Fergie - The Dutchess
Aug 25, 2005 16:09:25 GMT -5
Post by Fool_4_Music on Aug 25, 2005 16:09:25 GMT -5
Interview with hip-hop diva Stacy Ferguson
By JANE STEVENSON -- Toronto Sun
LOS ANGELES -- She may have joined the Black Eyed Peas only a couple of years ago, but sexy, midriff-baring singer Fergie has become an integral part of the L.A. hip-hop/pop group.
Just check out My Humps, a song off the Peas' new record Monkey Business, which hits stores Tuesday. It sounds like an ode to her curvaceous physique. Fergie -- a.k.a. Stacy Ferguson -- vehemently denies it.
"No, no, no, it's a character," she said with a laugh recently during a rare one-on-one interview with the Sun, a Canadian newspaper exclusive.
"It's a definite character. It's all tongue-in-cheek. It's just a fun song portraying that situation. It's going to be really fun to perform."
The song's lascivious lyrics have Fergie singing things like: "My hump, my hump, my hump, my lovely little lumps."
And even if the new tune isn't about her toned body, the singer's sultry image certainly singles her out from her three male bandmates -- group founder and producer will.i.am (a.k.a. Will Adams) and his fellow rappers and breakdancers apl.d.ap (a.k.a. Allan Pineda) and Taboo (a.k.a. Jaime Gomez).
"It's weird because I ended up on the cover of a magazine called FHM, and I had not approved that," the 30-year-old Fergie says.
"Those pictures were bought from a photographer. So for me, I wasn't planning for that type of cover to be my first cover in America. And a lot people ended up liking it, but that wasn't my plan to go in that direction. I'm pretty casual most of the time."
Case in point: On this particular day Fergie is without makeup and is dressed casually in a tweed cap (with the initials "BEP" on it), a T-shirt, shorts and Adidas runners. Her concessions to femininity: Large gold hoop earrings and plenty of jewelry.
Does the increasing media focus on her obvious sex appeal, as opposed to her singing, ever bother Fergie?
"I think that's quite funny," she says. "To me, when people don't expect much of you talent-wise, and then they come to one of our shows, it probably makes the show better for the person because they got something they didn't expect.
"It's funny because it's backwards. A lot of times I don't overtly try to dress sexy. In fact, I've actually made an effort not to. Because I don't want it to be all about that, you know? I've been wearing baggier clothes at my shows, just because it's important to me that people know I am an artist, and not just some men's trophy model."
To be sure, Fergie's star profile is huge and growing. She's already a favourite of celebrity-obsessed tabloids, given her va-va-voom looks coupled with her relationship with actor Josh Duhamel (Las Vegas, Win A Date With Tad Hamilton!). Her profile is bound to only get bigger with the release of Monkey Business.
The California-bred beauty, who hails from the L.A. suburb of Hacienda Heights, came to the Peas after a brief stint in the all-girl vocal R&B group Wild Orchid, which released albums in 1997 and 1998. Much earlier, as a child, she acted for six years on Kids Incorporated -- a "singing, dancing, acting-type show."
"I got experience at a very young age," Fergie says. "I'm very lucky. You know, I started in show business at about seven years old. That's why I feel so appreciative of everything now because I've been working hard at this all my life."
The Peas were hugely respected in L.A.'s alt-rap scene in the late 1990s for their eclectic sound and socially conscious lyrics. By 2002, though, they had released just two albums, neither of which had become major hits.
The Peas decided to pop up their sound on their third effort, 2003's Elephunk, in part by collaborating with former boy-band member Justin Timberlake on their breakthrough single, Where Is The Love.
Already a fan of the Peas, Fergie met will.i.am to get him to work on her first solo album. As it happened, she was brought in about halfway through the recording of Elephunk to just sing vocals on the song Shut Up. She sang on a few more songs, and ended up becoming a band member on the heels of backup vocalist Kim Hill's departure.
Fergie claims there were many adjustments to make, among them the fact that she had never performed with a live band before. There was also the intimidation factor of performing with the Peas themselves, who had been together for eight years.
"Not only that, but they're the best dancers on the planet. So for me, I was kind of timid at first. And little by little, I would work my way in to figure out where I fit in on the stage."
With Fergie in the fold, the Black Eyed Peas gained worldwide fame. Elephunk sold eight million copies globally.
Now there are rumours in the British press that the Peas are breaking up after Monkey Business. Fergie says it's not true -- even though all four members are working on side projects. Among them is Fergie's solo album, which likely won't come out until the end of 2006.
"We've been working on it, Will and I," she says. "And I'm so happy with the way it's turning out, but we just felt after Elephunk that we needed to make another Black Eyed Peas record."
Fergie didn't want to talk about the solo record too much. Of its musical direction she'd only say, "It'll be a deeper look into who I am. Soundwise, it'll be eclectic like the Peas but I'll get to experiment with more of the different sounds of my voice. I like to use my voice as an instrument sometimes and I'll be able to show that on that album."
The Peas are confirmed to make a MuchMusic Video Awards appearance in Toronto June 19, followed by a headlining stop at the Molson Amphitheatre July 10.
By JANE STEVENSON -- Toronto Sun
LOS ANGELES -- She may have joined the Black Eyed Peas only a couple of years ago, but sexy, midriff-baring singer Fergie has become an integral part of the L.A. hip-hop/pop group.
Just check out My Humps, a song off the Peas' new record Monkey Business, which hits stores Tuesday. It sounds like an ode to her curvaceous physique. Fergie -- a.k.a. Stacy Ferguson -- vehemently denies it.
"No, no, no, it's a character," she said with a laugh recently during a rare one-on-one interview with the Sun, a Canadian newspaper exclusive.
"It's a definite character. It's all tongue-in-cheek. It's just a fun song portraying that situation. It's going to be really fun to perform."
The song's lascivious lyrics have Fergie singing things like: "My hump, my hump, my hump, my lovely little lumps."
And even if the new tune isn't about her toned body, the singer's sultry image certainly singles her out from her three male bandmates -- group founder and producer will.i.am (a.k.a. Will Adams) and his fellow rappers and breakdancers apl.d.ap (a.k.a. Allan Pineda) and Taboo (a.k.a. Jaime Gomez).
"It's weird because I ended up on the cover of a magazine called FHM, and I had not approved that," the 30-year-old Fergie says.
"Those pictures were bought from a photographer. So for me, I wasn't planning for that type of cover to be my first cover in America. And a lot people ended up liking it, but that wasn't my plan to go in that direction. I'm pretty casual most of the time."
Case in point: On this particular day Fergie is without makeup and is dressed casually in a tweed cap (with the initials "BEP" on it), a T-shirt, shorts and Adidas runners. Her concessions to femininity: Large gold hoop earrings and plenty of jewelry.
Does the increasing media focus on her obvious sex appeal, as opposed to her singing, ever bother Fergie?
"I think that's quite funny," she says. "To me, when people don't expect much of you talent-wise, and then they come to one of our shows, it probably makes the show better for the person because they got something they didn't expect.
"It's funny because it's backwards. A lot of times I don't overtly try to dress sexy. In fact, I've actually made an effort not to. Because I don't want it to be all about that, you know? I've been wearing baggier clothes at my shows, just because it's important to me that people know I am an artist, and not just some men's trophy model."
To be sure, Fergie's star profile is huge and growing. She's already a favourite of celebrity-obsessed tabloids, given her va-va-voom looks coupled with her relationship with actor Josh Duhamel (Las Vegas, Win A Date With Tad Hamilton!). Her profile is bound to only get bigger with the release of Monkey Business.
The California-bred beauty, who hails from the L.A. suburb of Hacienda Heights, came to the Peas after a brief stint in the all-girl vocal R&B group Wild Orchid, which released albums in 1997 and 1998. Much earlier, as a child, she acted for six years on Kids Incorporated -- a "singing, dancing, acting-type show."
"I got experience at a very young age," Fergie says. "I'm very lucky. You know, I started in show business at about seven years old. That's why I feel so appreciative of everything now because I've been working hard at this all my life."
The Peas were hugely respected in L.A.'s alt-rap scene in the late 1990s for their eclectic sound and socially conscious lyrics. By 2002, though, they had released just two albums, neither of which had become major hits.
The Peas decided to pop up their sound on their third effort, 2003's Elephunk, in part by collaborating with former boy-band member Justin Timberlake on their breakthrough single, Where Is The Love.
Already a fan of the Peas, Fergie met will.i.am to get him to work on her first solo album. As it happened, she was brought in about halfway through the recording of Elephunk to just sing vocals on the song Shut Up. She sang on a few more songs, and ended up becoming a band member on the heels of backup vocalist Kim Hill's departure.
Fergie claims there were many adjustments to make, among them the fact that she had never performed with a live band before. There was also the intimidation factor of performing with the Peas themselves, who had been together for eight years.
"Not only that, but they're the best dancers on the planet. So for me, I was kind of timid at first. And little by little, I would work my way in to figure out where I fit in on the stage."
With Fergie in the fold, the Black Eyed Peas gained worldwide fame. Elephunk sold eight million copies globally.
Now there are rumours in the British press that the Peas are breaking up after Monkey Business. Fergie says it's not true -- even though all four members are working on side projects. Among them is Fergie's solo album, which likely won't come out until the end of 2006.
"We've been working on it, Will and I," she says. "And I'm so happy with the way it's turning out, but we just felt after Elephunk that we needed to make another Black Eyed Peas record."
Fergie didn't want to talk about the solo record too much. Of its musical direction she'd only say, "It'll be a deeper look into who I am. Soundwise, it'll be eclectic like the Peas but I'll get to experiment with more of the different sounds of my voice. I like to use my voice as an instrument sometimes and I'll be able to show that on that album."
The Peas are confirmed to make a MuchMusic Video Awards appearance in Toronto June 19, followed by a headlining stop at the Molson Amphitheatre July 10.
She's going to be co-starring in some movie about a ship wreck---she plays the singer on that ship. I think I read that she will be releasing a CD around the same time the movie comes out. 
You all can think Fergie sucks if you want. ![[upsilon]™ Avatar](http://www.notsohumble.net/external/electionencounter.gif)
