Will.i.am confirms Fergie has left the Black Eyed Peas

Will.i.am has confirmed rumors that Fergie has left the Black Eyed Peas.

Fergie, who joined the group as a lead vocalist in 2002 and helped it become one of the most famous pop and hip-hop bands in the world, has not commented,E Online reports .

She has not recorded new music with the Black Eyed Peas in more than five years, opting to concentrate on her solo career.

Will.i.am was asked by Ahlan! about replacing the singer.

"As for replacing, what people know The Black Eyed Peas to be, nobody is replacing Fergie," he said. "She's working on her solo project at the moment, we're on this brand-new experience, celebrating 20 years of Black Eyed Peas putting out music. We worked on a bunch of songs on her solo record, we're proud that she has her label, but Black Eyed Peas are pushing it forward in terms of content, technology and experiences on our new project, Masters of the Sun