What's good dippers?!?!Before I get started I think that it is proper that I quickly introduce myself before I continue with this entry.  My name is Jamie Iovine (Jay Eye to my friends) and I have had the good fortune to be the dipdive correspondent for this recent promo tour the Black Eyed Peas are on right now.  Consider me the fly on the wall for everything that the Peas have been doing these past couple months.  The majority of the recent pictures and videos that have been uploaded to this very site have been taken by me.  When I was first asked by Will to be brought on the tour for this job I was not only enticed by the fact that I was going on tour for the first time in my life, but also that I would be witness for the Peas first tour since coming together again after close to five years of seperate projects.  I thought that it would be great for the fans to get a firsthand look at the Peas coming back together and if the time apart affected them.  Quickly after i learned that they never really ever disbanded.  Its true that they never actually broke up, but how much contact did they have when Fergie was working on the Dutchess, or when Will.i.am made his solo album and had a starring role in the Wolverine movie?  Turns out it was a lot as what i viewed was nowhere near a reunion but rather a group of friends seeing eachother again after a long weekend.  I joined the Peas in London and we moved all over the world to Japan, to Chicago, and many other places on the map.  We are currently in Norway about to play another festival show, and I want to write about these past experiences I have had with possibly one of the greatest pop groups in a long time.  

First off, the Peas have not skipped a beat at all!  If anything they are better, faster, and stronger!  Each of the Peas have resumed their roles that they have always had on the tour and the chemistry that the group has together could not be better.  The years that have passed since Monkey Business have certainly given the Peas new outlooks on life and while they are not different people, they are certainly more wise as they come into the roles as seasoned veterans of the music world.  

Will.i.am has really come full force as the leader of the group and his creativity and ideas for what the group does next shows no bounds.  As I have watched him over time I have come to notice a few things about this mad genius.  He never stops thinking...ever.  His mind is always at working thinking of new beats, new designs and new lyrics for the Peas and their future projects.  He will sit in a chair and either create a beat by uttering different drum noises with his mouth to himself, or on his blackberry writing down new lyrics to a possible new hit single.  He figdets constantly and has never been one to sit still as far back as i can remember.  I still have not figured out wether or not this is a nervous twitch or his brain constantly giving him new idea after another.  It is good to see Will.i.am's genius finally getting the recognition it deserves and I dont see why he wont be remembered as one of the most important figureheads of music.  

Fergie has come a long way since the baby member of the group to the musical powerhouse that she is today.  From singer, fashionista, and actress, it seems that there is no stopping the dutchess of pop.  Fergie is not like most other female singers of her caliber.  When we are touring every accomodation that she receives are similar if not the same as the 3 other peas.  Same hotel room type, same tour bus etc.   She does not let herself become different than her bandmates.  She is really one of the guys and I know that I can talk to her about anything because she knows where I am coming from and she knows how us guys think after touring with 3 guys for years.  After getting married you would think that Fergie would be gone and Stacy Ferguson, wife, would be content with living her life quietly as a wife and possibly future mother.  Well, we should all be happy to know that this is definitely not the case.  Singing and performing is as relevant to Fergie as breathing.  Her stage presence is stronger than ever and it seems her vocal range has no limits.  From seductive siren to radical rockstar it seems that she can do it all.  

Taboo has had the most drastic changes of any member of the group.  When I see taboo i see the same kind creative shoe addict that I have always known but a more mature, responsible human being.  Taboo has become the concious one of the group and has become a very knowledgable, and wise member.  I have had many a long and deep conversation with this person.  When I look at his face I see a face that has been through a lot of life's ups and downs and has become so much stronger because of it.  Taboo has always been a very approachable man and is always the first one to say hi and spark up a conversation with someone.  Taboo is very involved and knowledgable of what is popular in today's culture and has the talent of being able to sense what is going on in the streets.  Taboo is a constant source for material as he has never let his status as a celebrity erase who he is and where he is from.

Apl De Ap is such a great guy to have with you on the road.  To say that Apl is the comic relief of the group is an understatement as he is possibly one of the funniest guys I have ever met in my life.  Whenever there are times where the group is bummed out or where we are bored out of our minds, we can always look to Apl to bring us huge smiles and even bigger laughs.  I have always considered Apl an essential part of the group.  Apl has many of the tastes and talents that Will has but in different ways.  He loves to DJ like Will and loves to go out and party just as much if not more.  The reason I think people and myself find Apl so interesting is there is so much more going on with him than people know.  His life in the Phillipines is a sight to behold and his involvement in the Philipino community is very admirable.  Apl has very talented ears, as he is open to new musical movements and sounds as they come out.  He always seems to be on top of what is popular at the time, and not only that but he is able to replicate these sounds as if he has been creating that form of music for years.   

So what have I gathered from these past two months on the road with The Black Eyed Peas?  Like they say, this is far from the E.N.D.  If there is one thing that they are the best at, it is that they are able to evolve.  A major reason many artists drift off into obscurity is because they refuse to change as music changes.  The Peas are so in tact with the cultures of the world and the different styles that make up the world that they are able to remain relevant and succesful in their endeveaors in whatever field they choose.  The Peas, are back, The Peas are here, and from the looks of things, The Peas are not going anywhere any time soon.  

-Jay Eye