will be disappointed.

The highly offensive, yet catchy & bouncy "Lets Get Retarded" will appeal to club heads who like to 'be cool' by getting drunk & high, but true BEP fans will find themselves skipping this one. Other noteworthy songs include "Smells like Funk", the rock-market ready "Anxiety" & the James Brown sound-a-like "Shut Up", a relationship track.

This songs are catchy and diverse which will attract new fans, but old fans of the group are almost guaranteed to be disappointed with most of the material on here, being that it strays to far from their proven effective formula to do things that aren't exactly excepted among their audience. Hopefully they can recoop and bring it harder next time around.