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".
Treasure
Will.I.Am Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Frequent stops at the shoreline but never I stay
I got a lot to show for the living I've done so far
Now I'm stacking credit for when living time is over
Who made it out?
And who's been around?
I don't know who to trust
The more lies that I found
So I have to be loud
And I want to be proud
When I scream with the crowd
In my dreams
(Void)
All my schemes
(Void)
Never needed
(Void)
Never being
(Void)
No one ever asks
No one ever asks
No one ever asks
No one ever asks
No one ever asks
No one ever asks
No one
No one
No one
Whys your soul so heavy ?
Your guilt is your levy
I don't wanna hear
I just wanna fear
Want that comfort in the worst way
That's what makes my worst days
I get paranoid when feel I the void
Know myself and I'm not what I want to be
Getting angry just to get free
Its not me
Step to loose, hit the noose, and lose myself
Whoa
Step'n out into the night
Feel your soul's fright out of light
What your moods really got to fear?
What you ain't secure in here?
I'm just trying to mute the mania
Turn my pain to a check
Fuck all these words that they say to ya
Shoot'm straight into they neck
In my dreams
(Void)
All my schemes
(Void)
Never needed
(Void)
Never being
(Void)
In my dreams
(Void)
All my schemes
(Void)
Never needed
(????????)
In this song, will.i.am talks about being on a “treasure hunt” and the emotions he feels while doing so. The first two lines, “I’m on another treasure hunt, making human emotion blunt”, suggest that the singer is on a search for something valuable, and is struggling to understand his own emotions at the same time. He seems to be saying that by focusing so much on the search, he has become detached from his own feelings.
The next two lines, “Future’s confused, something’s pulling its strings, squeeze the juice, you’re alone, spread your wings”, appear to be commenting on the uncertainty of the future, but also suggest that we have the power to control our own destiny. The metaphor of “squeezing the juice” seems to imply that we need to make the most of the opportunities we’re given, even when they’re limited, and the line “spread your wings” suggests that we need to take risks and be willing to explore new things.
The next stanza, “Bright new day, never cross my way, life’s no black, no white, but gray, never look back, ahead the fire will sing, squeeze the juice, you’re alone, spread your wings” seems to be commenting on the ups and downs of life, and the idea that we need to keep moving forward even during tough times. “Life’s no black, no white, but gray” suggests that nothing is ever completely good or bad, and that we need to be adaptable and flexible in order to succeed.
Overall, “Treasure” seems to be a song about resilience and determination, and the idea that we need to keep searching for our own “treasure” even when the journey is difficult.
Line by Line Meaning
I’m on another treasure hunt
I am searching for something valuable and important
Making human emotion blunt
Suppressing my own feelings and emotions
Future’s confused, something’s pulling its strings
There is uncertainty about what lies ahead, and something is controlling it
Squeeze the juice, you’re alone, spread your wings
Take advantage of your independence and freedom to achieve your goals
Bright new day, never cross my way
I am optimistic about the future and hope to avoid obstacles
Life’s no black, no white, but gray
The world is not simply divided into good or bad, but everything is complex
Never look back, ahead the fire will sing
Do not dwell on the past, because the future holds excitement
Trea-sure hunt, gotta go again
I am determined to continue searching for what is valuable
Even if I know i’ll die anyway
Even if I am aware of the risks and consequences of my actions
Gotta try, if only i could fly
I must attempt to achieve my goals, even if it seems impossible
To free mys elf and torch the sky
To liberate myself and make a bold statement
Crashed on earth, oh am I lost
Facing setbacks and feeling confused
I make myself, I’m my own holocaust
I am responsible for my own destruction
Being renewed, forgot my cue
Undergoing a transformation and losing direction
My ancestors will guide me through
I trust that my heritage and lineage will provide me with guidance
Lyrics © DistroKid
Written by: Bryce Yelle
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind