Before the global hits, Will.i.am faced the threat of being dropped. The Black Eyed Peas were just one of many groups under pressure. But a single comment changed everything.
On the 3rd Verse podcast, Will.i.am shared how a conversation at Interscope about Eminem reshaped his entire approach to music. A guy who was Steve Riiffken’s right-hand back then, Mojo, told Will that it was thanks to Eminem that he could make music on the label.
A New Way to Think About Hits
It has changed his mindset, Will explained. Crucially, it was not about success for yourself, but about helping others succeed, too.
“It helped me aim myself”, recalls Will. “It was around the time when we were threatened of getting dropped. Everybody was getting dropped at the time, right? J5, I think the Roots or something got dropped off at the time, Slum Village. There was a lot of folks getting dropped that were in that style of music. And Mojo was like, ‘The reason why you’re able to make records is because Eminem keeps the lights on in here”.
The idea shifted his focus from chasing fame to building something sustainable. Additionally, Mojo saw in Will.i.am the potential akin to that of Eminem. “You got what it takes to keep the lights on”, he told Will. “You write. You produce. You should be able to keep the lights on”. That lesson became a driving force.
Rather than pressuring artists to chase the next hit, this mindset grounded Will.i.am in a sense of responsibility.
Structure, Simplicity, and Lessons from Eminem
Also, the Black Eyed Peas frontman broke down how “My Name Is” changed the way he thought about making hits.
According to Will.i.am, the beat, flow, and structure of Eminem’s early success made a lasting impression. “Let’s Get It Started,” he explained, was crafted with that same simplicity and song-first mindset.
Will learned a lot from going on the Warped Tour with Eminem:
“We went on tour with Ice Tea and Eminem. So I learned off what Eminem did. How simple that beat was on “My Name Is”! I studied what was the magnet that attracted people to that song. Because it was battle rap, but fine-tuned in song format. It wasn’t just like, yo, I’m a battle rapper. Let me just bars, bars, bars, bars, bars, bars, bars, bars, bars, bars, bars, no chorus, no chorus, bars, bars, bars, bars. You ain’t going to get through just bars only. There has to be some structure”.
He studied the track’s format and used those insights to build songs like “Let’s Get It Started”.
He observed the way Eminem repackaged battle rap lyrical intricacy into mainstream song formats. Importantly, not by neglecting bars, but by crafting something listeners could live with.
“After studying Eminem, Dre, the perfectionism of how everything sounded, ‘Let’s Get It Started’ was my version of the simplicity of ‘My Name Is’”, Will reveals.
A Lesson in Longevity
For Eminem, music has always been more than individual success. His work ethic and dedication, which many compare to a 9-to-5 job, keep studios running and creative teams afloat.
In a court filing, manager Paul Rosenberg detailed how Eminem’s daily studio routine affects dozens of people. His discipline ensures that “failure to appear can result in cancelled sessions and wasted days for his staff”.
Will.i.am’s reflections remind us that great songs come from precision, discipline, and a sharp ear for what cuts through. They come from caring for others, from the sense of responsibility, and from thinking about the future. What they do not come from is the ego.
Eminem has never been in the game for an iced chain and a new Bugatti. He is here to stay, to push the pen as hard as he can. To keep the lights on, keep children fed, and new artists signed.
This is why other artists study his work, and if they learn the lesson, they move forward to carve out their own niche in the culture, as Will did. Eminem didn’t just teach Will.i.am how to build hits, he modelled how to build a career.
