Inside The Creative Mind Of Will.i.am

Rapper and producer Will.i.am steered Black Eyed Peas to pop success by blurring the lines between bands and brands. Now he's applying the lessons he learned in the music business in an attempt to shake up the Silicon Valley status quo.

- Jason Ankeny

STATIONED BEHIND THE MIXING CONSOLE AT THE HEART OF ONE OF THE FOUR RECORDING STUDIOS INSIDE HIS CENTRAL HOLLYWOOD OFFICES, HE TWISTS AND TURNS IN HIS AERON CHAIR, INSISTENTLY TAPPING HIS FOOT TO A RHYTHM ONLY HE CAN HEAR. THE MUSIC IS FILLING HIS HEAD, BUT IT MUST REMAIN THERE, AT LEAST FOR A LITTLE WHILE LONGER. RIGHT NOW, THERE’S OTHER BUSINESS AT HAND.

Welcome to the world of i.am+, the technology startup at the intersection of will.i.am’s entertainment empire and entrepreneurial ambitions. The rapper, producer and DJ has straddled music and commerce throughout his career: Years before i.am+ launched in late 2012 with its foto.sosho camera accessory line for the iPhone, his multiplatinum hip-hop group Black Eyed Peas inked sponsorships with everyone from Apple to Coors to Best Buy to Honda. Along the way, will.i.am landed deals with firms like Intel—which in 2011 named him director of creative innovation—and Coca-Cola, his partner in Ekocycle, a brand devoted to sustainable goods. He’s also a founding shareholder in Beats Electronics, creators of the wildly popular Beats by Dre headphones brand.

The difference this time is that will.i.am isn’t collaborating with Apple; he’s competing directly against it. The i.am+ smartband aims to challenge the Apple Watch and other wrist-worn smart devices, offering consumers voice-activated access to music, maps, messaging and other digital media services.