will.i.am Artistfacts

March 15, 1975
Will.i.am is best known for his work in The Black Eyed Peas, one of the most popular groups of the '00s - their hits include "Boom Boom Pow" and "Where Is The Love?." He's the producer and lead rapper in the group.
You can probably cover the entire music industry in three degrees of will.i.am. Many of his songs are collaborations of some kind, and he's cast a wide net. Artists he's worked with as a producer and/or artist include:

Britney Spears ("Scream & Shout")
Justin Bieber ("#thatPower")
Miley Cyrus ("Feelin' Myself")
Usher ("OMG")
Kesha ("Crazy Kids")
He's released a few lighthearted "booty" songs over the years with lyrics that are kind of hilarious. A sample:

"My Humps" by Black-Eyed Peas:
What you gonna do with all that junk?
All that junk inside your trunk?

"Beep" with The Pussycat Dolls
You got a real big heart but I'm lookin' at your [beep!]
You got real big brains but I'm lookin' at your [beep!]

"Big and Chunky"
I like them big, I like them plumpy
I like them round, with something, something
(This one is from the perspective of a hippo. It's from the movie Madagascar 2.)
Will.i.am released his first solo album in 2001, before Black Eyed Peas hit it big. His first one to make much impact was Songs About Girls in 2007, at the Black Eyed peak.
He's very popular in the UK, where he has three #1 hits: "This is Love," "Scream & Shout" and "It's My Birthday."
Will went all-in supporting Barack Obama in the 2008 presidential race, turning Obama's campaign slogan, Yes We Can, into a song and video. At the time, Obama was in a tight race with Hilary Clinton for the Democratic nomination. The song helped galvanize support for Obama and position him as the candidate for hope and change. He was able to defeat Clinton and go on to win the presidential election.
Computers are integral to his creative process, and he's embraced AI, which he calls "the ultimate way to create." He's made the point that most music is played on computers (often smartphones), so it makes sense to create it with machines as well. If you ask him to name his primary instrument, he won't say keyboard or guitar, he'll say "computer."
Will grew up poor but didn't know it until fifth grade, when his school held a canned food drive and some of the cans were delivered to his house. He made it his goal to bring the family out of poverty.
Will.i.am has been a part of many business ventures over the years, with stakes in clothing lines, technology companies, and even a bank (Atom Bank in the UK). He was an early investor in Beats Electronics and helped with their strategy and marketing. When the company was sold to Apple in 2014, Will made millions.
He's been a coach on The Voice UK since the show went on the air in 2012. Other coaches on the show over the years include Jessie J, Tom Jones, Kylie Minogue, Boy George, Jennifer Hudson and LeAnn Rimes.

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