RECENTLY, Will.i.am – the founder and frontman of Black Eyed Peas – received an honorary Clio Award in New York in recognition of “the work and talent of those who push the boundaries of creativity in advertising and beyond”, according to a release from the ad-business group that presents the awards.
The prize certainly says something about his expansive skill set and his impressive trajectory. Over the last two decades, the 38-year-old polymath-born William Adams has transitioned from the West Coast hip-hop underground to a kind of global omnipresence rarely seen in music. His manager, Adam Leber, calls Will.i.am “an industry”, and he’s not overstating it by much.