Last month, the eclectic hitmaker (Born William James Adams, Jr.), whose production credits include Usher, Michael Jackson, and Nas to name a few, faced criticism stemming from his 'MTV Video Music Awards' appearance, which many thought was him dressed in blackface.
Although the singer-songwriter disputed claims stating that he set "black people back 100 years" with his outfit, the chart-topper recently responded to critics who feel that his music is distant to today's hip-hop music.
"I'm like, 'Cool. It's not crowded. Y'all n*%#as stay over there,'" he stated in the November issue of The Source magazine. "F*#k a quotable. I ain't trying to make other rappers be like, 'Yo, that n*%#a's nice.' I don't give a f*#k. I did that when I was
19, 20, 21. I don't wanna do that no more."
Will.i.am went on to tell the mag how he doesn't want his creativity limited due to his cultural background.
"We take no ownership and Hip-Hop demonstrates that," he said. "We came from dance, disco and electro, but in 2010, if a Black man does dance, disco and electro we say, 'That's not Hip-Hop.'
"As a Black man in America, why should I limit my creative to stereotypes that not only white America sees in us, but now our own culture," he continued. "So, please, tell me what Hip-Hop is 'cause if that's your definition, I don't wanna be that. I'll be the definition of the Hip-Hop I fell in love with."
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