will.i.am

Background

will.i.am was born into an African-American family on March 15, 1975, in Los Angeles, California, U.S. He never met his father, William Adams Sr. and was single-handedly raised by his mother, Debra Cain. His mother encouraged him to pursue music, and, during high school, he started performing with his friend Allan Pineda. They formed a rap group, Atban Klann, with three other performers, and were signed to the label Ruthless Records in 1992. will.i.am first began rapping under the name Will-1X, recording the song ‘Merry Muthafuckin Xmas’ with Atban Klann. In 1995, he left Ruthless Records and formed the group, the Black Eyed Peas, along with Pineda, who would adopt the stage name apl.de.ap.

The Black Eyed Peas signed with Interscope Records and released their debut single ‘Joints and Jam’ in 1998. The same year, they released their debut album, “Behind the Front,” which renewed their contract with Interscope. In 2000, their second album, “Bridging the Gap,” was released. will.i.am released his first solo album, “Lost Change,” the following year, which was a smash hit. While working on their third album, they realized that female vocals might work on the song, ‘Shut Up,’ and turned to singer Stacy Ann Ferguson, who joined them as a permanent member. In 2003, that album, titled “Elephunk,” was released and reached number 14 on the Billboard 200. During this time, will.i.am also recorded and released his second solo album, “Must B 21.”

In 2005, the Black Eyed Peas released their fourth album, titled “Monkey Business.” It was certified three times Platinum by the RIAA in the U.S. and the single ‘Don’t Phunk With My Heart’ won the group the Grammy Award for ‘Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group.’ After a brief break, they released two albums, “The E.N.D.” (2009) and “The Beginning” (2010). will.i.am also released two more solo albums, “Songs About Girls” (2007) and “#willpower” (2013). He has produced music for artists including Cheryl, Michael Jackson, Justin Bieber, Kesha, Britney Spears, and many more. In 2018, The Peas released their seventh album, “Masters Of The Sun Vol. 1,” and in 2020, their eighth album, “Translation,” was out.