4. Black Eyed Peas
Before Fergie came along and caused millions of people to punch their radios and curse the deity of their choice for allowing something like "Boom Boom Pow" to exist in the world, the Black Eyed Peas used to make legit hip hop. Don't get me wrong, it's not as if this group was ever a socially conscious bunch in the mold of Nas or Common. They liked to have fun in their music even back then. It's just that back then they were clever about it, their lyrics made sense, and their jams had some actual personality. For some context, this is what BEP sounded like (at their most pop-oriented) in 2000: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnYiQ2FVG8I Holy hell, there was a time when those "other guys" besides will.i.am actually got to do something in the songs! It wasn't just that they incorporated a female pop singer into the mix, it's that they fully changed their melodic heartbeat once she came in. And they pushed two core members (apl.de.ap and Taboo) to the fringes of the group in the process, all so their songs could be played in sports arenas around the world.