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".
The Traveling Song
will.i.am Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Feeling out of place, really feeling strange
Take me to a place where they know my name
'Cause I ain't met nobody that looks the same
I'm a fish out of water, lion out of the jungle
He a fish out of water, lion out of the jungle
I need my peoples, my peoples, take me to my peoples
Show him love
Could I have someone, could I have someone
To relate to, to relate to
Could I have someone, could I have someone
To relate to, to relate to
See I've been traveling, been traveling forever
But now that I've found a home
Feels like I'm in heaven
See I've been traveling, been traveling forever
But now that I'm home
Feels like I'm in heaven
See I've been traveling, been traveling forever
But now that I've found a home
Feels like I'm in heaven
Feels like I'm in heaven
Feels like I'm in heaven
Feels like I'm in heaven
Feels like I'm in heaven, heaven
Traveling the world like a touring man
Been around the planet in the foreign land
I've seen things that I've thought I've never seen
Take me to a place where they live like me
I'm a lion out the jungle, fish out of the ocean
He's a lion out the jungle, fish out of the ocean
I need my peoples, my peoples, take me to my peoples
They got jungle fever, show him some love
Show him love
Could I have someone, could I have someone
To relate to, to relate to
Could I have someone, could I have someone
To relate to, to relate to
See I've been traveling, been traveling forever
But now that I've found a home
Feels like I'm in heaven
See I've been traveling, been traveling forever
But now that I'm home
Feels like I'm in heaven
See I've been traveling, been traveling forever
But now that I've found a home
Feels like I'm in heaven
Feels like I'm in heaven
Feels like I'm in heaven
Feels like I'm in heaven
Feels like I'm in heaven, heaven
Feels like I'm in heaven
Feels like I'm in heaven
I'm in heaven
Oh and I'm feeling right at home
Feeling right at home
Feeling right at home
(I've been around the world)
I'm feeling right at home
Feeling right at home
Feeling right at home
Feeling like I'm in heaven
It's like I'm in heaven
It's like I'm in heaven, oh woah oh
I'm in heaven
It's like I'm in heaven
I'm in heaven
It's like I'm in heaven
I'm in heaven
Oh yeah
The Traveling Song by Will.I.Am. feat. Hans Zimmer is a song about the idea of finding a place where you belong, where everyone knows your name and you feel at home. The first verse talks about how the singer has traveled around the world, feeling out of place and strange, and wants to find a place where he is accepted and people understand him. The chorus then asks for someone to relate to and take him to his people. The second verse exposes the loneliness of traveling alone, the feeling of being a fish out of water or a lion out of the jungle. The chorus repeats the longing for a place to belong, and finally in the third verse, the singer expresses how he has finally found that home and it feels like heaven.
Through the lyrics, he is essentially talking about the human experience in general, which is to find a community where you can feel accepted and loved. The song's overall message is a hopeful and joyful one, and it encourages listeners to keep searching until they find their home.
Line by Line Meaning
I've been around the world in the pouring rain
I have traveled across the world, through all kinds of weather.
Feeling out of place, really feeling strange
I feel awkward and unfamiliar in these places.
Take me to a place where they know my name
I long for a place where I am recognized and belong.
'Cause I ain't met nobody that looks the same
I haven't encountered anyone who shares my identity and appearance.
I'm a fish out of water, lion out of the jungle
I feel out of my element and disoriented, like a lion far from home.
He a fish out of water, lion out of the jungle
Another person also feels out of place, like a lion far from home.
I need my peoples, my peoples, take me to my peoples
I crave community and want to be surrounded by my own people.
They got jungle fever, show him some love
My community has a spirit and energy that nourishes me and those around me.
Could I have someone, could I have someone
Is there anyone who understands me?
To relate to, to relate to
Can I connect with someone on a deeper level?
See I've been traveling, been traveling forever
I've been moving around for a very long time.
But now that I've found a home
Finally, I have found a place where I feel I belong.
Feels like I'm in heaven
It feels euphoric and blissful to be in a place where I feel at home.
Traveling the world like a touring man
I have traversed the globe like a performer on tour.
Been around the planet in the foreign land
I've visited many places around the world, in unfamiliar territories.
Take me to a place where they live like me
I want to find a community where my way of living and being is accepted and celebrated.
Oh and I'm feeling right at home
I feel a deep sense of comfort and belonging here.
Feels like I'm in heaven
I am filled with joy and contentment being among my people.
Oh yeah
I am feeling great and happy.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: WILLIAM ADAMS, HANS FLORIAN ZIMMER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind