William James Adams Jr. (born March 15, 1975), known professionally as will… Read Full Bio ↴William James Adams Jr. (born March 15, 1975), known professionally as will.i.am, is an American hip-hop and pop musician and founding member of the Black Eyed Peas. Adams is of Jamaican descent and has rapped since his teenage years. Along with co-writing many of the Peas' hit songs, he's also had a solo career featuring multiple top 20 hit singles as well as collaborations with various artists such as Mick Jagger and Britney Spears among many others.

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".

Great Times
Will.I.Am Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Great times are coming
Coming down the boulevard
Coming down your avenue
I can see it from a bird's eye view
Great times are coming
Coming to your ghetto too
Coming down the avenue
I can see it form a bird's eye view

Here come the good times yeah
Let the good times just roll, in
We ain't got no time to be slow-in'
Bring 'em on, bring the good times
Let the good times just roll, in
We ain't got no time to be slow-in'
Bring 'em on, bring the good times (Hey)

I'm fired up and ready to go
Lit the fuse, I'm about to blow
On the top, come from the low
Plant the seed, Imma watch it grow
Got big dreams like Dr King
Big things to the extremes
I'm a tech feign, checking
Knowledge up on this 'stein
Bread to stack, president's black
Came from the hood, now I'm headed back
To get my people out the trap
Get my people out the trap

We're saying ay-o
If you 'bout that bullshi' get out my way-o
I'm about to do it, do it big, that's the way it go
'Cause baby, I just wanna live my life

Great times are coming
Coming down the boulevard
Coming down your avenue
I can see it from a bird's eye view

Here come the good times
Let the good times just roll, in
We ain't got no time to be slow-in'
Bring 'em on, bring the good times
Let the good times just roll, in
We ain't got no time to be slow-in'
Bring 'em on, bring the good times

I hope you're ready
Great times are coming
I hope you're ready
I see them coming around
I hope you're ready
Great times are coming

I hope you're ready
I see them coming around

Overall Meaning

In will.i.am's song "Great Times," the singer expresses his optimism and enthusiasm for the future. He anticipates that "great times" are coming and envisions them coming down the boulevard and avenue. From his "bird's eye view," he can see that the good times are coming and they will reach even into the ghetto. The singer urges listeners to let the good times roll, and reminds them that there's no time for slowing down.

The singer is also fired up and ready to go, and he describes himself as coming from the low and now being on top. He has big dreams and plans to check knowledge on this 'stein, which could refer to Albert Einstein, and he wants to get his people out of the trap. The song is a celebration of reaching for one's dreams, and pursuing them with passion and determination.

Overall, the song can be seen as a manifesto of hope, urging listeners to believe that great things are on the horizon and encouraging them to stay positive and motivated.

Line by Line Meaning

Great times are coming
The future holds positive and joyful moments.

Coming down the boulevard
Anticipation for the great times approaching as they literally make their way through the streets.

Coming down your avenue
Anticipation for the great times approaching as they directly enter one's own environment.

I can see it from a bird’s eye view
A metaphor for the ability to see from a higher level, indicating a grand perspective of the future.

Coming to your ghetto too
The great times are not just for certain privileged areas but will reach underprivileged communities as well.

Here come the good times yeah
The good times are now upon us.

Let the good times just roll, in
Fully immerse oneself in the experience of the good times and enjoy them to the fullest.

We ain’t got no time to be slow-in'
There’s no time to waste or hesitate, one needs to take full advantage of the good times as they come.

Bring ‘em on, bring the good times
Willingness to embrace the good times and encourage their entry into one's life.

I’m fired up and ready to go
Feeling passionate, motivated, and inspired to take action.

Lit the fuse, I’m about to blow
Metaphorical description of being ready to make an impact and achieve success.

On the top, come from the low
Achieved success from humble beginnings.

Plant the seed, Imma watch it grow
Starting something fresh and new and then remaining an active participant in its growth.

Got big dreams like Dr King
Having grand visions, ambitions, and goals in life such as those of Martin Luther King Jr.

Big things to the extremes
Aiming for large and significant accomplishments to the point of going to great efforts to achieve them.

I’m a tech feign, checking Knowledge up on this 'stein
Being a technology and knowledge enthusiast, always hungry to learn and grow.

Bread to stack, president’s black
Refers to making money to secure one's future and indirectly acknowledges the historical significance of Barack Obama being the first black president.

Came from the hood, now I’m headed back
Comes from a less privileged background but has worked hard to achieve success and now intends to give back to their community.

To get my people out the trap
Intention to help others break free from the cycle of poverty and inequality.

We’re saying ay-o
A call to take action or move on from negativity.

If you 'bout that bullshi' get out my way-o
An expression of disinterest in those who don't share the same positive outlook and are prone to negativity.

I’m about to do it, do it big, that’s the way it go
Intent to achieve success in a grand and significant way.

'Cause baby, I just wanna live my life
Emphasis on the desire to live a good life and experience all the good that it has to offer.

I hope you’re ready
Hope that others are prepared to experience the great times ahead.

I see them coming around
Positive anticipation of the great times ahead.

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: DAMIEN LEROY, WILL ADAMS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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