Spend five minutes with will.i.am and it becomes glaringly apparent that aside from being the driving force behind one of hip hop’s most influential groups, this rapper, writer, actor and record producer is also a forward-thinking innovator shaping the future of technology. A proud Los Angeles native – specifically from Boyle Heights – the Black Eyed Peas co-founder possesses a rare ability to bridge music and innovation, seamlessly merging creativity with cutting-edge advancements in ways few can.
I experienced this firsthand during my years at will.i.am's now-defunct multimedia company, i.amMedia. Inside this Hollywood-based creative hub – aptly dubbed The Future – I saw him launch futuristic BUTTON earbuds (under his i.am+ label in 2016), sci-fi-inspired mask collaborations with Honeywell, augmented reality software for live performances, a graphic novel release with Marvel and virtual reality experiences with Oculus, all while working to advance AI models.
