During the 2000s, Fergie achieved international fame as a part of the hip hop group the Black Eyed Peas, recording four albums with them.

Fergie was a member of the female trio Wild Orchid, which she fronted with Stefanie Ridel and fellow Kids Incorporated star Renee Sandstrom.

In 2006, Fergie told Entertainment Weekly that both frustrations with the band's image and personal drug problems led her to leave Wild Orchid.

The following spring, shortly before Elephunk came out, Interscope chairman Jimmy Iovine offered Fergie a permanent spot to take over vocal duties and fill the void left by background singer Kim Hill's departure in 2000.

[16] In a positive review of the Black Eyed Peas' new-found style, Rolling Stone noted that since 2002, when the group "hired a blond bombshell named Stacy "Fergie" Ferguson and gave up their pursuit of backpack-rapper cred, they have made a kind of spiritual practice of recording futuristic songs – a total aesthetic commitment that extends from their garish wardrobes to their United Colors of Benetton worldview.

", which became the Black Eyed Peas' first major hit: it peaked at number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped the charts in several other countries.

The third single from the album, "Hey Mama", reached the top 10 in several European countries and later peaked at number twenty-three in the United States in 2004.

Their next and last commercially released single from the album was "Pump It", which borrows much of its sound from "Misirlou", specifically Dick Dale's version; it peaked at number 8 in Australia and 18 in America.

"My Humps", another song from the album, immediately achieved commercial success in the U.S. and fairly substantial radio play despite the sexually suggestive lyrics, reaching number three on the U.S.

However, many mocked the song for its poor lyrical content; John Bush, writing for AllMusic, described it as "one of the most embarrassing rap performances of the new millennium".

[22][23] The songs on the album are "from a seven-year period, but [Interscope CEO] Jimmy Iovine heard some [tracks] and was like, 'This is great, let's put it out'.

[24] One of the album's executive producers and fellow Black Eyed Peas member will.i.am stated that she was "writing about her personal struggles and casting her demons away and feminine power.

[27] The urban pop track caused controversy due to its double entendre title,[28] but became a huge success, topping the Billboard Hot 100 (for three weeks) and New Zealand charts, while also reaching the top-ten in over twelve countries.

[29] The music video for the song features the Black Eyed Peas members as well as Fergie on the Tower Bridge, among other scenes.

[30] The track, which features will.i.am, reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100, the top-five in Australia and New Zealand, although it peaked lower than "London Bridge" in Europe.

[63] On the July 6, 2011 during a concert at Alton Towers in Staffordshire, the Black Eyed Peas announced they are taking an indefinite hiatus following the completion of their current tour, as they did between 2005 and 2009.

[74] On April 22, 2015, the singer performed a song with the Black Eyed Peas at the 2015 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival as part of David Guetta's set.

Band frontman will.i.am dismissed this, but stated that Fergie was taking a break from the group opting to concentrate on her solo career whilst the remaining members are working on a side project.

[84] The pre-order of Double Dutchess was made available on August 25, 2017, along with instant downloads of "Hungry" and "You Already Know", collaborations with Rick Ross and Nicki Minaj respectively, with the latter being the fourth single from the album.

[94][95] In May 2019, Fergie competed against actress Octavia Spencer on VH1's variety show Martha & Snoop's Potluck Dinner Party.

[112] She debuted her cosmetics line for Wet 'n' Wild in 2013, consisting of numerous make-up products such as lip gloss, primer, lipstick, eyeliner and mascara.

[117][118] Fergie has been featured on the cover of numerous lifestyle and fashion magazines such as Marie Claire, Paper, Harper's Bazaar, Cosmopolitan, Lucky, Cleo, Elle, Glamour, Allure, Shape and Seventeen.

[138] Fergie has supported charity organizations such as Habitat For Humanity, Lopez Family Foundation, Red Cross, Stand Up To Cancer, The Trevor Project and Treatment Action Campaign.

[141] On March 20, 2014, as Avon Foundation's global brand ambassador, Fergie announced the launch of a new global initiative, the Justice Institute on Gender-Based Violence, with Avon Foundation, Vital Voices, and the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C.[142] The new public-private initiative aims to improve the enforcement of laws around the globe protecting victims of domestic and gender violence.

[142] In 2020, 100 percent of the proceeds from Fergie Footwear's holiday shoe were donated to Dress For Success, a global nonprofit organization that provides professional attire for low-income women.

[146] Other influences for her sophomore record are Amy Winehouse, Jhené Aiko, Ed Sheeran, Robert Plant, and Guns N' Roses.

"[149] Retrospectively, Jason Lipshutz of Billboard called Fergie "a fearlessly individual female artist that had been hiding in plain sight.

[150] With the release of Double Dutchess, Allan Raible of ABC News wrote: "On her own, Fergie remains a versatile, exciting performer, further establishing her growing clout as an entertainer.

[152] In a retrospective Paper article analyzing her image, Katherine Gillespie called her an "imperfect popstar" who "managed to rise above these manufactured circumstances and establish a unique onstage persona that relied on fashion just as much as music to get its point across.

[175] Billboard named Fergie Woman of the Year in 2010,[176] and the same publication ranked her 16th on the 2000s Top Female Artists of the Decade list.