Despite criticism from fans and critics alike, Black Eyed Peas rapper Taboo maintains a positive attitude about his group’s hit-filled halftime performance at last Sunday’s Super Bowl XLV — a live spectacle he calls the Peas’ biggest moment so far.
Black Eyed Peas ‘Pump It’ Up with Super Bowl Halftime Show
“The fact is 110 million people watched that [the performance],” Taboo tells Billboard.com at a signing for his autobiography, “Fallin’ Up,” Tuesday (Feb. 8). “So if you have 40 million people who loved it, you’re going to have 60 million who hated it because that’s how life is. If we’ve got 40 million people who loved it, I’m happy with that.”
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Taboo also mentioned that the halftime set was plagued with technical problems involving microphones, as well as difficulty moving in such extravagant costumes adorned with lights.
Video: Black Eyed Peas Super Bowl Halftime Show
“It was more about the spectacle because people already know we move and we’re dancers, so they’ve seen that from us,” he said. “This time we wanted to give you a spectacle, a visual besides something you’ve already seen, and I think we were criticized for, ‘Oh, they were stiff — they didn’t want to move.’ But in all actuality, it was about the light show, it was about the production.”
Black Eyed Peas: Super Bowl Halftime Gig a ‘Dream Come True’
In the midst of the Peas’ Super Bowl madness, Taboo is also embarking on a solo adventure of the literary nature. His autobiography, “Fallin’ Up,” which chronicles the struggles faced by the emcee on his path toward success, was released yesterday (Feb. 8).
The book, which takes its name from an old-school Black Eyed Peas song, shows the more personal side of Taboo, including his past struggles with substance abuse. “I’m not afraid to talk about my mistakes in trying to get to the top, including overcoming substance abuse, drug use and alcohol abuse,” Taboo says. “It was a time period where it was a dark time for me, but I overcame it and now I’m four years sober. I’m married and I have two wonderful children and one on the way. I did the Super Bowl and I wrote a book, so I’m high on life right now.”
More projects — including a graphic novel and a solo album — are possibly in the works for Taboo, who released his own line of sneakers in 2010. For now, positivity is the name of his game.
“I want to inspire and send a piece of hope,” Taboo says regarding “Fallin’ Up.” “If I can do that, then I would really feel I’m accomplishing a lot.”
(Additional reporting by Jillian Mapes.)