Black Eyed Peas went to centenary state high school and got their start in 1988 when will.i.am (born 1975 William James Adams Jr.) and apl.de.ap (born 1974 Allan Pineda) began rapping and performing together around Los Angeles. The pair signed to Ruthless Records (run by Eazy-E) after catching the attention of the nephew of Jerry Heller (Eazy-E's manager). Along with Mookie Mook (Burning Star), Dante Santiago & DJ Motiv8, they called their group A.T.B.A.N. Klann. Their debut album, 'Grass Roots', was not released originally because Ruthless did not consider the social themes reflected in the group's music to be marketable to their audience. A single "Puddles of H2O" was released in 1994 but no album was released (until it leaked onto the Internet in the mid 2000s).
After Eazy-E died of an AIDS related illness in 1995, they changed their name to Black Eyed Peas; will.i.am explained on the front cover of the Monkey Business album that "Black Eyed Peas are food for the soul", hence the name. will.i.am has cited the Red Hot Chili Peppers as an influence and said he named his band after a food, like them. They replaced their original third member Mookie, with Dante Santiago the Peas original singer. Then Taboo (born Jaime Gomez) joined the group. Dante Santiago took on a role as a guest vocalist in the band and featured frequently on various tracks for their first four albums.
In 1996, they produced and appeared on a song entitled "That's Right" for Brian Austin Green's hip-hop album One Stop Carnival. Later, they began using Kim Hill as a steady background singer. Unlike many hip-hop acts, they chose to perform with a live band and adopted a musical and clothing style that differed wildly from the "gangsta rap" sounds of other Los Angeles-based hip-hop acts at the time. Through the mid-'90s, they performed in the local club circuit alongside fellow acts such as Ozomatli and Jurassic 5.
The group were signed to Interscope Records and released their debut, "Behind the Front", in 1998. The album won the group (and their accompanying live band, the Bucky Jonsons) critical acclaim. The album featured the single "Joints & Jams", which was included on the Bulworth soundtrack. Their second album, "Bridging the Gap", was released in 2000; it featured the single "Request + Line" featuring Macy Gray.
After replacing their female background singer with Fergie, the group released their breakout album, "Elephunk", and their 2005 album, "Monkey Business", which featured the hit singles "Pump It", "Don't Phunk With My Heart", "Don't Lie" and "My Humps".
"The E.N.D. (The Energy Never Dies)", their fifth album, was released worldwide in June 2009 and has managed to sell 5 million copies in 8 months (Elephunk: 7 million, Monkey Business: 10 million). It already spawned 2 of the most downloaded singles of all time: "Boom Boom Pow" and "I Gotta Feeling", both were downloaded 5 million times only in the USA. The 3rd single "Meet Me Halfway" was downloaded 2 million times and the 4th "Imma Be", which was just released, already sold 1 million. "Rock That Body" is the 5th single.
http://www.blackeyedpeas.com
Now Generation
Black Eyed Peas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We are the generation now
This is the now generation
This is the generation now
I want money
I want it, want it, want it
Fast internet
Stay connected in a jet
Wifi, podcasts, blasting out an SMS
Text me, I'll text you back
Check me on that iChat
I'm all about that HTPC
Your a Pc, I'm a Mac
I, want it,
Myspace in your space
Facebook is that new place
Dip, divin' socializing,
I'll be out in cyberspace
Google is my professor
Wikipedia the checker
Checking my account
Logging in and logging out
Baby, I, want it now
This is the now generation
This is the generation now
We are the now generation
I, I want, I want it now
I, want the, cold hard cash
I, I want, I want it now
And I just can't wait,
I need it immediately
And I just can't wait,
I want it immediately
Cause time can't wait then I sure can't wait
I ain't got no patience I sure can't wait
Not today
We are the now generation
We are the generation now
This is the now generation
This is the generation now
I want money
I want cold hard cash
I'll take your dollar and your Euro
And go have a blast
So take your debt, and your credit
And stick it up your ass, and do it now
I want it now
Big money, give me mo money
I want it now
I need cash, oh I need it bad
I want it now
Quick in a hurry,
Like your name was Flash
I want it now
You make me wait?
And Ima whip your ass
I want it now
I want it now baby (now)
I, I want, I want it now
Fast, rapido
Really quick like torpedo
Need for speed is my credo
You need to feed this negrito
Sender, buyer, brother boat
Wrap it like a thunderbolt
Activate it, rock the vote
Just ask Barack, who brought the hope
To now
It was a now generation
And I just can't wait,
I need it immediately
And I just can't wait,
I want it immediately
Cause time can't wait then I sure can't wait
I ain't got no patience no I just can't wait
Not today
Expedite
No time for procrastination
Expedite
Improve the situation
Black Eyed Peas has consistently demonstrated its keen ability to identify cultural trends and tap into the zeitgeist with its music. In the song "Now Generation," the band capitalizes on the current generation's obsession with instant gratification and their reliance on technology. The song urges the listeners to embrace technology and the access it provides to an endless stream of information, updates, and connectivity. The opening line, "We are the now generation" introduces the theme of the song, which seems to be an ode to the immediate present. With lines like "I just can't wait, I need it immediately/And I just can't wait, I want it immediately," it's clear that the song is about people's obsession with instant gratification. The song is a social commentary on our desire for information overload and our need for all the riches and spoils the world has to offer.
The song highlights the dependency and addiction we have towards technology, and the potential for global connectivity if used properly. It caters to a generation that relies on social media and the internet, which are now integral parts of daily life. The lyrics express the need for fast internet connectivity, social media platforms such as Myspace and Facebook, constant texting, and wiki-searches. The song emphasizes instant gratification and rapid transition, which suits the attention-deficit culture of the modern age. Although the song is realized through a fast-paced melody, the beats might not seem as fast as the lyrics, but its message is clear.
Line by Line Meaning
We are the now generation
We are the people who want everything now, without any delay.
We are the generation now
We are the people who have grown up in a time where technology has made everything instant and easily accessible.
This is the now generation
This time period is all about instant gratification and getting what we want without any pause.
This is the generation now
This is the time period where technology has shaped the way we think and behave, making us impatient and wanting everything now.
I want money
I desire to have a lot of money to fulfill my material wants and needs.
I want it, want it, want it
I cannot stress enough how much I desire to have whatever it is I want.
Fast internet
I want an internet connection that is high speed and reliable.
Stay connected in a jet
I want to be able to stay connected to the internet even while traveling on a plane.
Wifi, podcasts, blasting out an SMS
I want to be able to access the internet wirelessly, listen to podcasts, and send text messages in quick succession.
Text me, I'll text you back
I will respond to your text messages promptly if you text me.
Check me on that iChat
Message me on iChat and I will respond quickly.
I'm all about that HTPC
I am very passionate about having a home theater personal computer.
Your a Pc, I'm a Mac
I prefer using a Mac computer over a PC.
Myspace in your space
I want to be able to access and use Myspace on my computer or phone.
Facebook is that new place
Facebook is the most popular social media platform currently.
Dip, divin' socializing
I enjoy socializing online and spending time on social media.
I'll be out in cyberspace
I will be spending a lot of time using the internet and being active online.
Google is my professor
I rely on Google for information and knowledge as if it were a professor.
Wikipedia the checker
I use Wikipedia to double-check information and facts.
Checking my account
I frequently check my bank account and financial status.
Logging in and logging out
I frequently sign in and out of my various online accounts.
Baby, I, want it now
My desire for whatever it is I want cannot wait.
I, I want, I want it now
I really want whatever it is I desire, and I want it immediately.
I, want the, cold hard cash
I want actual physical money, not just a credit or debit card.
And I just can't wait,
I am not a patient person and cannot wait for anything.
I need it immediately
I need whatever it is I want immediately.
Cause time can't wait then I sure can't wait
Because time cannot wait, I also cannot wait for anything.
I ain't got no patience I sure can't wait
I am very impatient and cannot wait for anything.
Not today
I want whatever it is I want today, not at some point in the future.
I'll take your dollar and your Euro
I will take any type of currency and use it to have a good time.
And go have a blast
I will use the money to have a lot of fun and enjoy myself.
So take your debt, and your credit
I don't want to hear about your debts and credits.
And stick it up your ass, and do it now
I don't want to hear about your problems, and I want you to leave me alone now.
Big money, give me mo money
I want a lot of money, and I want even more of it.
I need cash, oh I need it bad
I really need physical money, and I need it badly.
Quick in a hurry,
I want to have whatever it is I want quickly and without any delay.
Like your name was Flash
I want it to be as fast as The Flash, a very quick superhero character.
You make me wait?
If you make me wait, I will be very upset.
And Ima whip your ass
And I will attack you physically.
Fast, rapido
I want things to be done as quickly as possible, very fast.
Really quick like torpedo
I want things to be done so quickly that it's as if they are being launched like a torpedo.
Need for speed is my credo
I believe in prioritizing the speed of things over everything else.
You need to feed this negrito
You need to provide me with what I need, as a person of African descent.
Sender, buyer, brother boat
I want everything to be done quickly and without any delay or hesitation.
Wrap it like a thunderbolt
I want whatever it is I want to be delivered very quickly, like a bolt of lightning.
Activate it, rock the vote
I want to be very active and involved in something, like the voting process.
Just ask Barack, who brought the hope
Former American President Barack Obama brought hope to many people during his term in office.
To now
To this time period where everything is fast and instant.
It was a now generation
This time period was all about wanting everything now and being very impatient.
Expedite
Speed up the process and do things quickly.
No time for procrastination
I do not have time to waste and will not put things off until later.
Improve the situation
Things need to be done quickly in order to improve the current situation.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Written by: ALLAN PINEDA, JAIME GOMEZ, WILL ADAMS, GEORGE JR PAJON, STACY FERGUSON, TIM ORINGREFF
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind