will.i.am | |
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_(cropped).jpg) will.i.am at theWorld Economic Forum in 2023 | |
| Born | William James Adams Jr. (1975-03-15)March 15, 1975 (age 50) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Other names |
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| Alma mater | Harvard Business School |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1988–present |
| Organization | i.am+ |
| Works | |
| Relatives | Lynn Cain (maternal uncle) |
| Awards | Full list |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | |
| Instruments |
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| Labels | |
| Member of | Black Eyed Peas |
| Website | will |
Musical artist | |
William James Adams Jr. (born March 15, 1975), known professionally aswill.i.am (pronounced "will I am"), is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer and actor. He is the frontman of the musical groupBlack Eyed Peas, which he formed with fellow rappersapl.de.ap andTaboo in 1995. The group has released nine studio albums, and saw their further success with thepop rap albumsElephunk (2003),Monkey Business (2005),The E.N.D. (2009), andThe Beginning (2010). He served as lead vocalist since its formation, although for the albums, he did so alongside singer-songwriterFergie — who joined the group in 2002 and departed after the latter.
As a solo artist, Adams released his first two albums,Lost Change (2001) andMust B 21 (2003) to lukewarm commercial response. The former was released byAtlantic Records, while the latter contained the song "Go!", which served as theme music forNBA Live 2005 andMadden NFL 2005. His third album,Songs About Girls (2007), spawned theBillboard Hot 100-top 40 single "I Got It From My Mama", and moderately entered theBillboard 200 – his first solo project to do so. His fourth album,#willpower (2013), peaked at number nine on the latter chart, and was supported by the former chart's top five hit, "Scream & Shout" (withBritney Spears). In addition, his guest appearances on Fergie's 2006 single "Fergalicious" andUsher's 2010 single "OMG" peaked at numbers two and one on theBillboard Hot 100, respectively.
A prolificrecord producer and songwriter, Adams has amassed credits on releases formusic industry artists, includingMichael Jackson,Rihanna,Miley Cyrus,Kanye West,Jennifer Hudson,U2,Kesha,Lady Gaga,Psy,Chris Brown,Ty Dolla $ign,Justin Timberlake,Nicki Minaj,Estelle,Kid Cudi,Nas,Robin Thicke,John Legend,Cheryl, and2NE1, among others. From both his solo career and groupwork with the Black Eyed Peas, he has had 41UK singles chart-top 40 entries since 1998, and has sold 9.4 million singles in the country.[3] He founded aself-titled record label in 1998, which has signed artists includingLMFAO,Kelis, andMacy Gray.
Outside of music, Adams founded the technology companyi.am+ in 2013, and has served as a panelist and mentor on the reality competition seriesThe Voice UK (2012–present),The Voice Australia (2014), andThe Voice Kids (2017–2023). He is the recipient of sevenGrammy Awards, aLatin Grammy Award, and aDaytime Emmy Award.
will.i.am was born as William James Adams Jr.[4] inLos Angeles, California, on March 15, 1975, the son of an African-American mother Debra (née Cain)[5][6] and Jamaican father William James Adams Sr.[4] He has never met his father,[7] and was raised by his mother in theEstrada Courts housingprojects in theBoyle Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles,[8] where they were among the few African-Americans living in a predominantlyHispanic community.[9][10] He did not discover his full birth name until he was 25.[4] His mother encouraged him to be unique and to avoid conforming to the tendencies of the other youths in the neighborhood. To guide his musical career, she sent him to public schools in the more affluentWest Los Angeles area such as Paul Revere Charter Middle School,[7] which was one hour-long bus journey away. During the regular school year, he attendedPalisades Charter High School. During that time, he started going to raves with classmatePasquale Rotella.[11][12]
Adams' maternal uncle is formerNational Football League (NFL) playerLynn Cain, who inspired him during his early years.[13] While studying at summer school atJohn Marshall High School, Adams became best friends with Allan Pineda (better known asapl.de.ap), who would later become a member of the Black Eyed Peas. While still in high school, Adams and Pineda performed inEast Los Angeles clubs and were soon joined by three others to form the socially consciousAtban Klann rap group. Atban Klann caught the attention of rapperEazy-E and Mason Miller, signing to his record labelRuthless Records in 1992. Adams later said his history withrave culture is why he chose a moreelectro sound forthe Black Eyed Peas' albumsThe E.N.D. andThe Beginning. Despite the use of electro andhouse music elements, will.i.am prefers to separate the underground from pop. In an article withLos Angeles Times, he mentioned that the secrecy surrounding the whereabouts of raves is what made raving special and different from the mainstream.[12]
In the summer of 1988, will.i.am began his music career as an eighth-grader when he met up with rapper Allan Pineda (better known asapl.de.ap) and fellow studentDante Santiago.[14] They began performing together around Los Angeles and were soon discovered byEazy-E, who signed them to his labelRuthless Records in 1992. At the time, Will was known as "Will 1X". Atban Klann's first song, "Merry Muthafuckin' Xmas", was included on Eazy-E's extended play5150: Home 4 tha Sick (1992). Afterward, the trio began recording an album,Grass Roots with the help of producers Mookie Mook and DJ Motiv8, but the album was never released due to Eazy-E's death in 1995. Subsequently, they changed their name to Black Eyed Pods, and Will replaced Dante with Jaime Gomez, better known under his stage name ofTaboo. In 1997, they once again changed their name, this time tothe Black Eyed Peas, and began recording their first album,Behind the Front, with the help of soul singerKim Hill. They were soon signed toInterscope Records, and released their debut single, "Joints & Jam", in early 1998. The album was successful enough for the group's contract to be renewed, and in 2000, a second album,Bridging the Gap, was released.[citation needed]
Following the release ofBridging the Gap, Will began recording his first solo release,Lost Change, which was the official soundtrack to the film of the same name. Featuring collaborations with Medusa,Planet Asia and Terry Dexter, the album was a critical success.[citation needed]
In November 2001, work began on a third Black Eyed Peas album,Elephunk. Development of the album began on November 2, 2001, and was released just under two years later in 2003. At the time of development, only will.i.am,apl.de.ap andTaboo were to feature on the album. During the production of "Shut Up" (the second single released from the album), they realized that a female vocal would work well with the song. Originally,Nicole Scherzinger (lead singer ofthe Pussycat Dolls) was approached to make a guest appearance on the record. She was forced to decline because she already was signed to a contract withEden's Crush. Danté Santiago then introducedFergie to will.i.am, whom she impressed with her vocal talents. She immediately bonded with the band and became a permanent member of the Peas, and her photo was printed onto the album cover. Lyricist Robbie Fisher, who has been working closely with the band since the beginning stages of the album, composed nine out of the fourteen tracks. In the United States,Elephunk reached number 14 on theBillboard 200 and became their first album to chart in the top 15. It gained even more commercial success internationally, particularly in theUK Album Charts where it reached number 3. It has sold over 1.6 million copies in the UK and 8.5 million copies worldwide.[15] After the success ofElephunk, the group was approached byElectronic Arts to feature some of their music on the 2004 gameThe Urbz. They remixed some of the tracks onElephunk and translated it intoSimlish and created new tracks for the game. They also feature in the game as playable characters.[16]
Elephunk contained their breakthrough commercial single, "Where Is the Love?", in November 2002 (featuringJustin Timberlake, although he did not appear in the video). On the strength of that single and follow-up singles like "Shut Up",Elephunk went on to sell 8.5 million copies worldwide. During this time, Will recorded a second solo album,Must B 21 to similar reception as its predecessor. "Where Is the Love?" and "Shut Up" reached number 1 on theUK Singles chart. "Hey Mama" was used for several advertisements including forApple andiTunes. "Let's Get It Started" also received universal acclaim in the media section where a cover version of the song appears in the filmHot Tub Time Machine.[17] In 2002, Will recorded the song "Secrets" for the soundtrack toDexter's Laboratory: The Hip-Hop Experiment, a musical accompaniment to theCartoon Network original series. Prior to this, he had also composed the theme music for anotherGenndy Tartakovsky series,Samurai Jack.[citation needed]
In November 2003, work began on a fourth Black Eyed Peas album, entitledMonkey Business, the second album with new band memberFergie. Upon the success ofMonkey Business, which was released in 2005, the album wascertified three timesPlatinum by theRIAA in the U.S. and has sold over 10 million copies worldwide. TheCanadian Recording Industry Association (or CRIA) has certifiedMonkey Business 6× Platinum, with sales of over 600,000 copies. TheAustralian Recording Industry Association (or ARIA) has also certifiedMonkey Business 6× Platinum, denoting sales of over 420,000 copies. The album's tracks earned the group four 2006Grammy Award nominations and they also won the Grammy forBest Rap Performance by a Duo or Group for "Don't Phunk with My Heart". According toIFPI, over 2 million copies have been sold in Europe.[18] In the UK alone, it has sold over 1 million copies, although this is significantly lower than their sales ofElephunk, which stand at over 1.6 million copies[19] and 10 million worldwide.The band announced they were going to take a break to focus on their own personal projects. Will went on to produce Fergie's first solo album,The Dutchess, which was released in 2006, before beginning work withMichael Jackson, who had requested Will's expertise for the recording and production of his new album. Work began on the Jackson album in 2006, and continued until the singer's death in 2009, at which point will.i.am revealed that none of the material recorded during the period would be released. However, remixes recorded for Jackson'sThriller 25 anniversary album were released in 2008.[citation needed]
In 2007, will.i.am announced that he had co-created an all-female soul band entitled theParadiso Girls, who he intended to work with on an upcoming solo project. The album,Songs About Girls, was released in 2007. The album spawned three singles, "I Got It From My Mama", "One More Chance" and "Heartbreaker", and fared slightly better than his previous solo efforts, however, failed to shift more than 75,000 copies. Will also did a remix to the song "With Love" by actress and singerHilary Duff.[citation needed]
In 2008, will.i.am contributed the song "One Tribe" to theSurvival International charity album,Songs for Survival.[20] Also in 2008, he was featured on rapperFlo Rida's debut album,Mail on Sunday, where he produced and featured on the song "In the Ayer", and featured onUsher's fifth album,Here I Stand. In January 2008, will.i.am announced plans that he was masterminding a political album,Change is Now: Renewing America's Promise, in support ofBarack Obama's presidential campaign. The first single, "Yes We Can", featured a music video directed byJesse Dylan. The lyrics of the song are composed almost entirely of excerpts from Obama's speech on January 8, 2008, following theNew Hampshire presidential primary election. The video features appearances from numerous celebrities and first appeared on the website forDipdive. The video racked up three million views within a week and over four million subsequently on YouTube. On June 13, 2008, "Yes We Can" won an award at the 35th Annual Creative Arts and Entertainment Daytime Emmy Awards for "New Approaches in Daytime Entertainment".[21] On February 29, 2008, the album's second single, "We Are the Ones", was released on Dipdive and YouTube. The video features several celebrities chanting "O-BA-MA" as a portrayal as their hopes and wishes for Obama and his presidential campaign. On November 4, 2008, will.i.am spoke to CNN's "Anderson Cooper" about his support for then-Senator Obama using CNN's 'hologram' technology (actuallytomography).[22] Following the 2008 election, and Obama's victory, Will released the album's third single, "It's a New Day". The video reflects on the historical events that led to the election of the first African-American president and the public's reaction to his election. The video debuted onThe Oprah Winfrey Show. In honor of theinauguration of Barack Obama as president, will.i.am collaborated with producerDavid Foster on the album's fourth single, "America's Song", with contributing vocals fromSeal,Bono,Mary J. Blige, andFaith Hill. In response to Obama's reaction followingKanye West's interruption of Taylor Swift at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, will.i.am penned the album's fifth and final single, "The Jackass Song". It featured a sample ofKanye West's "Heartless".[23] Will wrote a blog post, which featured the song on Dipdive, and released in February 2009.[24] Will.i.am attended and spoke at theFIRST Robotics Competition kickoff on January 8, 2011, declaring, "I am a FIRST fan."[25] He has also namedFIRST FounderDean Kamen "one of [his] heroes" on his Twitter account.[26]
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In March 2009, will.i.am announced plans for the Black Eyed Peas to return, and within months their comeback single, "Boom Boom Pow", had reached number 1 on theUK Singles Chart andBillboard Hot 100. They went on to have three number 1 singles before releasing their comeback album,The E.N.D. The album's success warranted a second comeback album,The Beginning, released in November 2010. The album spawned another three hit singles, but the band soon announced plans they were to break again, following the conclusion of their world tour. In 2009, will.i.am worked with rappersFlo Rida andAkon for Flo's second studio album,R.O.O.T.S., and recorded four tracks with Girls Aloud memberCheryl for her debut solo album3 Words. He also worked withRihanna on her fourth studio album,Rated R, for a track called "Photographs". In February 2010, he wrote and produced the single "OMG" by Usher, which appeared on Usher's seventh studio album,Raymond vs. Raymond. In a YouTube video posted by YGLifeOfficial on March 15, 2010, will.i.am expressed his desire to work withKoreanK-pop girl group2NE1, and help them achieve international success.[27] Will has recorded a collaboration withBritney Spears, "Big Fat Bass", which features on her seventh studio album,Femme Fatale.[28]
During the recording of the Black Eyed Peas' sixth studio album,The Beginning, band colleague Fergie announced in an interview that will.i.am was in the process of recording a new solo album, tentatively entitledBlack Einstein.[29] Will.i.am formally announced that he was in the process of recording a fourth solo album, with some material being recorded under the pseudonymZuper Blahq.[citation needed] In January 2010, a cut from the album, "I'm In the House", a collaboration withSteve Aoki, was released as a single, charting at #29 on theUK Singles Chart due to strong downloads. In October 2010, a second cut from the album, "Check It Out", a collaboration with rapperNicki Minaj, peaked at #4 on theUK Singles Chart. In February 2011, a third cut from the album, "Dance", a collaboration withNatalia Kills, peaked at #62 on the UK Singles Chart. The music video was directed byJames Sutton, and features a cameo by Natalia. In April 2011, will.i.am recorded four songs for the soundtrack of the animated filmRio, in which he voiced the character, Pedro thered-crested cardinal. "Hot Wings (I Wanna Party)", "Drop It Low", "Real In Rio" and "Advice For The Young At Heart", featuring an array of artists includingJamie Foxx,Anne Hathaway andTears for Fears. None of the songs managed to chart, however, Will announced that he was going to remix the tracks for inclusion onBlack Einstein. In September 2011, a fourth cut from the album, "Forever", a collaboration withWolfgang Gartner, was released as a single. It was around this time that will.i.am announced that he changed the title of the album fromBlack Einstein to#willpower.[30] The video premiered on August 26, 2011. In November 2011, Will premiered what is intended to be the album's official lead single, "T.H.E. (The Hardest Ever)", a collaboration withJennifer Lopez andMick Jagger. Will announced via his Twitter that the video for "T.H.E. (The Hardest Ever)" was filmed in LA, and that before he returned home, he stopped off in Brazil to film the video for the album's second official single, "Great Times". In December 2011, a fifth cut from the album, "Party Like An Animal", a collaboration with Dutch singerEva Simons andLMFAO, premiered at the HTCBeats Launch party. Will.i.am also announced he has collaborations with Britney Spears,Alicia Keys,Busta Rhymes,Swizz Beatz and a couple others on the album. He also stated there is a possibilityShakira could feature on the album.[31]#willpower is due for release in 2013, and will.i.am later confirmed thatCheryl andJustin Bieber would also appear on#willpower.[32] In mid-October, Britney Spears confirmed on her Twitter account that she had filmed the music video for the single she was featuring in called "Scream & Shout".
He was among the performers at theDiamond Jubilee Concert held outside Buckingham Palace on June 4, 2012.
The first song broadcast fromMars was his new single, "Reach for the Stars".[33] He discussed and listened to it with a live audience at NASA in Pasadena, California after it was returned from theCuriosity rover.[33]
The song "Hall of Fame" bythe Script also featured will.i.am. It debuted onto radio on July 23, 2012, and was released for digital download on August 21, 2012. He later featured inPriyanka Chopra's debut single "In My City".[34] It was announced in October 2012 that will.i.am will feature onKesha's second albumWarrior on the track "Crazy Kids". He also co-wrote and co-produced the Dr Luke produced track.
In November 2012, will.i.am released the third single from#willpower which was "Scream & Shout" featuring Britney Spears. It debuted in the top 20 on theBillboard 100, eventually reaching a peak of number 3 and debuting at number 2 on the UK Singles Chart and reaching number one in January 2013 for two weeks. It went number one in many countries[35][36]
During an interview withCapital FM, will.i.am confirmed he had collaborated withJustin Bieber for his next release "#thatPOWER" and premiered the single on the same day it was released onto iTunes in the US the same day and debuted on the Billboard 100 at number 42.[citation needed]
In April 2013, will.i.am andChris Brown's track "Let's Go", also from the #willpower album, became the centre of a copyright controversy, with trance producersArty andMat Zo claiming that will.i.am used elements of their 2011 track "Rebound" in his song without permission from the artists or their label.[37] This claim was later backed byAnjunabeats, the record label behindArty andMat Zo.[38]
His fourth studio album,#willpower, was re-released in December 2013 featuring several new tracks, including the lead single "Feelin' Myself" featuringMiley Cyrus,French Montana, andWiz Khalifa.[39]
Britney Spears featured will.i.am on her song "It Should Be Easy" on her eighth studio albumBritney Jean, for which he co-wrote and produced several tracks. He was also an executive producer of the project.[40][41][42]
On April 4, 2014, will.i.am appeared onAlan Carr: Chatty Man, where he talked about plans to release his ownSmartwatch. He revealed that it can be used as a phone, to store music, and useFacebook,Twitter andInstagram.[43][44] He also showed a preview of a music video for a song called "It's My Birthday". On May 20, 2014, a 90-second snippet was uploaded toSoundCloud. It features American singer-songwriter Cody Wise, is produced by Will andDamien LeRoy and is written by himself, Cody Wise andKeith Harris. It was released on July 6, 2014.[45]
In an interview withCapital FM, will.i.am confirmed that the Black Eyed Peas were getting back together.[46][47] On April 7, 2016, will.i.am released the single "Boys & Girls" featuringPia Mia. A week later on April 14, a new remix of "Mona Lisa Smile" featuring Nicole Scherzinger was released.[citation needed]
In March 2020, will.i.am collaborated with a group of artists made up ofBono,Jennifer Hudson, andYoshiki for the song "Sing for Life".[48] The musicians felt motivated by the widespread sense of despair surrounding theCOVID-19 pandemic and the attempts by multiple individuals to pursue creative endeavors while facing new social restrictions. The officialYouTube description stated that the track aimed to spread "joy" during trying "times like these".[49] In 2023, he released the singles "The Formula" (withLil Wayne) and a fourth collaborative song withBritney Spears titled "Mind Your Business", both of which were panned by critics and failed to make an effect on domestic or worldwide charts.[50][51][52]
In February 2024, will.i.am appeared as a guest duringUsher'sSuper Bowl halftime show, performing "OMG".[53]
The Black Eyed Peas, including will.i.am, first started acting in the commercial series "Instant Def" to advertiseSnickers chocolate bars.[54] He starred inMadagascar: Escape 2 Africa as the voice of the hippopotamus character Moto Moto. He also contributed a number of tracks to the film's soundtrack in collaboration with the score composerHans Zimmer. Will.i.am playedJohn Wraith in his major film debut,X-Men Origins: Wolverine, a prequel to theX-Men film series. He also guest-starred on the CBS dramaJoan of Arcadia as God, one of several actors who played this role during the series. He also starred in the 2011 animated filmRio, and 2014'sRio 2, as a rappingred-crested cardinal named Pedro, and likeMadagascar: Escape 2 Africa, he contributed his singing voice to the film's soundtrack, along with his fellow co-stars. InThe Urbz: Sims In The City, will.i.am appeared as himself along with the Black Eyed Peas, and the film also uses Black Eyed Peas' songs as its soundtrack. He briefly appeared as himself in theTina Fey andSteve Carell comedy filmDate Night. He appeared in the 2016Grammy-nominated documentary film about American DJ and producerSteve Aoki, titledI'll Sleep When I'm Dead.[55]
will.i.am's i.am Angel Foundation provided fast internet access to the Estrada Courts housing project in Boyle Heights where he formerly lived.[8]
On being confirmed as a coach onThe Voice UK, will.i.am said, "I'm proud to be doing The Voice UK because the UK was the first place I saw success," and "It's the place I'm the most creative outside of home."Danny Cohen, controller ofBBC One, added, "I am thrilled that will.i.am has signed up to be a coach on The Voice. He is a huge star who will bring a unique creativity to the show."[56] Talking about the differences between the show andX Factor, "I won't be a judge on X Factor. The Voice is different. You can't even compare the two. One, you have people in the music industry, current and legends, coaching the next generation. The other format you have judges critiquing, giving their opinions on things when they don't really know, other thanRandy Jackson onIdol".[57]
In preparation for the role as a coach, he asked advice from friend and ex-The X Factor judgeCheryl Cole. Talking toCapital FM he said, "I reached out to Cheryl for advice on keeping your cool, having a poker face, the importance of sticking with the singers – it's their dream, a lot of the times when you have other performers a part of the show, celebrities tend to want the shine so they hog up time. So my whole thing was that I want to do The Voice, but I don't want to hog up time to where the singers up there are looking like, 'Is this about you guys?'.[58] In March 2012, it was reported that he had turned his "plush" dressing room into a recording studio, and "instead of just listening with his headphones, he has installed some mega bass bins".[citation needed]
On November 26, 2013, will.i.am was announced as a coach for the 2014 series of theAustralian version ofThe Voice along with fellowVoice UK judgeKylie Minogue. He was the winning coach having coached voice winnerAnja Nissen in 2014. Neither will.i.am nor Minogue returned for the fourth series in 2015.[citation needed]
He has contributed toThe Voice UK since 2012.[59] He also served as a coach on the UK version ofThe Voice Kids from 2017 to 2023.[60]
Before joining the Black Eyed Peas, will.i.am attended theFashion 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.[61] In 2007, will.i.am teamed up with Blue Holdings to design a premium denim collection,i.am Antik, that was scheduled to debut in August 2007 at the Project Show in Las Vegas.[62] will.i.am instead had new partners and was launchingi.am. Will.i.am is currently[when?] being sued $2 million for abandoning the project for which, the label states, he was obligated until 2016, but will.i.am insists it is already over. He also launched his own glasses range.[63][64]
Appearing at the kickoff event for the 2011FIRST Robotics Competition,Logo Motion held atSouthern New Hampshire University,[65] will.i.am stated that he is "a big fan", and that the newly unveiled game was "dope". He also executive produced a TV Special – I.AM. FIRST: Science is Rock & Roll – about the 2011 FIRST World Championship at theEdward Jones Dome, St Louis. It was produced by Greg Sills and Paul Flattery, directed by Michael Dempsey. It was aired byABC on August 14, 2011, at 7 p.m. As part of the special, will.i.am appeared with the Black Eyed Peas. Willow Smith also performed and will.i.am did a DJ set. He continues to support FIRST, and at the 2013 FIRST World Championship, will.i.am became the first recipient of the Make It Loud award, which is given to the person who has contributed the most in increasing the awareness of FIRST to the general public.[66]
In January 2011,Intel named will.i.am as director of creative innovation, with input in developing smartphones, tablets and laptops.[67]In January 2012, he appeared on theBBC TV seriesTop Gear, as the Star in a Reasonably Priced Car, where he claimed he was starting his own car company called IAMAUTO.[68]
By becoming the first artist to stream a song ("Reaching for the Stars") from the surface ofMars on August 28, 2012, will.i.am made inter-planetary music history. The event took place at NASA'sJet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) inPasadena, California.[69]
Expanding his forays into iPhone accessory development, will.i.am announced plans to release a camera enhancer to "dramatically enhance the clarity and definition of iPhone photographs," by effectively making the 8-megapixel sensor into a 14-megapixel one. Termed thei.am+, the device was said to be the first in a series of "digital real estate" for the singer.[70]
In April 2016, it was announced that i.am+ had acquired theTel Aviv machine-learning technologystart-up Sensiya.[71]
3D Systems appointed will.i.am as itschief creative officer (CCO) on January 8, 2014.[72][73]
Since retiring from music (a retirement that did not last), he has helped designsmartwatches for German companyDeutsche Telekom since late 2015.[74][75][71]
In 2016,The Verge reported that will.i.am would join actressGwyneth Paltrow and serial entrepreneurGary Vaynerchuk on Apple TV'sPlanet of the Apps, calling the trio "successful" and "big names" with experience launching companies.[76] The show received mixed to negative reviews.
On July 27, 2017, i.am acquiredWink, the Internet of Things and Smart Home hub platform, from ownerFlextronics for a reported $38.7 million with an additional $20 million commitment, likely earmarked to sustain manufacturing of Wink's products.[77]
Will.i.am has focused his efforts on optimizing inclusivity of artificial intelligence. On June 7, 2024, he gave a speech at the Stata Center of theMassachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).[78] He is the CEO of the companyFocus Your Ideas.
In December 2010, will.i.am discussed suffering fromtinnitus as a result of his career.[79] In April 2013, he revealed that he hasADHD.[80] He became avegan in early 2017.[81]
In May 2023, will.i.am enrolled atHarvard Business School under their Owner/President Management program, and graduated in April 2024.[82][83][84][85]
On June 22, 2009, gossip bloggerPerez Hilton accused will.i.am and his entourage of assaulting him inToronto after theMuchMusic Video Awards, a charge will.i.am denied in a video posted on his blog. No further action was taken.[86]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Garfield: The Movie | Himself | Cameo during Hey Mama dance |
| 2008 | Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa | Moto Moto | Voice; Also composer |
| 2008 | Twilight (2008 film) | Vampire | Actor |
| 2009 | Arthur and the Revenge of Maltazard | Snow | Voice |
| X-Men Origins: Wolverine | John Wraith | ||
| 2010 | Date Night | Himself | Cameo |
| Bouncing Cats | |||
| 2011 | Rio | Pedro | Voice |
| 2014 | Rio 2 |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001–2004, 2017 | Samurai Jack | Theme song singer | |
| 2005 | Joan of Arcadia | Three Card Monte Guy God | Episode: "Independence Day" |
| 2007 | Cane | Himself | Episode: "A New Legacy" |
| 2012 | The Cleveland Show | Bernard Bernard | 13 episodes |
| 2012 Television Rack Awards | Host | First Time Hosting, 9th time performing | |
| American Idol | Himself | Top 12 guest mentor | |
| Top Gear | Celebrity guest | ||
| 2012–present | The Voice UK | Coach or "judge" and mentor for artists, seasons 1 onwards | |
| 2014 | The Voice Australia | Coach or "judge" and mentor for artists, season 3 | |
| 2017 | Planet of the Apps | Mentor | |
| 2017–2023 | The Voice Kids UK | Coach or "judge" and mentor for artists, seasons 1 through 7 | |
| 2019 | The Rookie | Episode: "The Checklist" | |
| Songland | Episode: "will.i.am" | ||
| The Voice | Mentor | ||
| 2020 | Anitta: Made in Honório | Episode 3: "Funk" | |
| 2021 | Alter Ego | Judge: Musician, Producer and Tech Entrepreneur | |
| will.i.am: The Blackprint | Presenter of the Black History Month documentary forITV | ||
| 2023 | Superstar: Aaliyah | ABC documentary | |
| That's My Jam | Himself/Guest | Along withKeke Palmer,Saweetie,Joel McHale |
| Year | Title | Voice role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | The Urbz: Sims in the City | Himself | Vocals |
| 2009 | X-Men Origins: Wolverine | John Wraith | |
| 2011 | The Black Eyed Peas Experience | Himself |
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | The Voice UK | TV Judge | Nominated |
Aged 25, when a passport application resulted in him seeing his full birth certificate for the first time, he found out that his real, full name was William James Adams Jr. He was named after his Jamaican father he never known [sic], and whom no one in his family ever discussed.
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