will.i.am
William James Adams, Jr. ( born March 15, 1975 in Los Angeles, California ), better known by his stage name will.i.am or zuper Blahq, is an American rapper and hip hop producer. He became internationally known as a member of the hip - hop group The Black Eyed Peas. He produced songs for Michael Jackson and U2. He is also since the first season in 2012, jury member and coach in the British singing talent show The Voice UK, which will be broadcast on BBC One.
- 4.1 Studio albums
Artistic career
The Black Eyed Peas
Adams is current and founding member of the Black Eyed Peas, which are commercially successful since 2003. In addition, he has worked as a producer for the band's albums.
Solo artist
His first studio album was released on October 2, 2001 on the Warner Music label and Atlantic Records. It is titled Lost Change. A single release did not exist. 2012, a new edition of the album was released. This includes in addition to the first and second CD containing instrumental music.
On September 23, 2003, his second studio album Must B 21 (Soundtrack To Get Things Started ) was published. This appeared on the record label Interscope Records and Columbia Records. Also from this song was not coupled. The album is a collection of material that has accumulated over the years in the studio of the Black Eyed Peas. The songs contain mostly vocals by other artists such as KRS -One, Phife Dawg or John Legend.
His third album was released on 25 September 2007. It's called Songs About Girls and appeared on will.i.am Music Group and Interscope Records. It could reach number 27 in the Swiss charts in the UK and number 68 in the United States the 38th. The first single was I Got It from My Mama. She appeared on 21 June 2007 and reached for instance in Germany Austria, the UK and the U.S., the upper half of chart. The subsequent singles Heartbreaker by Cheryl Cole and One More Chance were more or less successful.
In April 2009, appeared a compilation album, which produced will.i.am. It is titled Change Is Now: Renewing America's Promise 2008 already published several singles from the album. Yes We Can was released on February 12, 2008. These he took with 34 other artists. The title is based on the famous saying of Barack Obama. We Are the Ones on 29 February 2008 and It's A New Day on 7 November 2008.
On November 20, 2011, a new single by him, together with Jennifer Lopez and Mick Jagger was released. Her name was T.H.E. ( The Hardest Ever ) and was found in several countries is very high in the charts. Among them were Austria, Switzerland, Great Britain and the United States.
Then, in April 2013, his fourth studio album # willpower appeared. The first release from the album was released on 1 June 2012. It was This Is Love, Together with Eva Simons. You could reach in Switzerland, among other number one in the UK and number 8. They also reached double platinum status in Australia and gold in Switzerland and New Zealand. Then, as the second herald came out in November 2012, the single Scream & Shout in collaboration with the singer Britney Spears. It is his most successful single to Dato. It reached number 1 in over 23 countries also got will.i.am and Spears over 13 platinum records for the audio carrier. The last pre-release single released will.i.am along with Justin Bieber the title # did power. However, the song was not nearly the success as Scream & Shout. As a promo single was released in parallel with the album in April 2013, the song Fall Down, together with Miley Cyrus.
The album is also the track Let's Go appeared with Chris Brown. However, it contains not only our own new elements but turned out to be a cover of the song Rebound by Arty & Mat Zo, which did not help giving him permission chose to cover the song. But will.i.am coverte the track anyway and then got several allegations of copyright infringement.
Since 2009 he is also under the pseudonym Zuper Blahq the Music Genre Electro worked.
Production and songwriting
Since 2004, will.i.am also worked as a producer. Often he is represented on the tracks produced by him as a guest musician. In 2008 he collaborated with Michael Jackson to produce some songs and remixes for the re-release of Thriller, Thriller 25.
In February 2011, he worked with the U.S. pop singer Britney Spears on a song for her seventh album Femme Fatale. The song is called Big Fat Bass. will.i.am produced music for other artists and projects, such as for animated films (such as Madagascar 2 ), television series ( such as the title song for Samurai Jack ) and computer games (such as NBA Live). He also produced the album Sorry for Party Rocking of the American duo LMFAO.
As an actor
As a voice actor gave will.i.am in 2008 his debut as a voice of Moto Moto in the animated film Madagascar 2, for which he also collaborated with Hans Zimmer on the soundtrack.
In 2009, will.i.am in the movie X -Men Origins: Wolverine played as John Wraith.
Political Activities
During the primaries for the presidential election in the United States in 2008, he decided to support the Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama with the song Yes We Can and turned this together with director Jesse Dylan, son of Bob Dylan, a four and a half minute music video in the style of Virals in which many stars perform and consists of selected passages of the original 13 -minute campaign speech Obama that were made into a collage, which he published on 2 February 2008 at the Internet on YouTube.
On 29 February, he released a second music video, in which he again support Obama. It bears the name of We Are the Ones, in German, "We are those ". Also in this video come back to a large number of celebrities who express their wishes, hopes and dreams for the future, while Obama is chanted in the background of the name. Like the previous video Yes We Can is also this video in black and white kept and published on YouTube, its length is just over three minutes.
Following Obama's electoral victory on November 5, 2008, he released the song It's a New Day on YouTube.
Others
- Will.i.am sells clothing under his own clothes brand i.am clothing.
- In February 2010 he took part in the project We Are the World 25 for Haiti, the proceeds from which were donated to the victims of the devastating earthquake in Haiti in 2010.
- Will.i.am ' greatest role model and youth idol was Michael Jackson.
- 2011 will.i.am has established its own car brand named IAMAUTO. Most parts are from Chrysler. Only the chassis and the interior come from his company. The music system is complete by Beats by Dr. Dre come. The reason for the founding of his company, he said that he wants to fight unemployment in Los Angeles. That's why his company is headquartered grew will.i.am in the near of the ghetto.
- In 2014 it was announced that will.i.am Chief Creative Officer ( CCO ) of the 3D printing company 3D Systems was.
Discography
Studio albums
Filmography (selection)
- 2005: Joan of Arcadia ( Joan of Arcadia, TV series, one episode)
- 2009: X -Men Origins: Wolverine
- 2010: Date Night - Gangster for one night ( Date Night )
- 2008: Madagascar 2 ( Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa, Voice of Moto Moto )
- 2009: Arthur and the Invisibles 2 - The Return of the evil M ( Arthur et la Vengeance de Maltazard, Voice of Snow)
- 2011: Rio (voice of Pedro)
- 2011-2012: The Cleveland Show (TV series, 5 episodes, voice of Bernard )
- 2014: Rio 2 - Jungle Fever (Rio 2, Voice of Pedro)