• March 15, 1975
• Will.i.am is best known for his work in The Black Eyed Peas, one of the most popular groups of the '00s - their hits include "Boom Boom Pow" and "Where Is The Love?." He's the producer and lead rapper in the group.
• You can probably cover the entire music industry in three degrees of will.i.am. Many of his songs are collaborations of some kind, and he's cast a wide net. Artists he's worked with as a producer and/or artist include:
  
  Britney Spears ("Scream & Shout")
  Justin Bieber ("#thatPower")
  Miley Cyrus ("Feelin' Myself")
  Usher ("OMG")
  Kesha ("Crazy Kids")
• He's released a few lighthearted "booty" songs over the years with lyrics that are kind of hilarious. A sample:
  
  "My Humps" by Black-Eyed Peas:
  What you gonna do with all that junk?
  All that junk inside your trunk?
  
  "Beep" with The Pussycat Dolls
  You got a real big heart but I'm lookin' at your [beep!]
  You got real big brains but I'm lookin' at your [beep!]
  
  "Big and Chunky"
  I like them big, I like them plumpy
  I like them round, with something, something
  (This one is from the perspective of a hippo. It's from the movie Madagascar 2.)
• Will.i.am released his first solo album in 2001, before Black Eyed Peas hit it big. His first one to make much impact was Songs About Girls in 2007, at the Black Eyed peak.
• He's very popular in the UK, where he has three #1 hits: "This is Love," "Scream & Shout" and "It's My Birthday."
• Will went all-in supporting Barack Obama in the 2008 presidential race, turning Obama's campaign slogan, Yes We Can, into a song and video. At the time, Obama was in a tight race with Hilary Clinton for the Democratic nomination. The song helped galvanize support for Obama and position him as the candidate for hope and change. He was able to defeat Clinton and go on to win the presidential election.
• Computers are integral to his creative process, and he's embraced AI, which he calls "the ultimate way to create." He's made the point that most music is played on computers (often smartphones), so it makes sense to create it with machines as well. If you ask him to name his primary instrument, he won't say keyboard or guitar, he'll say "computer."
• Will grew up poor but didn't know it until fifth grade, when his school held a canned food drive and some of the cans were delivered to his house. He made it his goal to bring the family out of poverty.
• Will.i.am has been a part of many business ventures over the years, with stakes in clothing lines, technology companies, and even a bank (Atom Bank in the UK). He was an early investor in Beats Electronics and helped with their strategy and marketing. When the company was sold to Apple in 2014, Will made millions.
• He's been a coach on The Voice UK since the show went on the air in 2012. Other coaches on the show over the years include Jessie J, Tom Jones, Kylie Minogue, Boy George, Jennifer Hudson and LeAnn Rimes.

Comments

More Songfacts:

Hunger StrikeTemple of the Dog

"Hunger Strike" by Temple of the Dog features Chris Cornell and Eddie Vedder, and was Vedder's first music video.

LolaThe Kinks

When The Kinks released "Lola," most people didn't realize Lola was a man. "I was dancing with this beautiful blonde, then we went out into the daylight and I saw her stubble," Ray Davies said of the inspiration.

Opposites AttractPaula Abdul

MC Skat Kat was created for the remix of "Opposites Attract," which was released as the last single from Paula Abdul's Forever Your Girl album. The team that created the Kat also did a-ha's "Take On Me" video.

Whip ItDevo

Devo got the idea for their "Whip It" video from an article about a guy who owned a dude ranch and charged people to watch him remove his wife's clothes with a bullwhip.

JumpVan Halen

Van Halen's first #1 hit was "Jump," an unusual song for the band because the lead instrument was synthesizer, not guitar.

Santa Claus Is Coming To TownEddie Cantor

"Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" is the most performed holiday song of all time, according to a Top 30 list released by the performance rights organization ASCAP in December 2014.

Editor's Picks

Jack Tempchin - "Peaceful Easy Feeling"They're Playing My Song

When a waitress wouldn't take him home, Jack wrote what would become one of the Eagles most enduring hits.

Annie Haslam of RenaissanceSongwriter Interviews

The 5-octave voice of the classical rock band Renaissance, Annie is big on creative expression. In this talk, she covers Roy Wood, the history of the band, and where all the money went in the '70s.

Bryan AdamsSongwriter Interviews

What's the deal with "Summer of '69"? Bryan explains what the song is really about, and shares more of his songwriting insights.

Francis Rossi of Status QuoSongwriter Interviews

Doubt led to drive for Francis, who still isn't sure why one of Status Quo's biggest hits is so beloved.

Billy Steinberg - "Like A Virgin"They're Playing My Song

The first of Billy's five #1 hits was the song that propelled Madonna to stardom. You'd think that would get you a backstage pass, wouldn't you?

American Hits With Foreign TitlesSong Writing

What are the biggest US hits with French, Spanish (not "Rico Suave"), Italian, Scottish, Greek, and Japanese titles?