The Black Eyed Peas are back with their seventh studio album, Masters of the Sun Vol. 1. In a departure from the EDM and pop music the group put out on their albums The E.N.D. and The Beginning, the brand-new project brings back the hip-hop sound the group was originally known for.
The album, which follows a string of politically charged releases over the past year, addresses current American political and social issues disproportionately affecting communities of color, including gun control, immigration reform, prison reform and police brutality.
Masters of the Sun Vol. 1 was produced entirely by Black Eyed Peas member will.i.am and features Nas; the late Phife Dawg and Ali Shaheed Muhammad of A Tribe Called Quest; CL; Slick Rick; Nicole Scherzinger; and Posdnuos of De La Soul. Former Black Eyed Peas member Fergie, who departed the group earlier this year, does not appear on the album.
This album extends the universe of Masters of the Sun: The Zombie Chronicles, a graphic novel inspired by will.i.am's ideas. The graphic novel is published by Marvel Comics.
Accompanying the album release is the music video for "Dopeness," the album's sixth track. Featuring rapper CL of former K-pop supergroup 2NE1, "Dopeness" isn't exactly a new song; it leaked online in its original version as "Superdope" in 2016. The music video itself was filmed in 2015.
The Black Eyed Peas will kick off The Masters of the Sun Tour on Oct. 27, which will run through Nov. 18. Stream the full album below.
