Will.I.Am

While he's occasionally dismissed by critics as a rap dilettante or a crossover-craving popster for his unabashedly upbeat and hooky hip-hop, Will.I.Am also earns a well-deserved modicum of praise for his acrobatic rhymes and agile beats, both solo and as the primary member of the Black Eyed Peas. He was actually against the direction of the BEP's breakthrough hit, "Where Is the Love?" in 2003; however, with its simplistic, sweet, striking philosophy and luxurious, swelling backbeat, it would perfectly sum up what would become the Will.I.Am aesthetic. While his solo material has been less storied, his political clout would prove mighty: his YouTube video for future President Barack Obama came at the perfect time in the Illinois senator's nascent campaign.

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