Will.i.am Revealed He Doesn’t Like Tupac And Biggie’s Music: It 'Doesn't Speak To My Spirit'

Musician Will.i.am born Williams James Adams just shared how he felt about some famously known hip hop legends. The rapper is the frontman of the popular band Black Eyed Peas and is known for hits like "Scream & Shout," "Let's Get It Started," and several others.

The artist appeared in a podcast interview from last year currently going viral and revealed that, unlike most American artists, he didn't resonate with the music of legends like Tupac Shakur and The Notorious B.I.G, also known as Biggie Smalls.

Tupac was shot fatally in a Las Vegas drive-by in September 1996 when he was 25. Biggie, on the other hand, was killed in a similar manner at the age of 24 in 2007. At the time, his child C.J. was just five months old.

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Will.i.am is not the biggest fan of either Tupac or Biggie's music. The artist joined rapper Skillz in a podcast interview on Hip Hop Confessions and talked about some of his favorite musical acts and some who didn't "speak to [his] spirit."

The Black Eyed Peas frontman told the podcast host, "I'm gonna say something... I don't want to say it in a disrespectful way. When people say Tupac and Biggie, I'm such [an] A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul head that I don't like Tupac and Biggie."

Will.i.am revealed that music like that didn't inspire him; however, he did like Boogie Down Productions and KRS One. The 47-year-old continued, "If it's like, 'Tupac or Biggie?' I'm like, 'KRS-One.' Why those two?"

The "Scream & Shout" artist went on to talk about the artists he did like and whose music he felt resonated with him. Will.i.am said, "If it's Tupac and Biggie, I don't hold them up like that. I hold Eric B. [and] Rakim up like that."

Trying not to be misunderstood, the artist further clarified that regardless of how he felt about Tupac's music, he genuinely thought the rapper was "dope."

"Tupac's dope," he explained. "Don't get me wrong. It's not like I don't think he's dope."

Will.i.am, however, maintained that although Tupac seemed to speak to the projects, the hip-hop artists who gave him inspiration and escapism in its truest form were De La Soul and A Tribe Called Quest.

The 47-year-old explained, "It took me out the projects physically, as far as being able to reach my dreams, that was my path out. It kept me safe while I was in the projects. Had I loved Tupac and Biggie while I was in the projects, I probably would have been stuck in the projects still."

March 9 will mark Biggie's 25th anniversary since his death, and his family is gearing up to commemorate the event. The "Notorious Thugs" rapper's son, C.J., recently joined People Magazine for an interview to talk about his father's legacy.

The rapper died in 1997 when he was just 24, and his son was barely six months old. C.J. revealed that he didn't have any personal recollection of his famous father; however, several people had told him stories about Biggie and the many ways the father and son were alike.

He said, "Now that I'm 25, it's really starting to sit with me that I was able to pass the age that he died. It's a very special feeling because I'm starting to really grow into my own as a man."

The 25-year-old also spoke on the impact his father had on the entire world and how it is still evident in his life. C.J. added, "I see the reaction that I get when people recognize me, and the DMs I get on Instagram and on Twitter show me that even people younger than me have been inspired by my dad. It's crazy."

C.J. also revealed to People that he knew exactly the kind of influence his father's name packed and that it had opened various doors for him already. He explained that due to the brand of The Notorious B.I.G., he made sure to tread carefully when making decisions in order not to cause any damage.

C.J. also talked about when he was cast to play the role of a younger version of his father in 2009 at age 13. The movie titled "Notorious" was the entrepreneur's first time on screen, and he was reportedly terrified.

The 25-year-old said, "Man, that was terrifying. It was scary. I was in seventh grade at that time, and it was my first time acting and being on a big set like that. Luckily, I'm basically him reincarnated."

Despite how scary the scenario was for him at the time, C.J. admitted that it was what got him into acting and made him interested in being behind the camera. "Overall, it was amazing," C.J. continued. "It's really what started getting me into acting, and I really fell in love with being behind the camera and directing."

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