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".
Celebrate
will.i.am Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
How quickly we forget what winning is
Be down but don't stay too long
There's a rainbow in every shower
You just gotta wait to see the flowers
Don't get jaded by these clouds
Don't get jaded
Don't let no one tell you you can't make it
Living in a fantasy
Man this is crazy
Mama look at me yeah I'm thriving
God by my side and we been fighting
Evil left and right like Tyson
Learning from my failures I'm climbing
Success goes to God he been providing
I just follow the path he's designing
Don't deserve nothing I been acquiring
You gave your only son up
So inspiring
You the only one that I'm admiring
Everything in my life has been priming me
To make your name great
That's my destiny
Everything in my life has been priming me
To make your name great
That's my destiny
If we only celebrate the wins
How quickly we forget what winning is
Be down but don't stay too long
There's a rainbow in every shower
You just gotta wait to see the flowers
Don't get jaded by these clouds
Don't get jaded
I define success
Won't let nobody crown me
Plus all credit goes to the Lord Almighty
We been grinding 24/7
I feel like I'm living out inception
Turned my dreams into my reality
You don't have a reason to hate on me
I stuck with my passion
And was blessed from above
Nothing comes easy so never give up
I been fighting every day
Devil talking tryna play
Hung up on em not today
This my time I gotta slay
Slay
Please call back another day
Yeah
I been working can't pick up the phone
Please leave a message at the tone
You've reached Joah
Sorry I couldn't answer the phone
Leave a message and I will call you back
If we only celebrate the wins
How quickly we forget what winning is
Be down but don't stay too long
There's a rainbow in every shower
You just gotta wait to see the flowers
Don't get jaded by these clouds
Don't get jaded
The lyrics of will.i.am's song "Celebrate" convey a message filled with themes of perseverance, faith, gratitude, and determination. The song reflects on the importance of not only celebrating success but also acknowledging the struggles and setbacks that are part of the journey towards achieving goals. The opening lines emphasize the idea that true appreciation for the victories in life comes from recognizing and remembering the challenges that come with them. By acknowledging the lows as well as the highs, one gains a deeper understanding of the true essence of winning.
The lyrics urge listeners not to dwell on difficult times for too long but instead to hold onto hope and faith that better days are ahead. The imagery of a rainbow in every shower symbolizes the promise of brighter moments after a period of rain and adversity. It speaks to the idea of patience, resilience, and the beauty that can emerge from hardships if one is willing to endure and wait for the positive outcomes to bloom.
The mention of not getting "jaded by these clouds" serves as a reminder to not lose sight of hope and positivity even when faced with challenges. The lyrics express a sense of gratitude towards a higher power, acknowledging the presence of God and the strength received from faith in overcoming obstacles. The perspective of seeing life as a journey guided by divine providence and a purposeful path showcases a deep sense of spiritual belief and reliance on a greater force for guidance and strength.
The repetition of the line "Everything in my life has been priming me to make your name great, that's my destiny" reflects a sense of purpose and calling to live a life that honors and uplifts others, possibly referencing a sense of devotion or mission beyond personal success. Overall, the song Celebrate conveys a message of staying true to one's beliefs, embracing challenges, finding inspiration from faith, and ultimately celebrating the victories and blessings that come with perseverance and determination.
Line by Line Meaning
If we only celebrate the wins
Reflecting on only the good times can make us lose sight of the true essence of victory.
How quickly we forget what winning is
It's easy to overlook the value of success when we solely focus on the end result.
Be down but don't stay too long
It's okay to feel low at times, but don't let negativity consume you.
There's a rainbow in every shower
Even in tough situations, there's a silver lining waiting to be uncovered.
You just gotta wait to see the flowers
Patience is key in recognizing the beauty that can bloom from adversity.
Don't get jaded by these clouds
Don't allow challenges and setbacks to cloud your judgment or enthusiasm.
Don't get jaded
Remain optimistic and resilient in the face of adversity.
Lyrics © O/B/O DistroKid, Songtrust Ave
Written by: ALONDA TWINE, JAN BRANICKI, JOAH NATHANIEL WILLIAMS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
NIXI'Z Churr
We sang this in the band and it was amazing🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼
현정이💜JESUS
Hallelujah!!! 이 곡을 찾으려고 키워드로 할렐루야로만ㅠ 얼마나 찾았는데 기도했더니 하나님이 이렇게 찾게해주셨어요^^할렐루야!
Hillie Marcano Dennis
I so wish they'll make gospel songs like this again, real praise & worship.
Beatrice Kendi
Awesome worship.. So heavenly!
John Rishi
Oh my God! It's so joyful...My heart filled with joy... And spiritually I'm Praising his name... Love... Love... Love you God! I'll Praise his name All the time... For he is great... In Jesus name... Amen! Hallelujah! ❣️❣️❣️
Ruby Dunaway
I love this type of music and I love to dance before Him in the dance.
NoellaHannah. R.
Glory to our wonderful lord !
Olayinka Sanni
I will praise God and sing a new song in Jesus Christ Name AMEN!
Thanks for radiating the joy of the LORD!
💖💐💖
Abraham rivers
Beautiful how they praise and dance before the lord
Ngozi Esther
Hallelujah
I and my family was blessed