Event Details
Date: Saturday, June 30, 2012
Start Time: 11:00 AM
Event Type: DJ Events, Special Events
Last Updated: June 02, 2012
Views: 21
Will.i.amOpening set By Sultan & Ned ShepardWilliam James Adams, Jr. (born March 15, 1975), better known by his stage name will.i.am ("will I am") is an American rapper, musician, songwriter, singer, entrepreneur, actor, DJ and producer. He came to prominence in the late 1990s as a member of the hip hop group The Black Eyed Peas along with rappers apl.de.ap and Taboo and, later, singer Fergie. As a music producer, he has produced with other artists including Michael Jackson, Justin Bieber, Eazy-E, Britney Spears, U2, Rihanna, Usher, Justin Timberlake, Earth, Wind & Fire, Nicki Minaj, Cheryl Cole, 2NE1, SMAP, The Game, Nas, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, Daddy Yankee, Wolfgang Gartner, and Juanes. He is a coach on The Voice UK.William Adams was born in East Los Angeles, and raised in the Estrada Courts housing projects in the Boyle Heights neighborhood, where he and his family were one of the few African Americans living in a predominantly Mexican American community. He never met his father, William Adams, Sr., and grew up with his mother, Debra, who encouraged him to be unique and to avoid conforming to the tendencies of the other youth in his neighborhood on the eastside of Los Angeles. She encouraged him to begin working on his musical career by sending him to public schools in affluent West Los Angeles.[2] While attending Palisades Charter High School, will.i.am became best friends with Allan Lindo (stage name apl.de.ap), who was also a future member of The Black Eyed Peas. While still in high school, will.i.am and apl.de.ap performed in East L.A. clubs and were soon joined by three other entertainers to form the socially conscious rap group, Atban Klann. Atban Klann caught the eye of Compton rapper Eazy-E and was signed to his label, Ruthless Records, in 1991 (or 1992 as mentioned in 'Music Career' paragraph below uncertainty).will.i.am used to attend raves while in high school, and claims that his history with rave culture is why he chose a more electro sound for The Black Eyed Peas' albums The E.N.D. and The Beginning. Despite the use of electro and house music elements, will.i.am prefers to separate the underground from pop in order to maintain the theory that rave music is for esoterics of rave culture (such persons are otherwise known as 'ravers'). In an article with Los Angeles Times, he mentions that secrecy over the whereabouts of raves is what made raving special, and different from the mainstream.