Artist
Will.i.am
Why we feature this artist A producer who made the hook part of the machinery will.i.am's records often organise themselves around a short, highly defined idea: a vocal sound, a rhythmic phrase or a production gesture that can become the whole track's identity…
- From
- United States
- Sound
- Hip-hop, pop, electronic
- Active
- 1988–present
Start with the music
Tracks to explore
The artist, in context
The story of Will.i.am
Why we feature this artist
A producer who made the hook part of the machinery
will.i.am's records often organise themselves around a short, highly defined idea: a vocal sound, a rhythmic phrase or a production gesture that can become the whole track's identity. His solo catalogue runs alongside the Black Eyed Peas story, with earlier instrumental interests and later international pop collaborations giving that method several different settings.
The early solo records
William Adams developed as a rapper, producer and songwriter before the Black Eyed Peas reached their largest pop audience. Lost Change appeared in 2001 through BBE, placing his production inside a different listening frame from the later blockbuster singles. Must B 21 followed in 2003, with a broader collection of guest voices and rhythmic approaches.
The music could draw on hip-hop, funk and electronic detail without making the boundaries between them the principal subject. Adams' instinct was often to find a small figure with enough personality to remain effective through repetition. That preference later became central to his most widely heard pop work, where a very short hook could carry an enormous amount of the record's identity.
Songs About Girls and #willpower
Songs About Girls arrived in 2007, including I Got It from My Mama, before #willpower followed in 2013. The later project included This Is Love with Eva Simons, Scream & Shout with Britney Spears and #thatPOWER with Justin Bieber. Each collaboration used a different vocal personality while keeping the production's rhythmic outline exceptionally clear.
The difference between the early solo material and those large pop singles is partly one of scale and intended setting. The same fascination with texture and repetition can function as a detailed instrumental idea or as a chorus designed for immediate collective response. will.i.am's most recognisable musical decisions make that connection audible, turning the hook into an active part of the beat rather than leaving it as a separate melody above it.
Essential releases
Lost Change
The early BBE album gives the production a more extended instrumental and hip-hop setting.
Songs About Girls
I Got It from My Mama leads a solo album positioned beside the growing Black Eyed Peas catalogue.
#willpower
Britney Spears, Eva Simons and Justin Bieber supply contrasting voices within a highly defined electronic-pop frame.