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".
I'm Ready
will.i.am Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
For all my Down South, West Coast, East Coast club
Down South, West Coast, East Coast club
Down South, West Coast, East Coast club
Down South, West Coast, East Coast club
Down South, West Coast, East Coast club
Baby, betta cut you a rug
For my dimes, doves, hustlers, thugs
Posted outside of the lines of the clubs
Clubs, clubs, affectin all of y'all
Fights at night, right clutchin my jaws
Laws get broken, hoppin on the first thing smokin
Rhymes in the marinade soakin
Kin folks all at the bar, yo put the bottles on ice
And let 'em who you are, you a star
Tash got cash, Supernat' rollin up stacks
Phil-a react on a will.i.am track
Back to the basics, 501s with the Asics
Rap City rhymes from +The Basement+
Cement blocks, still on my +Lox+
+Money, Power, Respect+, still on my licks
I get the whole crowd wet
Betcha bottom dollar, we top dollar, Rotweiller
Hip-hop scholars, disc jocks holler
[Chorus: will.i.am]
Ah naw (y'all ain't ready for this)
Hell naw (y'all ain't ready for this)
Cause y'all ain't ready, you steady try to
(""Pick it up, pick it up!"") but it's just too heavy for ya
Ah naw (y'all ain't ready for this)
Hell naw (y'all ain't ready for this)
Y'all ain't ready, you steady try to
(""Pick it up, pick it up!"") but it's just too heavy for ya
[Tash]
And I'm a shark in the water searchin for that place
Swing around baby girl, swing that ass re-way
Me and Ick lit the wick to the dynamite stick
It goes...""SSSSSSSSS, ss-ss-ss, phoo""..
Kamikaze, paparazzis dodge me
Walkin through the club, I look drugged up like Ozzy
I leave 'em in the dust then it's, ashes to ashes
Y'all sport Jordans? Jordan sports Tashes
Alas is, me and Supernat is runnin' through 'em
We don't {*gun cocks*}, we just sue 'em
CD to the wax, the wax is to the MiniDisc
We walk in Benz dealerships like ""Yeah {bitch}, gimme this!""
And roll off that drop top off the lot
I'm beatin down your block, what the {fuck} y'all got? (woop! woop!)
Catastrophe and the Black Eyed Peas
I'm comin through straight FADIN on you wack emcees, it's like...
[Chorus]
[Phil Da Agony]
Stars, cars, wars, clothes
Tearin down stages, late night shows
Chips, whips, tips, kicks
Posted in the club, flicks, chicks
Stars, cars, wars, clothes
Tearin down stages, late night shows
Chips, whips, tips, kicks
Posted in the club, flicks, chicks, c'mon
[Supernatural]
The club is packed, it's filled with smoke
My fits are fresh, yo I'm 'bout to make my approach
It didn't hit the stroke of twelve, I'm under the spell
'Bout to make my move to the corner, twist up an L
The DJs' playin' my shit, start rollin it fast
So I can get to the bar and start toastin with Tash
Play this joint in the club, get the party on smash
My interest is +Grand+, yo and I'm a +Master+ like Caz
Predators in the club, lookin straight for the stab
Ready to get freaky-deaky, go back to the lab
I love that it's club night, I'm gettin my rub right
Don't you hate when cats spoil it by havin a club fight?
But that's alright, one cat don't stop no show
Bouncers, do your job, Phil, pass that droll
We gonna, do it to death, then do it some mo'
Look at the way the shortys movin out there on the flo', whoa
The song “I’m Ready” by will.i.am featuring Phil Da Agony, Tash, and Supernatural is a rap song that highlights the experience of being in a club. The song starts with an intro from Phil Da Agony, and then each rapper details different aspects of being in the club. The lyrics capture the chaos, excitement, and energy of a club night, complete with fights, smoking, drinking, and partying. Phil Da Agony talks about the fights that happen in clubs, and how the laws get broken, while Tash compares himself to a shark and boasts about his success, money, and power. Supernatural highlights the importance of the DJ in the club and the importance of the music that they play. Together, they all agree that the club is a place to experience luxury, fame, and social status.
The chorus of the song, which is repeated twice, emphasizes that the listener is not ready for what the rappers have to offer in the club. Despite the audience trying to pick up the energy, they are unable to and hence are not ready to handle the energy that comes with being in a club. The song is not only about boasting of a lifestyle, but it is also intended to bring out the importance of being in the moment and enjoying the experience of a club.
Line by Line Meaning
For all my Down South, West Coast, East Coast club
Addressing the Down South, West Coast and East Coast clubs
Baby, betta cut you a rug
Encouraging the audience to dance.
For my dimes, doves, hustlers, thugs
This line is sung for dimes, doves, hustlers, and thugs.
Posted outside of the lines of the clubs
Standing outside the club boundaries.
Clubs, clubs, affectin all of y'all
Highlighting that clubs impact everyone.
Fights at night, right clutchin my jaws
Talking about how people get into fights at night and the impact it has
Laws get broken, hoppin on the first thing smokin
Talking about how people leave and break laws when fights break out.
Rhymes in the marinade soakin
Talking about the exposure of the crowd to the lyrics of the songs.
Kin folks all at the bar, yo put the bottles on ice
Asking relatives to keep the bottles cold.
And let 'em who you are, you a star
Encouraging people to let their stars shine.
Tash got cash, Supernat' rollin up stacks
Talking about the wealth of Tash and Supernat.
Phil-a react on a will.i.am track
Phil-a giving a reaction to a will.i.am track.
Back to the basics, 501s with the Asics
Going back to basics with apparel.
Rap City rhymes from +The Basement+
Rhymes from the show Rap City on BET.
Cement blocks, still on my +Lox+
Saying he is still a member of the Lox.
+Money, Power, Respect+, still on my licks
Asking for money, power, and respect while still being on his licks.
I get the whole crowd wet
Referring to the impact of his performance on the audience.
Betcha bottom dollar, we top dollar, Rotweiller
Making a statement that they are expensive and strong like a Rotweiller.
Hip-hop scholars, disc jocks holler
Stating that they are experts in hip-hop and being shouted out by DJs.
Ah naw (y'all ain't ready for this)
Saying that the audience is not ready for their performance.
Hell naw (y'all ain't ready for this)
Emphasizing that the audience is not ready for their performance.
Cause y'all ain't ready, you steady try to ("Pick it up, pick it up!") but it's just too heavy for ya
Saying that the audience is trying to pick up the performance, but it's too complex for them.
And I'm a shark in the water searchin for that place
Metaphor for how he aggressively searches for the perfect spot in the club.
Swing around baby girl, swing that ass re-way
Encouraging a girl to dance in a particular manner.
Kamikaze, paparazzis dodge me
Kamikaze as a metaphor for how people dodge him in the club.
Walkin through the club, I look drugged up like Ozzy
Metaphor for looking like Ozzy Osbourne while walking through the club.
Y'all sport Jordans? Jordan sports Tashes
Advocating in favor of Tash products over Jordans.
We don't {*gun cocks*}, we just sue 'em
Saying he doesn't use violence, he sues.
CD to the wax, the wax is to the MiniDisc
Metaphor for the evolution of music from CDs to MiniDiscs.
We walk in Benz dealerships like "Yeah {bitch}, gimme this!"
Showing off wealth by walking into a Benz dealership and saying "gimme this!"
Catastrophe and the Black Eyed Peas
Referring to the group as Catastrophe and Black Eyed Peas.
I'm comin through straight FADIN on you wack emcees, it's like...
Saying he's coming through and is better than other rappers.
Stars, cars, wars, clothes
Highlighting the importance of stars, cars, wars, and clothes.
Tearin down stages, late night shows
Referring to the impact of their performances on stage and on TV.
Chips, whips, tips, kicks
Referring to their wealth of chips, whips, tips, and kicks.
Posted in the club, flicks, chicks
Referring to the group being in the club, taking pictures, and with women.
The club is packed, it's filled with smoke
Commenting on the state of the club.
My fits are fresh, yo I'm 'bout to make my approach
Saying he looks good and is about to approach someone.
It didn't hit the stroke of twelve, I'm under the spell
Saying he's not waiting until midnight to have fun.
'Bout to make my move to the corner, twist up an L
Saying he's about to go to the corner and light up a joint.
The DJs' playin' my shit, start rollin it fast
Saying the DJ is playing his music and he wants it played at a faster pace.
My interest is +Grand+, yo and I'm a +Master+ like Caz
Saying that he is a master of rap like Grandmaster Caz.
Predators in the club, lookin straight for the stab
Talking about the threat of violence in the club.
Ready to get freaky-deaky, go back to the lab
Talking about being ready to have fun and the lab as a metaphor for the clubs.
I'm gettin my rub right, Don't you hate when cats spoil it by havin a club fight?
Saying he's having fun and doesn't like when fights break out.
Bouncers, do your job, Phil, pass that droll
Asking bouncers to do their job while smoking with Phil.
We gonna, do it to death, then do it some mo'
Saying they will continue to have fun in the club.
Look at the way the shortys movin out there on the flo', whoa
Talking about how the women are dancing and having a good time on the dance floor.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: J. Smith, R. Price, R. Smith, Will Adams
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind