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".
by your side
Will.I.Am Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
As I lay there silent with a blank stare,
I forget to breathe.
Now I'm grinding my teeth and I can't sleep,
Overthinking and feeling bitter,
As all of my patience slowly wears thinner.
You've taken the best of me,
Now I lay here fighting all your fake fears,
You do this every time,
Now there's no one by your side,
But it's your fault when you fall for your own lies,
And you make your issues mine.
You've changed far from what you were,
And I gave everything I could,
Now we've both got problems, I know it,
But you let yours build up and surface.
And I hate what's left but you know I can't let go.
You do this every time,
Now there's no one by your side,
But it's your fault when you fall for your own lies,
And you make your issues mine.
I've seen this through too many times,
You look at me and say you'll try,
But your eyes still don't meet mine,
Then we pretend everything's fine.
You hold your hands against my face,
You pull me in then push away,
And no matter what I say,
It's still me that takes the blame.
And I hate what's left but you know I can't let go.
And I hate what's left but you know
The lyrics of Will.I.Am's song "By Your Side" express the struggles and frustrations of a toxic relationship. The singer feels depleted and wonders what is left of themself in the midst of this difficult situation. They describe feeling silenced and unable to even breathe, consumed by overthinking and bitterness. The singer acknowledges that the other person has taken the best of them and now they find themselves fighting against the other person's false fears. Despite hating what's left, they admit that they can't let go.
The chorus of the song highlights the recurring pattern in the relationship. The singer asserts that the other person always does this, leaving no one by their side. They attribute fault to the other person for falling for their own lies and making their issues the singer's burden to bear.
The second verse reveals that both parties in the relationship have changed, and the singer gave their all. They acknowledge that they both have problems, but the other person allowed theirs to build up and surface. The frustration and inability to let go are magnified as the singer admits witnessing this cycle multiple times. They mention the lack of genuine eye contact and the pretending that everything is fine. The bridge of the song depicts a contradictory dynamic where the other person pulls the singer close and then pushes them away. The blame consistently falls on the singer, no matter what they say.
Overall, "By Your Side" portrays a relationship marked by manipulation, blame-shifting, and the inability to let go despite recognizing the toxicity and flaws within.
Line by Line Meaning
Well what's left of me?
In my current state, what aspect or part of me remains?
As I lay there silent with a blank stare,
I am emotionally detached and unresponsive, unable to express myself.
I forget to breathe.
I am so consumed by my thoughts and feelings that I neglect basic necessities.
Now I'm grinding my teeth and I can't sleep,
I am experiencing intense anxiety or frustration, leading to sleeplessness and teeth grinding.
Overthinking and feeling bitter,
I am excessively analyzing and dwelling on things, resulting in a sense of resentment.
As all of my patience slowly wears thinner.
My tolerance and ability to remain calm are diminishing gradually.
You've taken the best of me,
You have extracted the most positive qualities or aspects of my being.
Now I lay here fighting all your fake fears,
I am currently engaged in a battle against the unfounded anxieties or insecurities you possess.
And I hate what's left but you know I can't let go.
I have a strong dislike for what remains of our relationship or connection, yet I find myself unable to detach from it.
You do this every time,
This pattern of behavior is repeated by you on multiple occasions.
Now there's no one by your side,
Currently, you are left without any companions or supporters.
But it's your fault when you fall for your own lies,
The responsibility lies with you when you believe and are deceived by your own falsehoods.
And you make your issues mine.
You consistently burden me with your problems and make them my own.
You've changed far from what you were,
You have undergone significant transformation, deviating greatly from your prior self.
And I gave everything I could,
I devoted all my efforts and resources to our relationship or situation.
Now we've both got problems, I know it,
At present, both of us are facing difficulties, and I am aware of this fact.
But you let yours build up and surface.
Instead of addressing and resolving your own issues, you allowed them to accumulate and become apparent.
I've seen this through too many times,
I have witnessed and experienced this repetitive pattern numerous occasions.
You look at me and say you'll try,
You gaze at me and claim that you will make an effort.
But your eyes still don't meet mine,
However, there is a lack of genuine connection or honesty in your gaze.
Then we pretend everything's fine.
Consequently, we engage in a facade of normalcy, pretending that everything is alright.
You hold your hands against my face,
You physically touch my face with your hands, symbolizing some form of intimacy.
You pull me in then push away,
You alternately draw me closer and then create distance between us.
And no matter what I say,
Regardless of my words or protests.
It's still me that takes the blame.
I am the one who is held responsible or accountable, despite not being at fault.
And I hate what's left but you know I can't let go.
I have a strong aversion to what remains of our connection, yet I am unable to release myself from it.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Aeion Hoilett, Dwain Campbell-Fletcher, Kirk Bennett, Maurice Hunt, Ranoy Gordon, Shauna Mckenzie
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind