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".
Hip Hop Is Dead
will.i.am Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'll put an extended clip inside of my AK
Roll to every station, murder the DJ
Roll to every station, murder the DJ
If hip hop should die before I wake
I'll put an extended clip inside of my AK
Roll to every station, murder the DJ
Hip hop just died this mornin'
And she's dead, she's dead
Yeah, niggaz smoke, laugh, party, and die in the same corner
Get cash, live fast, body their man's mama
Rich-ass niggaz is ridin' with three llamas
Revenge in their eyes, Hennessey and the ganja
Word to the wise with villain state of minds
Grindin', hittin' Brazilian dimes from behind
Grindin', hittin' Brazilian dimes from behind
(Grindin', hittin' Brazilian dimes from behind)
Whenever, if ever, I roll up, it's sown up
Any ghetto will tell ya Nas helped grow us up
My face once graced promotional Sony trucks
Hundred million in billin', I helped build 'em up
Gave my nigga my right, I could have gave left
So like my girl Foxy, a nigga went Def
So, nigga, who's your top ten?
Is it MC Shan?
Is it MC Ren?
If hip hop should die before I wake
I'll put an extended clip inside of my AK
Roll to every station, murder the DJ
Roll to every station, murder the DJ
If hip hop should die before I wake
I'll put an extended clip inside of my AK
Roll to every station, murder the DJ
Roll to every station, murder the DJ
Hip hop just died this mornin'
And she's dead, she's dead
The bigger the cap, the bigger the peelin'
Come through, something ill, missin' the ceilin'
What influenced my raps? Stick-ups and killings
Kidnappings, project buildings, drug dealings
Criticize that, why is that?
'Cuz Nas rap is compared to legitimized crap
'Cuz we love to talk on ass we gettin'
Most intellectuals will only half listen
So you can't blame jazz musicians
Or David Stern with his NBA fashion issues
Oh, I they like me in my white tee
You can't ice me, we here for life, B
On my second marriage, hip hop's my first wifey
And for that we not takin' it lightly
If hip hop should die, we die together
Bodies in the morgue lie together
All together now
If hip hop should die before I wake
I'll put an extended clip inside of my AK
Roll to every station, murder the DJ
Roll to every station, murder the DJ
If hip hop should die before I wake
I'll put an extended clip inside of my AK
Roll to every station, murder the DJ
Roll to every station, murder the DJ
Everybody sound the same, commercialize the game
Reminiscin' when it wasn't all business
If it got where it started
So we all gather here for the dearly departed
Hip hopper since a toddler
One homeboy became a man then a mobster
If the guys let me get my last swig of Vodka
R.I.P., we'll donate your lungs to a Rasta
Went from turntables to mp3s
From "Beat Street" to commercials on Mickey D's
From gold cables to Jacobs
From plain facials to Botox and face lifts
I'm lookin' over my shoulder
It's about eighty niggaz from my hood that showed up
And they came to show love
Sold out concert, and the doors are closed shut
The lyrics to will.i.am's song "Hip Hop Is Dead" are an indictment of the state of the hip-hop industry. The song begins with the rapper's response to the notion of hip hop dying out. He vows to protect the genre by putting an extended clip inside his AK and killing every DJ he comes across. This is a metaphorical and satirical take on the idea of hip hop dying out, as will.i.am is actually saying that he will fight to keep hip hop alive by taking down those who would harm it.
The rest of the lyrics go on to describe the current state of the industry, where commercialization has taken over and artists are driven more by money than by a love for their craft. The verses describe how artists are caught up in a cycle of drugs, guns, and violence, and how they disregard the roots and history of the genre. will.i.am also criticizes those who compare his music to "legitimized crap" and urges listeners not to blame jazz musicians or the NBA for the state of hip hop.
Overall, the song is a call to arms for those who love hip hop to recognize its value and fight to keep it alive. It's an insightful commentary on the state of the industry and a reminder of the important role that hip hop plays in shaping culture and inspiring change.
Line by Line Meaning
If hip hop should die before I wake
If hip hop dies before I wake up
I'll put an extended clip inside of my AK
I'll put extra bullets in my AK gun
Roll to every station, murder the DJ
I'll go to every radio station and kill the DJs
Hip hop just died this mornin'
Hip hop has died today
And she's dead, she's dead
And she is really dead
Yeah, n****s smoke, laugh, party, and die in the same corner
People smoke, have fun, party, and get killed in the same area
Get cash, live fast, body their man's mama
Make money, live life quickly, and kill someone's mother
Rich-ass n****s are ridin' with three llamas
Wealthy people are riding with three guns
Revenge in their eyes, Hennessey and the ganja
They are seeking revenge, and drinking alcohol and smoking weed
Word to the wise with villain state of minds
Advice for smart people with criminal minds
Grindin', hittin' Brazilian dimes from behind
Having sex with Brazilian women
(Grindin', hittin' Brazilian dimes from behind)
(Having sex with Brazilian women)
Whenever, if ever, I roll up, it's sown up
Whenever I arrive, everything is settled
Any ghetto will tell ya Nas helped grow us up
People in any urban area will say Nas helped raise and inform them
My face once graced promotional Sony trucks
My face was once displayed on Sony trucks in advertisements
Hundred million in billin', I helped build 'em up
I made a lot of money and helped the record company become successful
Gave my n**** my right, I could have gave left
I allowed my friend to have my valuable things
So like my girl Foxy, a n**** went Def
Just like Foxy Brown, I have gone deaf
So, n****, who's your top ten?
So, who are your top ten favorite rappers?
Is it MC Shan?
Do you like MC Shan?
Is it MC Ren?
Do you like MC Ren?
Everybody sound the same, commercialize the game
Everyone is copying each other, and the industry has become too commercialized
Reminiscin' when it wasn't all business
Remembering when the industry was not just about making money
If it got where it started
If the industry returned to its roots
So we all gather here for the dearly departed
So we are all here to mourn the death of hip hop
Hip hopper since a toddler
I have loved hip hop since I was a young child
One homeboy became a man then a mobster
One of my friends grew up to be a criminal
If the guys let me get my last swig of Vodka
If my friends let me have one last drink of Vodka
R.I.P., we'll donate your lungs to a Rasta
Rest in peace, we will donate your lungs to a Rastafarian
Went from turntables to mp3s
The music industry has changed from using turntables to using mp3s
From "Beat Street" to commercials on Mickey D's
From the movie "Beat Street" to ads for McDonald's
From gold cables to Jacobs
From thick gold chains to jewelry made by designer Marc Jacobs
From plain facials to Botox and face lifts
From plain face treatments to plastic surgery
I'm lookin' over my shoulder
I'm being cautious and watching my back
It's about eighty n****z from my hood that showed up
About 80 people from my neighborhood came to support me
And they came to show love
And they came to show their affection
Sold out concert, and the doors are closed shut
The concert is completely sold out and the doors are now closed
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Jerry Lordan, Nasir Jones, Douglas Ingle, Will Adams
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@83drewski
As long as Nas is still alive, true hip hop will never die!
@benjaminholland4081
Rap died long ago thank nwa for that
@erebor4nierdzewny970
u TELL THE f TRUE!!!
god Bless u me bro!!!
@Mr.B.B.Wolfman
"the greatest that ever lived died on March 9th"
@joshuabranigan6369
S|-|E'S DEAD ???
@romankerimov2852
💯Really nas aka new rakim
@core0000
Nasは「これこそがHIPHOPだ」と思わせる理想の音楽を提示してくれる
@gcantu4030
Qqq+qq+q++q+q+++qqqq+qqqqq+q++++q++q+++q+qq
Qqqqqqqqaq AWS aqqqqqqqqqa is qqq+q+
@DanielMillerClarke
🎉❤😅😮🎉😂😊
@user-lo5vs6jb8e
Nasは最初知った時ガチで衝撃受けたずっと聞いてれる