The music group Black Eyed Peas was formed in 1995 and since then they’ve gained international success. Will.i .am thinks their success is the reason they aren’t considered a “black” group.
“In 2004, Black Eyed Peas, we were just trying to get on. I’m a Black dude, but when you think of Black Eyed Peas, we go so big that…and it hurts, it still hurts a little bit that we’re not considered a Black group because we got that big.”
He added, “When you think of Black Eyed Peas…it’s no longer urban or Black culture, which is…it’s not good for the black community that Black Eyed Peas is not looked at as a Black group because we had international success.”
Will.i.am went on to list genres that were originated by Black musicians but eventually colonized. “…That should be credited to the Black community more so than letting it be adopted. That’s just a thing that we suffer from all the time. When you think of Jazz, you no longer think of Black anymore. When you think of Rock n’ Roll, you don’t think of Black anymore…I don’t know why we have that. When you think of even country, you don’t think of Black. A lot of the things that we create and we invent, we dispose of or it gets stolen from us to the point where it’s not associated to its origins.”
The Black Eyed Peas replaced Fergie with The Voice of the Philippines season 1 finalist, J. Rey Soul.
The rest of the original group, Will, Taboo, and Apl.de.ap, previously shared that they’re still on good terms with Fergie, who wanted to focus on motherhood. “Fergie is our sister, so even with these small connections, she’s always going to be our sister. But unfortunately, our schedule is displaced by (her) wanting to be a great mom, and she wants to focus on that. And like Will said, we support her 100%.”
The music group Black Eyed Peas was formed in 1995 and since then they’ve gained international success. Will.i .am thinks their success is the reason they aren’t considered a “black” group.
“In 2004, Black Eyed Peas, we were just trying to get on. I’m a Black dude, but when you think of Black Eyed Peas, we go so big that…and it hurts, it still hurts a little bit that we’re not considered a Black group because we got that big.”
He added, “When you think of Black Eyed Peas…it’s no longer urban or Black culture, which is…it’s not good for the black community that Black Eyed Peas is not looked at as a Black group because we had international success.”
Will.i.am went on to list genres that were originated by Black musicians but eventually colonized. “…That should be credited to the Black community more so than letting it be adopted. That’s just a thing that we suffer from all the time. When you think of Jazz, you no longer think of Black anymore. When you think of Rock n’ Roll, you don’t think of Black anymore…I don’t know why we have that. When you think of even country, you don’t think of Black. A lot of the things that we create and we invent, we dispose of or it gets stolen from us to the point where it’s not associated to its origins.”
The Black Eyed Peas replaced Fergie with The Voice of the Philippines season 1 finalist, J. Rey Soul.
The rest of the original group, Will, Taboo, and Apl.de.ap, previously shared that they’re still on good terms with Fergie, who wanted to focus on motherhood. “Fergie is our sister, so even with these small connections, she’s always going to be our sister. But unfortunately, our schedule is displaced by (her) wanting to be a great mom, and she wants to focus on that. And like Will said, we support her 100%.”
The music group Black Eyed Peas was formed in 1995 and since then they’ve gained international success. Will.i .am thinks their success is the reason they aren’t considered a “black” group.
“In 2004, Black Eyed Peas, we were just trying to get on. I’m a Black dude, but when you think of Black Eyed Peas, we go so big that…and it hurts, it still hurts a little bit that we’re not considered a Black group because we got that big.”
He added, “When you think of Black Eyed Peas…it’s no longer urban or Black culture, which is…it’s not good for the black community that Black Eyed Peas is not looked at as a Black group because we had international success.”
Will.i.am went on to list genres that were originated by Black musicians but eventually colonized. “…That should be credited to the Black community more so than letting it be adopted. That’s just a thing that we suffer from all the time. When you think of Jazz, you no longer think of Black anymore. When you think of Rock n’ Roll, you don’t think of Black anymore…I don’t know why we have that. When you think of even country, you don’t think of Black. A lot of the things that we create and we invent, we dispose of or it gets stolen from us to the point where it’s not associated to its origins.”
The Black Eyed Peas replaced Fergie with The Voice of the Philippines season 1 finalist, J. Rey Soul.
The rest of the original group, Will, Taboo, and Apl.de.ap, previously shared that they’re still on good terms with Fergie, who wanted to focus on motherhood. “Fergie is our sister, so even with these small connections, she’s always going to be our sister. But unfortunately, our schedule is displaced by (her) wanting to be a great mom, and she wants to focus on that. And like Will said, we support her 100%.”
The music group Black Eyed Peas was formed in 1995 and since then they’ve gained international success. Will.i .am thinks their success is the reason they aren’t considered a “black” group.
“In 2004, Black Eyed Peas, we were just trying to get on. I’m a Black dude, but when you think of Black Eyed Peas, we go so big that…and it hurts, it still hurts a little bit that we’re not considered a Black group because we got that big.”
He added, “When you think of Black Eyed Peas…it’s no longer urban or Black culture, which is…it’s not good for the black community that Black Eyed Peas is not looked at as a Black group because we had international success.”
Will.i.am went on to list genres that were originated by Black musicians but eventually colonized. “…That should be credited to the Black community more so than letting it be adopted. That’s just a thing that we suffer from all the time. When you think of Jazz, you no longer think of Black anymore. When you think of Rock n’ Roll, you don’t think of Black anymore…I don’t know why we have that. When you think of even country, you don’t think of Black. A lot of the things that we create and we invent, we dispose of or it gets stolen from us to the point where it’s not associated to its origins.”
The Black Eyed Peas replaced Fergie with The Voice of the Philippines season 1 finalist, J. Rey Soul.
The rest of the original group, Will, Taboo, and Apl.de.ap, previously shared that they’re still on good terms with Fergie, who wanted to focus on motherhood. “Fergie is our sister, so even with these small connections, she’s always going to be our sister. But unfortunately, our schedule is displaced by (her) wanting to be a great mom, and she wants to focus on that. And like Will said, we support her 100%.”
Last week, Nas appeared in the video to one of his best songs of 2018. The track and subsequent visual are courtesy of a guest verse on Swizz Beatz’ “Echo.” Days later, Nasir appears in another highlight feature shot from the year. This time it’s from the Black Eyed Peas’ “BACK 2 HIPHOP.”
The song, which references Soul II Soul’s 1989 hit “Back To Life,” opened Octobers’ Masters Of The Sun, Vol. 1 from the once-again trio out of Los Angeles, California. will.i.am, Taboo, and apl.de.ap released their first LP since the top of the decade and returned the Peas to their Hip-Hop roots. Thus, this is a fitting track to begin the message on the LP that also features the late Phife Dawg, Slick Rick, Posdnuos, and Ali Shaheed Muhammad.
The video uses motion animation. For Nas’ verse, which begins at the 3:00 mark, he appears as a pharaoh. This looks like the MC’s I Am… artwork, which will celebrate its 20th-anniversary next year. The gold-plated king delivers his rhymes while the 1965 Chevy Impala low-rider drives through the computer-generated universe.
“BACK 2 HIPHOP” features some noteworthy rhymes. In his intro verse, will declares, “You coulda sworn that you wasn’t warned ’cause we was / Trapped in the box that rap had spawned / It was a square until we kicked it to an octagon / We gotten strong from the pain it’s undergone / Whereupon we kill the beat when the mic ain’t on / That’s my motherf*ckin’ procedure I/ ‘m cold with the flow I will freeze ya / I’m the emperor, I’m Caesar / Can somebody tell me where the MCs are?” apl raps, “Proficient with the lyrical, a vision like a miracle / Damage all you mumblin’ MCs rhyming ’bout decimal / Increasing no residual, why you still remain minimal / Maximize, utilize, my plan mineral / Do not try to bite because my sh*t is not edible / Rhyme unforgettable like Nat King Cole / You can feel it on your neck like you in a choke hold.” Nas reps his Queensbridge home in a verse about fatality. “Another 40-side killer, man / North side in the sixteenth building and / I’m on the corporate side, still pull off a New York walk by / Keep tryin’ talk fly.”
Last week, Nas appeared in the video to one of his best songs of 2018. The track and subsequent visual are courtesy of a guest verse on Swizz Beatz’ “Echo.” Days later, Nasir appears in another highlight feature shot from the year. This time it’s from the Black Eyed Peas’ “BACK 2 HIPHOP.”
The song, which references Soul II Soul’s 1989 hit “Back To Life,” opened Octobers’ Masters Of The Sun, Vol. 1 from the once-again trio out of Los Angeles, California. will.i.am, Taboo, and apl.de.ap released their first LP since the top of the decade and returned the Peas to their Hip-Hop roots. Thus, this is a fitting track to begin the message on the LP that also features the late Phife Dawg, Slick Rick, Posdnuos, and Ali Shaheed Muhammad.
The video uses motion animation. For Nas’ verse, which begins at the 3:00 mark, he appears as a pharaoh. This looks like the MC’s I Am… artwork, which will celebrate its 20th-anniversary next year. The gold-plated king delivers his rhymes while the 1965 Chevy Impala low-rider drives through the computer-generated universe.
“BACK 2 HIPHOP” features some noteworthy rhymes. In his intro verse, will declares, “You coulda sworn that you wasn’t warned ’cause we was / Trapped in the box that rap had spawned / It was a square until we kicked it to an octagon / We gotten strong from the pain it’s undergone / Whereupon we kill the beat when the mic ain’t on / That’s my motherf*ckin’ procedure I/ ‘m cold with the flow I will freeze ya / I’m the emperor, I’m Caesar / Can somebody tell me where the MCs are?” apl raps, “Proficient with the lyrical, a vision like a miracle / Damage all you mumblin’ MCs rhyming ’bout decimal / Increasing no residual, why you still remain minimal / Maximize, utilize, my plan mineral / Do not try to bite because my sh*t is not edible / Rhyme unforgettable like Nat King Cole / You can feel it on your neck like you in a choke hold.” Nas reps his Queensbridge home in a verse about fatality. “Another 40-side killer, man / North side in the sixteenth building and / I’m on the corporate side, still pull off a New York walk by / Keep tryin’ talk fly.”
As the culture continues to evolve it is a given some veterans will disagree with the current trajectory. Will.i.am made it clear he is not here for today’s Soundcloud wave.
As spotted by ComplexThe Black Eyed Peas front man recently did an interview with Rolling Stone. As he focuses his talents to build out an artificially intelligent personal assistant via his technology company I.am+, the music periodical picked his brain on the future of entertainment. When talking Rap Will spoke to the elephant in the room.
“What’s the number-one sport on the planet? Soccer, because anyone can play it. The problem with hip-hop is everybody could do it. It doesn’t take much f***ing skill right now to make hip-hop. It’s become the lowest-hanging fruit.” He went on to further explain his stance. “It’s no longer about Rakim-level, Nas-level, not the deep, metaphorical simile sh*t. Out of respect for the Nases of the world, let’s not call it hip-hop. Let’s say that’s rap. But instrumental music is going to be the next biggest sh*t.”
When asked to clarify his speculation about music in the next 20 years he pointed to talent and skill. “The John Coltranes, the Stan Getzes, the Jimi Hendrixes, the musicianship. That’s the only way to prove intelligence or taste: demonstrating your artistry. Right now we’re competing human on human, and eventually we’ll be competing human on machine – the moment there’s a fucking AI mumble rapper [laughs] . . . it’s inevitable, bro! Like, the reason why Star Wars is Star Wars is because the Jedis kept the machines in check” he said.
You can read the rest of the interview here where he discusses how AI will eventually surpass HI (human intelligence) and more.
After spending over twenty years making top-notch hits and ultimately paving his own lane, it appears that Will.i.am owns a very unsteady theory about the future of the Hip-Hop genre. In a recent interview with Rolling Stone, the Black Eyed Peas rapper expressed his thoughts about the livelihood of Hip-Hop’s global dominance and anticipated the coming and takeover of artificial intelligence rappers.
“What’s the number-one sport on the planet? Soccer, because anyone can play it. The problem with hip-hop is everybody could do it,” he said. “It doesn’t take much fucking skill right now to make hip-hop. It’s become the lowest-hanging fruit. It’s no longer about Rakim-level, Nas-level, not the deep, metaphorical simile shit. Out of respect for the Nases of the world, let’s not call it hip-hop. Let’s say that’s rap. But instrumental music is going to be the next biggest shit.”
If there is one thing out of Hip-Hop’s history that is telling of its universal appeal, which leads to its unlimited creativity, it is its barefaced journey to global recognition from being heavily discredited to a lasting folkway. Hip-Hop’s mesmerizing entrance was a green light to those who were linear to the culture and blatant migrants and eventually gave birth to the myriad of carbon rappers and unrestricted sectors of sub-genres. It was the showcased lifestyle of the prime catchy-rhymer that most aspiring rappers have spent the past 30 years crafting non-traditional tunes about, an often misleading and misunderstood expression.
With the help of name-dropping distinguished music acts, Will.i.am went on to elaborate on the contents of true Hip-Hop music, by highlighting the importance of a Hip-Hop musician being able to embrace their artistry.
“The John Coltranes, the Stan Getzes, the Jimi Hendrixes, the musicianship. That’s the only way to prove intelligence or taste: demonstrating your artistry. Right now we’re competing human on human, and eventually we’ll be competing human on machine – the moment there’s a fucking AI mumble rapper [laughs] . . . it’s inevitable, bro! Like, the reason why Star Wars is Star Wars is because the Jedis kept the machines in check.”
Will’s confidence in artificial intelligence is certainly not artificial, there is a sound reason behind his confidence. He is currently one of the most sought-after tech innovators of the 21st century and one of the lead advocates of artificial intelligence. According to Rolling Stone, since his 2015 Puls smartwatch exertion, Will.i.am has received over $100 million in funding for his company I.am, a personal artificial intelligence device.
The Grammy-award winning producer isn’t keeping his tech knowledge to himself, he instinctively mingled Hip-Hop into the game. The Black Eyed Peas teamed up with Marvel for the curation of their graphic comic Masters of the Sun: The Zombie Chronicles. The virtual reality version was released earlier this year and offers a full-fledged honorable Hip-Hop voice-over cast including Redman, Queen Latifah, and Snoop Dogg. There is a great deal of actuality in Will.i.am’s stance and his luxurious experience as a modern day musician with a Hip-Hop foundation is enough to justify the worth of his expression.
