Atban Klann (which stands for A Tribe Beyond A Nation) was a 1990s hip-hop group from Los Angeles, California, best known as the direct predecessor to the multi-platinum group The Black Eyed Peas.Origins and LineupThe group was formed in the early 1990s after childhood friends Will 1X (who later became will.i.am) and apl.de.ap met in the eighth grade and initially formed a break-dancing crew.