Will.i.am Biography, Life, Interesting Facts

Gr?mm? Award w?nn?r w?ll.?.?m ?? ?n? of the f?und?ng m?mb?r? ?f th? Black E??d Peas. H?'? also made a n?m? f?r h?m??lf as a solo ?rt??t, ?r?du??r ?nd activist.

Childhood

W?ll.?.?m f?r?t ??ught the public ??r ?? a m?mb?r of the Bl??k E??d P???, wh??h ?t?rt?d ?ut as a tr?? m?k?ng und?rgr?und h?? hop b?f?r? pivoting t? b???m? a pop-rap group ?nd finding ?nt?rn?t??n?l ?u?????. H?’? also a solo artist ?nd a ?r?du??r wh? h?? w?rk?d w?th ??m? ?f th? b?gg??t artists ?n th? world — ?n?lud?ng Ricky Martin, Br?tn?? S???r? ?nd Ju?t?n B??b?r — but ?t?ll f?nd? time to channel h?? l?v? f?r ?ld ??h??l hip h??.

More recently h?’? b??n nurtur?ng the dr??m? ?f ?th?r artists ?? a judg? and ????h ?n th? UK v?r???n of Th? V????. And th?? modern day R?n?????n?? man has his fingers ?n l?t? of other pies, b???m?ng a n?t?bl? t??h ?ntr??r?n?ur ?n r???nt years.

E?rl? L?f?

W?ll.?.?m was b?rn William J?m?? Adams on M?r?h 15, 1975, ?n Los Angeles, C?l?f?rn??. His mother, D?br?, r????d him ?l?n? ?ft?r his f?th?r — wh?m h? h?? n?v?r met — ?b?nd?n?d th? f?m?l?. Adams gr?w u? ?n a h?u??ng ?r?j??t, wh??h he d???r?b?d t? the Daily B???t ?? b??ng "r????d in the gh?tt?, ?n welfare, two m?nut?? fr?m homeless." Music ?? ?n outlet h?l??d h?m to look b???nd h?? bl??k ?urr?und?ng?.

Wh?l? ?n h?gh ??h??l, he met All?n P?n?d? (?t?g? name: ??l.d?.??). The tw? ??mb?n?d th??r h??-h?? and break-dancing styles t? f?rm th? r?? group Atban Kl?nn with ??v?r?l ?th?r?. Th?? were ??gn?d ?n 1992 t? Eazy-E's Ruthl??? Records l?b?l, ?nd ?????r?d th?t ???r ?? gu??t? ?n h?? 5150 – H?m? 4 Tha Sick EP. Th?? recorded ?n ?lbum, Gr??? R??t?, wh??h w?? ?h?lv?d, ?lth?ugh a ??ngl? fr?m it, "Puddl?? ?f H2O," was released in 1994, before th? group w?r? dropped fr?m th? label following Eazy-E’s d??th ?n 1995.

A?h??v?m?nt?

In 1995, w?ll.?.?m renamed th? group f?r?t The Black Eyed P?d?, ?nd th?n Bl??k E??d Peas. At this point, the line-up consisted ?f w?ll.?.?m, apl.de.ap ?nd T?b??. Aft?r ??gn?ng with Int?r????? R???rd?, the trio dr????d their d?but album Behind th? Fr?nt ?n Jun? 1998, ?h?w????ng a ???r???h?bl?, fun ?t?l? th?t was still und?n??bl? r??t?d in h?? h??. Rolling St?n? l?k?d the “?lt?rn?-r??” f??l ?f the music, noting that th? album offered “an organic mixture ?f sampled m?l?d??? and l?v? instruments ??m?d at th??? ?f u? ???k?ng a l?ttl? ?nl?ght?nm?nt with ?ur well-oiled boogie.”

Th? gr?u? had also b?gun to employ b??ku? ??ng?r?, ?n?lud?ng M??? Gr??, S??rr? Sw?n, Kim H?ll ?nd Dawn Beckman, a m?v? th?t ???nt?d t? the gr?u?’? future ?u?????. The P???' second album, Br?dg?ng th? Gap, was released ?n 2000 and th? single "Request + L?n?," a track with Macy Gr??, became th??r f?r?t B?llb??rd H?t 100 ?ntr?. In 2001 will.i.am r?l????d h?? d?but ??l? album, L??t Ch?ng?, on wh??h, he displayed a more ?x??r?m?nt?l ???r???h t? mu???.

A?h??v?m?nt?

W?ll?.?.?m has ?x??nd?d h?? ??r??r ?nt? ??t?ng, ?????r?ng in the 2009 blockbuster X-Men Or?g?n?: W?lv?r?n? as th? ?h?r??t?r John Wr??th. H? h?? ?l?? b??n f??tur?d on Am?r???n Idol and The X Factor, ?nd has ??rv?d ?? a coach ?n The V???? UK and Th? Voice Au?tr?l??. He h?? also t?k?n ?l????? ?t the F??h??n In?t?tut? ?f D???gn ?nd M?r?h?nd???ng ?nd h?? r?l????d several l?n??, ?n?lud?ng a collaboration w?th C???-C?l?, Ek????l?, which ?n??r??r?t?? r????l?d ?l??t?? b?ttl?? ?nt? n?w ?r?du?t? ?n?lud?ng garments, bikes ?nd luggage.

H? ?? a ?h?r?h?ld?r in B??t? El??tr?n???, ?ft?r a personal ?nv?t?t??n fr?m Dr. Dre t? invest, a d?r??t?r ?f ?r??t?v? ?nn?v?t??n ?t Int?l, ?nd has ?ut ?ut h?? ?wn l?n? ?f camera ???????r???. H? r???ntl? established a h?-t??h l?b?r?t?r? ?n H?ll?w??d, t?ll?ng The Sund?? Times M?g?z?n?: “N?w I’m making devices. Tech can d? ?? mu?h more than mu???. T??h is the n?w rock’n’roll.”

w?ll.?.?m h?? b??n d?v?l???ng ?r?du?t? th?t reportedly ?n?lud? ru?k???k? with bu?lt-?n ????k?r?, ?m?rt ????t??l?? ?nd a smartwatch ??ll?b?r?t??n w?th Gu???. However, r???t??n to h?? first few releases – th? i.am+ ???????r??? t? bolster th? ?Ph?n? ??m?r? and th? Pul? ?m?rtw?t?h — h?v? b??n ?v?rwh?lm?ngl? n?g?t?v?. T??hr?d?r lauded will.i.am f?r ?mbr???ng t??h, but ??n?lud?d: “S?rr? Pul?, th?r?’? ?l?nt? to d??l?k? h?r?. Th? d???gn, d???l??, l??k ?f apps, b?tt?r? l?f?, w?r?t t?xt?ng ?x??r??n?? ?v?r… I th?nk that’ll do.”

Wh?n n?t f??u??d on Bl??k Eyed Peas, will.i.am h?? ?r?du??d mu??? f?r ?th?r ??t?bl??h?d acts, ?n?lud?ng M?r??h C?r?? ?nd M??h??l J??k??n ?nd h?? ?n?-t?m? bandmate F?rg??, after ?h? ?tru?k ?ut ?n her ?wn. F?rg??'? ?u????? prompted will.i.am t? f?ll?w suit in 2007 with another ??l? album, S?ng? About G?rl?. In 2013 he r?l????d #w?ll??w?r, wh??h f??tur?d the du?t? "#Th?tPOWER" w?th Ju?t?n Bieber, "F?ll D?wn" w?th Miley C?ru? ?nd "S?r??m & Shout" w?th Britney S???r?. He h?? ?l?? kept a h?nd in h??hop, ??ntr?but?ng t? r???rd? b? Th? G?m?, Nas, Busta Rh?m??, Too Short ?nd C?mm?n.

Politics

W?ll.?.?m has ?l?? ?mbr???d th? w?rld? ?f ??l?t??? and ?????l ??t?v??m. H? ?r??t?d ??ng? ?nd a w?b??t? t? ?u???rt B?r??k Obama's 2008 ?r???d?nt??l ??m???gn. His ?nn?v?t?v? mu??? video for the ??ng "Y?? W? Can," wh??h ??l???d t?g?th?r snippets fr?m Ob?m?'? speeches, w?n ?n Emmy and a Clio ?w?rd.

H? ?l?? h?? h?? ?wn foundation, I.Am.Angel, t? ?u???rt education; ?n? ?f ?t? ?n?t??t?v??, I.Am.Steam (Steam ?t?nd? f?r S???n??, Technology, Engineering, Art?, ?nd M?th), ?x????d underserved ?tud?nt? t? l??rn?ng ????rtun?t??? ?ut??d? the ?l???r??m ?nd ??rn?d him recognition ?? a Y?ung Global L??d?r b? th? W?rld E??n?m?? Forum in 2013.

W?th a new ??l? album in th? pipeline, ?lu? th? r?turn of the Black E??d P??? – ?nd h?? ??nt?nu?ng r?l? on UK t?l?v????n ?nd behind th? boards f?r t?? ?rt??t? – th? ?lw??? futuristic will.i.am ?h?w? n? ??gn of ?l?w?ng d?wn.

C?r??r

W?ll.?.?m h?l??d m?k? Bl??k Eyed Peas ?n? of the m??t ?ntr?gu?ng ??t? ?n h??-h??, ?nd l?t?r m?d? th?m one ?f th? m??t popular ??t? on the ?h?rt? when th? ?lbum? El??hunk (2003) ?nd M?nk?? Business (2005) ?t?rt?d ????nd?ng the ?h?rt?. Dur?ng 2005-2007, h? ?l?? helmed tracks f?r Pu?????t D?ll?, J?hn L?g?nd, bandmate F?rg??, the Game, C??r?, Nicole S?h?rz?ng?r, ?nd M??? Gr??. H?? ??l? ??r??r consisted of a project f?r th? British r?? l?b?l BBE (L??t Ch?ng?), several m?x ?lbum?, and ?n 2007, his m?j?r-l?b?l nod, S?ng? Ab?ut G?rl?. 

Will.i.am ?? ?l?? a mu??? ?r?du??r. H? h?? ?r?du??d w?th ?th?r artists including Michael J??k??n, Ju?t?n B??b?r, Eazy-E, Br?tn?? S???r?, U2, R?h?nn?, U?h?r, Ju?t?n Timberlake, E?rth, Wind & Fire, N??k? Minaj, Ch?r?l C?l?, 2NE1, SMAP, Th? Game, N??, Bone Thug?-n-H?rm?n?, D?dd? Yankee, W?lfg?ng G?rtn?r, and Juanes.