will.i.am

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will.i.am

1975—

Musician, songwriter, producer

"Will.i.am is an enigma," Ken Kosimar, vice-president of A&R for Sony Music, was quoted as saying in a January 2006 Billboard article. "He's a mixture of everything. He's an artist, a producer, a fashion guy…. Will is really like a visionary. He has an incredible outlook on life and perspective on music, and he's a phenomenal businessman." That description sums up the career of will.i.am, the rapper/producer best known for his work with the Black Eyed Peas, which he co-founded with longtime friend apl.de.ap. will.i.am has established himself as a major force in the music industry, effortlessly gliding across the traditional barriers separating hip-hop, rock, and pop.

Will.i.am was born William James Adams, Jr., on March 15, 1975, in the Boyle Heights district of Los Angeles, California, and grew up in the Estrada Courts housing projects. In 1989, when he was in eighth grade, Adams met Alan Pinedo Lindo, who would later adopt the moniker apl.de.ap. The pair quickly forged a close friendship, rooted in their mutual love of singing and street dancing. They both joined a break-dancing troupe called Tribal Nation, which was an integral part of the East L.A. rap scene at the time. This experience would influence their collaborative performing style for years to come.

Over time, will.i.am and apl.de.ap became interested in creating hip-hop music rather than just dancing to it. After high school, they formed their own hip-hop duo. They named the new group Atban Klann, the first word being an acronym for "a tribe beyond a nation" in tribute to their former dance group. Over the next few years, as they watched a disturbing number of their childhood friends turn to drugs and land in prison, will.i.am and apl.de.ap focused single-mindedly on honing and promoting their act, performing at a variety of Los Angeles venues and knocking on countless record label doors. Along the way, will.i.am also found time to pursue his interest in fashion, attending the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles.

In 1992 Atban was signed by Ruthless Records, former NWA frontperson Eazy-E's record label. It seemed like an odd pairing; Atban's material was positive and promoted peace and harmony, while Eazy-E and Ruthless were best known for violent gangster imagery and raunchy lyrics. Indeed Eazy-E was apparently the only person at Ruthless who believed in Atban. When Eazy-E died of AIDS in 1995, the group was unceremoniously dumped from the label, and its debut album was never released.

Back at square one, will.i.am and apl.de.ap decided to start from scratch. Along with a new friend they had met at a dance club—Jaime Gomez, who went by the nickname Taboo—they formed a new band called the Black Eyed Peas. The new group was soon performing at clubs around Los Angeles, and before long, had attracted the attention of two record labels. The Black Eyed Peas signed with Interscope Records in July of 1997. With the addition of singer Kim Hill on backup vocals, the Black Eyed Peas released their first album, Behind the Front, in 1998. The band made an instant impression in the rap and hip-hop worlds, where their use of live musicians in their performances stood in contrast to the pre-recorded tracks and samples so many of their counterparts relied on. "We wanted the emotions and spontaneity of a live group," will.i.am noted on the group's Web site at the time. "Each time is like a new time because of the energy and feeling that's put into it; it's like you're performing a different song even though the lyrics are the same." Their affirming, thought-provoking lyrics were also a refreshing change of pace for some listeners who were growing tired of the negativity of the message in so much of the harder-edged rap and hip-hop being produced.

The album was a hit with both critics and listeners, and the Black Eyed Peas quickly developed a national following. They spent the next two years touring, then in 2000 released a second album called Bridging the Gap—so named to emphasize the idea that the Peas were bridging the gap between rock and hip-hop. The album featured a number of guest performers, most notably Grammy-winning singer Macy Gray.

During this period, will.i.am remained active outside of his work with the Black Eyed Peas. He composed the music for an internet movie, Lost Change, and in 2001 his soundtrack was released by the BBE label as part of its acclaimed Beat Generation series. That year he also returned to his fashion design roots, creating his own line of signature clothing called i.am, which made its public debut in 2005. In 2003 he released MustB21, a solo effort he produced himself with financial backing from Zima, makers of a beer-like alcoholic beverage.

The 2003 release of the Black Eyed Peas' third full-length album, Elephunk, launched the group into superstar status. Elephunk marked a further departure from the band's hip-hop roots, featuring collaboration with pop star Justin Timberlake on the production of the song "Where Is the Love," which became a number-one hit. Elephunk also marked the debut of Fergie, who had replaced Kim Hill a couple years earlier, as a member of the Black Eyed Peas. Two of the songs on the album, "Where Is the Love" and "Let's Get It Started," went multiplatinum, and "Let's Get It Started" earned the Peas their first Grammy Award, for best rap performance by a duo or group. The song also became the National Basketball Association's de facto playoff anthem, bringing it into millions of homes that may not have otherwise been listening. Of course, some longtime fans were not entirely pleased with the band's veer deeper into the pop music realm at the expense of their hip-hop credibility. "It's Cool," will.i.am was quoted as saying in a June 2005 Associated Press article posted on MSNBC.com. "It makes me feel good because that means they really liked our first record."

In the wake of the smash success of Elephunk, the Black Eyed Peas toured the world, performing before stadium crowds alongside Timberlake and Christina Aguilera. In 2005 the band released another hit album, Monkey Business, which spawned another Grammy-winning hit single, "Don't Phunk With My Heart." Once again, the Peas collaborated with a handful of prominent pals, including Timberlake. Monkey Business garnered three American Music Awards for the band.

At a Glance …

Born William James Adams, Jr. on March 15, 1975, in Los Angeles, CA. Education: Attended Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, Los Angeles.

Career: Tribal Nation, dance troupe, dancer, early 1990s; Atban Klann, band co-founder, 1992; Ruthless Records, label artist, 1992; Black Eyed Peas, cofounder and member, 1995-; Interscope Records, label artist with Black Eyed Peas, 1997; i.am, fashion line, founder and designer, 2005-; will.i.am music group, founder, 2005-; will.i.am global, umbrella company for clothing, music, and foundation.

Awards: With Black Eyed Peas: Grammy Award, for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group, 2004, 2005, 2006.

Addresses: Office—will.i.am global, 13701 Riverside Drive 8th Floor, Sherman Oaks, CA 91423.

By this time, will.i.am had established himself as a producer of other musicians' projects as well. He began slowly, producing a song for Carlos Santana in 2004, and one for the Pussycat Dolls in 2005. Beginning in 2006, he seemed to be producing everything, including songs for Timberlake, bandmate Fergie, Diddy, and Busta Rhymes, often contributing performances as well. Starting in the spring of 2005, he had also established his own record label, will.i.am music group, a joint venture with A&M/Interscope. Meanwhile, the Peas continued to rack up honors, including a third Grammy, for the hit single "My Humps."

A variety of projects peppered 2007 for the multitalented will.i.am. In June he announced that he would create a collection of 27 uniforms for the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino under his own fashion label. In August, will.i.am's song "I Got It From My Mama"—the first single from his solo album scheduled for release the following month—hit the airwaves like a bullet, receiving massive play on radio stations across the country. While working on his own album, he was also collaborating on productions for the likes of Michael Jackson, Mariah Carey, and Hilary Duff. However, will.i.am took all the glamour in stride. "It's really this incredible thing to create for a living and I'm very appreciative of that fact," he wrote on his official Web site. "I mean, how cool is that?"