Happy birthday, Will.i.am! To celebrate the special occasion, let's take a look at the singer's success as a member of Black Eyed Peas, a solo musician, and his decision to return to school.
Born William Adams on March 15, 1979, in Los Angeles, California, the singer is now 49 years old! His mother raised him in a housing project in LA, and he had never met his father.
When he was younger, his mother encouraged him to explore and be unique so that he would not conform to the tendencies of other teenagers in their neighborhood.
His love for music began when he attended public schools in West Los Angeles, even though it's an hour away from his home.
Later on, he enjoyed attending raves with some of his friends.
Will.i.am Music Career, Net Worth
He later met rapper Allan Pineda, also known as apl.de.ap, as well as Dante Santiago. In the summer of 1988, they decided to form a group.
When they were performing during the early days of their careers, they were discovered by Eazy-E, and they later struck a deal with Ruthless Records in 1992.
In the mid-90s, the group changed its name to Black Eyed Pods and eventually to the Black Eyed Peas.
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Some of the first members include Will.i.am, apl.de.ap, Taboo, and Kim Hill. When Hill left the group, Fergie joined them, but after years with the group, J. Rey Soul came into the picture.
Aside from being in a group, Will.i.am also became a solo artist, and he was able to collaborate with some of the most prominent musicians in the industry, such as Britney Spears, Justin Bieber, and more.
According to Celebrity Net Worth, Will. i.am amassed a fortune of $50 million thanks to his work as a musician and producer.
Will.i.am Became a Student Again
After years of amassing massive success and fame, Will.i.am randomly decided to return to school to study at Harvard.
In an interview with Jennifer Hudson, he revealed that he just woke up one day and told himself: "I wanna go to Harvard."
He then shared that he's studying business, and while he's a student again, he made sure that he's not taking advantage of his success, and he also wanted to discipline himself to "have further success." (via AfroTech)
Going to college was a full-circle moment for the singer, as he noted that he never got the chance to continue his high school studies because his career took off early in life.
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