The Black Eyed Peas have teamed up with Vevo for a brand new episode of “Footnotes” in which the band discusses making their 2005 single “Pump It.” The song is featured on the band’s 5x Platinum album, Monkey Business.
Regarding the video, which features some car racing theatrics, will.i.am explained how the idea came about and how they executed the vision. He explains: “Our crew started off in the Filipino community. If you know about Los Angeles culture, Filipinos, and the car scene, you know about Honda Civics. So in the ‘Pump It’ video you see us driving in that Honda Civic, kicking it off. In our minds it was like, ‘yo, Honda Civics are the s***.’ Still to this day, Honda Civics are the s***t.”
The group also discussed how they stumbled upon the iconic sample they flipped for the track, Dick Dale and His Del-Tones’s “Miserlou.” Taboo said: “Whill had bought all these CDS, and we were in Japan, on the bullet train from Tokyo. He’s in the back of the train, headphones on, playing these CDs. One of them had Dick Dale’s ‘Misirlou’ on it. And suddenly, I hear him saying, ‘Louder… louder…’ over and over again. Then he’s like, ‘Pump it… louder!’”
The cinematic nature of the video helped turn the clip into a fan favorite, and it was one the band also enjoyed shooting as well. apl.de.ap recalls, “This shoot was a fun time because the video was so action-packed and stunt-driven compared to most of our other music videos.”
Taboo also shared some of the influences they looked at to make the video, citing a 1999 David Fincher classic and a master of martial arts moviemaking. “I loved how we incorporated all the action, like that scene where Will is in this Fight Club situation,” he explains. “And Apl is running on top of all the people and kicking them in a circle, a big reference to John Woo-style martial arts.”
Taboo continued to explain how they had the video mimic the energy that “Pump It” created when they performed the song on stage. He says, “This video really captures the theme of our energy, especially in our live shows. ‘Pump It’ always sends the people into a frenzy. That’s the moment in our show that really elevates and takes us to the next level in live performances.”
The stunt-heavy video involved training from the band, with apl.de.ap explaining that he handled most of his own moves during a particularly strenuous scene. He says, “I actually did my own stunts for that scene. I really learned how to run sideways while in midair. Of course, they helped me go in a complete circle, but I kind of just laughed when I saw that direction.”
Well, not everyone handled their own stunts in the video. Taboo was excluded from the strenuous moves due to a pre-existing injury. “I had broken my tailbone right before the shoot. I was in so much pain, I literally couldn’t sit down,” he remembers.
Listen to the 20th anniversary edition of Monkey Business now.
