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".
What I Am
will.i.am Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Then I'll stay strong - that's who I'll be
And I will always be the best
"me" that I can be there's only one me
I am it have a dream I'll follow it
It's up to me to try
Oh! I'm gonna keep my head up high (high)
I'll be getting stronger
And nothing's gonna bring me down (no)
Never gonna stop because I know
I'll keep getting stronger
And what I am is thoughtful
What I am is musical what I am is smart
And what I am is brave what I am is helpful
What I am is special
There's nothing I can't achieve
Because in myself I believe in (oh)
Gonna keep our heads up high (high)
Keep on reaching high never gonna quit
Just keep getting stronger
And nothing's gonna bring us down (no)
Never give it up, gotta go because I know
I'll keep getting stronger
What I am is super what I am is proud
What I am is friendly what I am is grouchy
What you are is magical
What you are is special
There's nothing I can't achieve
Because in myself I believe in oh
Gonna hold my head up high (high)
Keep on reaching high never gonna stop
I'll be getting stronger
Nothing's gonna bring me down (no)
Never give it up gotta go, oh yeah
I'll keep getting strong -er
The chorus of will.i.am's song I Am is a repetition of the phrase "Lemme lemme tell you who I am." The rest of the lyrics celebrate the rapper's achievements and success in the music industry. He identifies himself as will.i.am, straight out of Cali, and boasts that he's bringing original creations to his audience and holding things down to the finale. He describes himself as the illest composer and a universal phenomenon that even Brazilians appreciate.
The remaining lyrics describe will.i.am's talents as an emcee and composer. He claims to delete anyone with a "petite mind" and brags that he's beyond local and now global. He highlights that he's bringing something new to the music industry and aims to win a Nobel Prize. He even references the sun as a sign of his authenticity. Overall, I Am is a song meant to showcase will.i.am's skills and establish himself as a noteworthy figure in the music world.
Line by Line Meaning
Lemme, lemme, lemme
Let me, let me, let me
Lemme lemme lemme lemme tell you who I am
Let me tell you who I am
I am will.i.am straight outta Cali, Cali
I am will.i.am from California
I am bringin' it to you right up yo' alley, alley
I am introducing my original music to you
I am comin' with original diddley-dailies
I am presenting original beats and rhythms
I am holdin' it down to the finale, 'nale
I am persisting until the end
I am will.i.am, that's right, my title's will
I am will.i.am and my name is my title
I am recitin' this, recital vital and ill
I am performing this musical piece with importance
I am the illest composer to spill up in the Ville
I am the best composer who came into the music scene
I am universal, even sell in Brazil
My music sells worldwide, even in Brazil
I am beyond local, me now global
My music is known globally, not just locally
I am comin' up with shit to win by Nobel
I am creating great music that can win Nobel prizes
I am surpisin' y'all 'til ya say it's unreal
My music is surprising to listeners until they question its reality
I am as real as the sun's real ("Yo, break it down!")
I am authentic, just like the sun
I am beats, rhymes, no one can defeat mines
My music is unbeatable with its beats and rhymes
I am elite, deletin' those with petite minds
I am superior, disregarding those with small minds
I am not the one with the criminal mind
I am not a criminal
I am changin' my mind if you keep fuckin' with mines
I will change my mind if you interfere with my music
I am nonstop when it comes to droppin' funk
I produce uninterrupted music
I am nonstop when I'm lettin' loose my junk
I am continuously creating new music
I am rockin' it, ah, ah, who's rockin' it?
I am producing the music, but who is enjoying it?
I am upset, nigga's ain't doin' shit!
I am frustrated that others aren't creating music like me
I am not happy, ain't been happy since '86
I am not content, haven't been since 1986
I am diarrhea saliva, I spit the shit
My rhymes are powerful and uncontrollable like diarrhea
I am I'm the shit, been it since '76
I am the best, have been since 1976
I am w-i double the i-am
I spell my name as W-i-l-l-i-a-m
I am constructin' this new type of bound jam
I am creating a new type of music genre
I am the one that be comin' with (Joints and Jams)
I am the one who produces (Joints and Jams)
I am do it on weekdays and (Weekends)
I produce music on weekdays and weekends
I am fulfillin' all of your (Requests) (What?)
I am satisfying all music listeners' requests
I am the one that'll do it the best (What?)
I am the best at producing music
I am will.i.am, brother, I am
I am will.i.am
I am It's will.i.am, nigga' hot damn
I am will.i.am, hot as fire
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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