When William was sixteen years old, he started rapping in late 1991 under the name "Will-1X" after being discovered by Compton rapper and former N.W.A. leader Eazy-E and signed a deal to Eazy's Ruthless Records. will.i.am's first rap song was "Merry Muthafuckin' Xmas" from Eazy-E's 1992 EP 5150: Home 4 tha Sick. Shortly after Eazy-E's death in 1995, Will left Ruthless to start a group that would later be called the Black Eyed Peas with fellow rappers Taboo and apl.de.ap.
After the addition of singer-songwriter Fergie, the group shot into mainstream pop consciousness with a set of hit singles in the mid-00s, popularity that continues to this day. The Black Eyed Peas' producer is Sergio Mendes, an internationally successful Brazilian musician and jazz aficionado. In September 2007, will.i.am took a major step into a solo career identity by joining with his record label, Universal Music Group (UMG), on a pilot scheme to reward certain file-sharing with cash incentives, including will.i.am tracks from his then upcoming release Songs About Girls.
In total, he has released four solo albums: Lost Change (2001), Must B 21 (2003), Songs About Girls (2007), and #willpower (2013). Although often facing mixed critical reviews, he's experienced significant commercial success, including a set of popular singles. His solo performances, featuring collaborations with a wide group of artists including Justin Bieber, Chris Brown, Phife Dawg, Snoop Dogg, and Nicole Scherzinger, are perhaps best summed up in the international top 20 mega-hit "Scream & Shout".
Will.i.am was also recently cast as John Wraith in the film X-Men Origins: Wolverine, a prequel to the X-Men movie series. And if one enjoyed Madagascar 2's chunky hippo, Moto Moto, then one should know that the deep voice belonged will.i.am., who came in after he was ''pimped'' out to the directors by his friend and sometimes collaborator Justin Timberlake.
Before joining the Black Eyed Peas, Will.i.am attended the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising in Los Angeles. In 2001, he began designing his own signature clothing line, i.am, which made its official debut in 2005 at the Magic apparel trade show in Las Vegas. In 2007, Will.i.am teamed up with Blue Holdings to design a premium denim collection, i.am Antik, that had its debut on the Project Show in Las Vegas. He has also designed clothing for the Black Eyed Peas.
In January 2008, will.i.am helped write a song, "Yes We Can", in support of the 2008 U.S. presidential campaign of Barack Obama, which in turn became a music video directed by Jesse Dylan. The lyrics of the song are composed almost entirely of excerpts from Obama's speech on January 8, 2008, following the New Hampshire presidential primary election. The video features appearances from numerous celebrities like Scarlett Johansson, Tatyana Ali, John Legend, Herbie Hancock, Kate Walsh, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Adam Rodriguez, Kelly Hu, Hill Harper, Amber Valletta, Eric Balfour, Aisha Tyler, Nicole Scherzinger, Nick Cannon, Bryan Greenberg, Common and first appeared on the website for Dipdive, and within a week of its appearance racked up three million views, and over four million views on Youtube.
On February 29, 2008, a second video titled "We Are The Ones" was released on Dipdive and YouTube. It included cameo appearances from Jessica Alba, Ryan Phillippe, Kerry Washington, John Leguizamo, Regina King, Tyrese Gibson, Eric Mabius, Tichina Arnold, Adrienne Palicki, comedian George Lopez, and singers Macy Gray, Zoe Kravitz and Black Eyed Peas’ Taboo. The video features everyone chanting "O-BA-MA" as a portrayal as their hopes and wishes for Obama and his presidential campaign.
In 2013, will.i.am released his album "#thatpower".
Free
Will.I.Am Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
An go buy me some things I like
I saw some kicks up in the mall, that I just gotta be rocking
I love to rock them things I like
I'm no material guy, I just wanna look fly
Cool suits, dope boots doin' them things I like
'Cause when I get my gears straight
Them honey's gonna be shocking, shocking, yeah shocking yeah
I'm free
I just spent all my money
But I rocked that like it don't cost a thing
Free
Burned a hole in my pocket
But I rocked that like it don't cost a thing
Call me a perfectionist
Addicted to immaculate
The hair right, shoes tight
Got to look the dress the part
With nothin' in my pocket
Got a catwalk for a closet
On my last lonely dollar
Lock me up before I hit the store
Wanna be like Midas
But my bank account is minus
Gotta stretch that dollar bill
Stretch that dollar
Need a genie in a bottle
Change a quarter to a hundred
Gotta stretch that dollar bill
Stretch that dollar bill
I'm free
I just spent all my money
But I rocked that like it don't cost a thing
Free
Burned a hole in my pocket
But I rocked that like it don't cost a thing
I wear it once
And I don't pop the tags
The next day I'ma bring it back
I'm at the store
Can't find nothin' cheaper than my credit score
My wallet's anorexic
Can I pay my rent the next month?
I can hear my name
Callin' from stilettos on display
Window shopping's overrated
If I see it, I'ma take it
Gotta stretch that dollar bill
Stretch that dollar
This Vogue is only paper
I can't wear the glossy pages
Gotta stretch that dollar bill
Stretch that dollar bill
I'm free
I just spent all my money
But I rocked that like it don't cost a thing
Free
Burned a hole in my pocket
But I rocked that like it don't cost a thing
Get'cha five's, get'cha ten's, get'cha twenties out
Get'cha five's, get'cha ten's, get'cha twenties out
Get'cha five's, get'cha ten's, get'cha fifties out
Get'cha five's, get'cha ten's, get'cha fifties out
I got some money in my pocket and I wanna go shopping (shopping)
And go buy me some things I like
I saw some kicks up in the mall that I just gotta be rockin' (rockin')
I love to rock them things I like
I'm no material guy, I just wanna look fly
Cool suits, dope boots doin' them things I like
'Cause when I get my gears straight
Them honey's gonna be shocking, shocking, yeah shocking yeah
I need to marry a man from Bel-Air
One rack, two rack ladies clear
I can feel the aircraft hangar
With my coat hangers
Bankrupt, it don't matter
Girls give the eye 'cause they so mad
I could look fresh in a potato sack
Need a overdraft, I'ma overdraft
If the bank man calls, just tell him
I'm free
I just spent all my money
But I rocked that like it don't cost a thing
Free
Burned a hole in my pocket
But I rocked that like it don't cost a thing
Get'cha five's, get'cha ten's, get'cha twenties out
Get'cha five's, get'cha ten's, get'cha twenties out
Get'cha five's, get'cha ten's, get'cha fifties out
Get'cha five's, get'cha ten's, get'cha fifties out
I'm free, free, free yeah
I just spent all my money
But I rocked that like it don't
Cost a thing
Oh, it don't cost a thing
Don't cost a thing
Yeah, oh oh oh
The lyrics to will.i.am's song "Free" express the desire to look fashionable without necessarily having the funds to do so. The song starts off with the artist boasting of having money in his pocket and wanting to go shopping to buy the things he likes. He talks about seeing some shoes at the mall that he wants to buy and wear because they make him feel good. will.i.am stresses that he is not a materialistic guy, but he wants to look fly and cool. He then talks about how when he gets his gear straight, the girls are going to find him charming.
In the second verse, the artist expands upon his persona as someone who is addicted to looking immaculate. He believes in dressing the part, but sometimes, he does not have the money to do so. will.i.am is then compelled to stretch out his dollar bill as far as it can go so that he can afford what he needs to maintain his fly persona. The artist is saying that the price tags on clothes should not define him, and he should not have to break the bank to look good. Despite having no money, will.i.am chooses to "rock" his look as if he did not spend a penny, hence his famous lines, "But I rocked that like it don't cost a thing."
Through this song, will.i.am is trying to encourage his listeners to invest in themselves regardless of their financial status. He stresses the importance of finding ways to stay fly without letting the price tags of certain articles of clothing dictate their lives.
Line by Line Meaning
I got some money in my pocket and I wanna go shopping
I have money that I want to use to buy the things I like
An go buy me some things I like
I want to purchase items that I enjoy
I saw some kicks up in the mall, that I just gotta be rocking
I saw some shoes in the mall that I have to wear and show off
I love to rock them things I like
I enjoy wearing and showing off the things that I buy
I'm no material guy, I just wanna look fly
I'm not obsessed with material things, I just want to look stylish
Cool suits, dope boots doin' them things I like
I like cool suits and boots and I want to buy and wear them
'Cause when I get my gears straight
Them honey's gonna be shocking, shocking, yeah shocking yeah
When I am well-dressed, I will be attractive to others
I'm free
I just spent all my money
But I rocked that like it don't cost a thing
I am broke now but I still feel like a million bucks with my new purchases
Call me a perfectionist
Addicted to immaculate
I like things to be perfect and am obsessed with cleanliness and neatness
The hair right, shoes tight
Got to look the dress the part
My hair and shoes have to look good to match the rest of my outfit
With nothin' in my pocket
Got a catwalk for a closet
On my last lonely dollar
Lock me up before I hit the store
I have nothing in my pocket but my closet is full of clothes, I'm broke, and I should not shop anymore
Wanna be like Midas
But my bank account is minus
I want to have money like Midas but my bank account is negative
Gotta stretch that dollar bill
Stretch that dollar
Need a genie in a bottle
Change a quarter to a hundred
Gotta stretch that dollar bill
Stretch that dollar bill
I need to make my money go further and need a miracle to make it happen
I wear it once
And I don't pop the tags
The next day I'ma bring it back
I wear the clothes only once and don't take off the price tags, then return them the next day
I'm at the store
Can't find nothin' cheaper than my credit score
My wallet's anorexic
Can I pay my rent the next month?
I am at the store but can't find anything I can afford; my wallet is empty, and I don't know if I can afford to pay rent
I can hear my name
Callin' from stilettos on display
Window shopping's overrated
If I see it, I'ma take it
I hear the stilettos calling my name from the display and I will take it if I see it
Get'cha five's, get'cha ten's, get'cha twenties out
I encourage people to get their money out and start shopping
I need to marry a man from Bel-Air
One rack, two rack ladies clear
I can feel the aircraft hangar
With my coat hangers
I want to marry a rich man from Bel-Air, and my clothes can fill up an entire aircraft hangar
Girls give the eye 'cause they so mad
I could look fresh in a potato sack
Need a overdraft, I'ma overdraft
If the bank man calls, just tell him
Women are jealous of me, I look good even in a potato sack; I will get an overdraft and just tell the bank I can't pay back
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: TEDDY NATALIA NOEMI SINCLAIR, JEFFREY BHASKER, WILL ADAMS, SCOTT RAMON SEGURO MESCUDI, ERNEST DION WILSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Javo Arias
I got some money in my pocket and I wanna go shopping
An go buy me some things I like
I saw some kicks up in the mall, that I just gotta be rocking
I love to rock them things I like
I'm no material guy, I just wanna look fly
Cool suits, dope boots doin' them things I like
'Cause when I get my gears straight
Them honey's gonna be shocking, shocking, yeah shocking yeah
I'm free
I just spent all my money
But I rocked that like it don't cost a thing
Free
Burned a hole in my pocket
But I rocked that like it don't cost a thing
Call me a perfectionist
Addicted to immaculate
The hair right, shoes tight
Got to look the dress the part
With nothin' in my pocket
Got a catwalk for a closet
On my last lonely dollar
Lock me up before I hit the store
Wanna be like Midas
But my bank account is minus
Gotta stretch that dollar bill
Stretch that dollar
Need a genie in a bottle
Change a quarter to a hundred
Gotta stretch that dollar bill
Stretch that dollar bill
I'm free
I just spent all my money
But I rocked that like it don't cost a thing
Free
Burned a hole in my pocket
But I rocked that like it don't cost a thing
I wear it once
And I don't pop the tags
The next day I'ma bring it back
I'm at the store
Can't find nothin' cheaper than my credit score
My wallet's anorexic
Can I pay my rent the next month?
I can hear my name
Callin' from stilettos on display
Window shopping's overrated
If I see it, I'ma take it
Gotta stretch that dollar bill
Stretch that dollar
This Vogue is only paper
I can't wear the glossy pages
Gotta stretch that dollar bill
Stretch that dollar bill
I'm free
I just spent all my money
But I rocked that like it don't cost a thing
Free
Burned a hole in my pocket
But I rocked that like it don't cost a thing
Get'cha five's, get'cha ten's, get'cha twenties out
Get'cha five's, get'cha ten's, get'cha twenties out
Get'cha five's, get'cha ten's, get'cha fifties out
Get'cha five's, get'cha ten's, get'cha fifties out
I got some money in my pocket and I wanna go shopping (shopping)
And go buy me some things I like
I saw some kicks up in the mall that I just gotta be rockin' (rockin')
I love to rock them things I like
I'm no material guy, I just wanna look fly
Cool suits, dope boots doin' them things I like
'Cause when I get my gears straight
Them honey's gonna be shocking, shocking, yeah shocking yeah
I need to marry a man from Bel-Air
One rack, two rack ladies clear
I can feel the aircraft hangar
With my coat hangers
Bankrupt, it don't matter
Girls give the eye 'cause they so mad
I could look fresh in a potato sack
Need a overdraft, I'ma overdraft
If the bank man calls, just tell him
I'm free
I just spent all my money
But I rocked that like it don't cost a thing
Free
Burned a hole in my pocket
But I rocked that like it don't cost a thing
Get'cha five's, get'cha ten's, get'cha twenties out
Get'cha five's, get'cha ten's, get'cha twenties out
Get'cha five's, get'cha ten's, get'cha fifties out
Get'cha five's, get'cha ten's, get'cha fifties out
I'm free, free, free yeah
I just spent all my money
But I rocked that like it don't
Cost a thing
Oh, it don't cost a thing
Don't cost a thing
Yeah, oh oh oh
Gabriel LC
Honestly, one of the most underrated pop songs ever, like literally.
rightwerk
Her whole discography is underrated. Girl gave us two of the best pop albums of the decade then her name was ruined forever 😭😭 I will never not be mad about it. The Cruel Youth EP is great too.
Quinn Ritiqal
@rightwerk to be fair, she ruined her own name, but still it's a shame
Sherminator
@Quinn Ritiqal feminists did an awful work backing this supertalented girl up.. Simon Cowell does what she does all the time and never we just find it funny.
But yeah, i think her music is really great and she is still really good in cruel youth. People shouldnt judge her forever, we arent in that position only god is. Give the women a second chance musicindustry.
helloitsme
Flashback vibes! I remember this being one of my favorite songs back then and I haven't heard it in 8 years or so. And now it popped up in my recommendations after I listened to some other old songs. Damn, I forgot how much little 12 year old me loved that song! Glad I found it again!
Drazz RG
This was my pregame song when I turned 18! (Legal drinking age where I live) So good. Still!
Lqzec Music
i love old songs... and this song ❤
Gabriel LC
It's almost been 7 years and I still love this song! 😍❤
Lady Gaga
Gabriel LC me 2 I’m addicted to this song
Ralph Luis
Saaamee me too i still love these despite of what happens in her career 💖