The E.N.D doesn't even matter

There was a time when will.i.am could spout of lyrics claiming to be the "reviver of the true art form of hip-hop," and you almost believed him.

That time was 1998. And even then, at the time of the Black Eyed Peas' debut album, Behind the Front, such accolades seemed to be a bit of a stretch.

It's been about six years since William J. Adams unofficially lengthened his stage name to will.i.am.a.huge.sellout. The move came with the group's addition of the "lovely lady lumps" of Stacy Ferguson. And the formerly respectable group has only moved further from listenable with each year.

What once had been a respectable, if not mind-blowing, group representing the approachable underground has all but abandoned any new-school inclinations in favor of electronica, Auto-Tune and, well, Fergie's "boom, boom, boom."

Released Tuesday, The E.N.D [Energy Never Dies] is the Peas' fifth studio album. And, as with the previous three showings, the group continues to dig itself deeper into the world of pop music. By this point, they've outgrown any attachment to hip-hop, qualifying more as a contemporary of Lady Gaga than Lupe Fiasco.

The steady decline of the group has gone hand in hand with the rise of its star seductress. In the four years since Monkey Business was released, Fergie has gone from "that hot chick in the 'Let's Get It Started' video" to an electronica pop diva lighting up gossip blogs. The rise in popularity, however, hasn't come with any noticeable increase in talent.

Still, there is little denying Fergie as the centerpiece of The E.N.D. While will.i.am remains firmly planted as the group's producer, responsible for 12 of 15 tracks, Fergie runs the show. She's diversified her abilities, if you can call them that, ranging from a cheap knockoff of Britney Spears when she sings to an even cheaper bootleg of Missy Elliot when she attempts to rap.

The problem is, relegated to the background, will.i.am has cheapened his own lyrics. On the lead single and opening track, "Boom Boom Pow," he raps, "This beat be bumpin', bumpin'/ this beat go boom, boom." Yeah, good point.

Fergie dominates the first half of the album. "Meet Me Halfway" is her attempt at proving she can be a real R&B singer. She can't. And she shouldn't try. On "Alive," will.i.am does his best T-Pain impression while Fergie offers raps reminiscent of the glory days of rap, when Lil Mama's lip gloss was poppin'. There's even an allusion to the Peas' 2005 single "My Humps." You know, just in case you forgot it already.

The mistakes continue through the first half: The call-and-response tactics on "Missing You" are mind-numbing. "I Gotta Feeling" is a good sing-along track - for a Target commercial. And no track is more emblematic of the fall of will.i.am than "Ring-A-Ling," with its entirely nonsensical lyrics complemented by an annoying hook.

The second half of the album is significantly more approachable for a hip-hop fan. That's not to say it's good, just easier to digest than the rapid-fire electronica miscues of the first half.

"Party All the Time" and "Now Generation" are both attempts at creating an anthem-type song but fall short. "One Tribe" harkens back to the song that made the Peas famous, "Where Is the Love?," with much less commercial viability.

Still, many of these songs drown in their own repetition and overdone electronica.

There's a consistent theme throughout The E.N.D: annoying-ness. The Peas have dabbled in dangerous territory, an entire album of electronic crap. Kanye West dabbled in the genre, but his attempt was significantly better, which isn't saying much.

The redeeming qualities of The E.N.D are few and far between. Even the best tracks have their own inherent obnoxiousness. And one thing is painfully clear: The Black Eyed Peas barely qualify as hip-hop. will.i.am isn't reviving anything.

ajosephdbk@gmail.com

RATING: 0.5 stars out of 5