Will.i.am joins Neil Jacobson’s Hallwood Media for solo artist administration, together with his monitor ‘The Method’ that includes Lil Wayne because the official track of the 2023 Method 1 season.
Producer, musician, and entrepreneur will.i.am has signed with Neil Jacobson’s Hallwood Media for artist administration. The seven-time Grammy winner and former Black-Eyed Pea has tapped Jacobson’s full-service administration firm to characterize his solo endeavors worldwide.
Amongst will.i.am’s present tasks embody a partnership with Method 1 Racing as their artist-in-residence, inserting “The Method” that includes Lil Wayne because the official track of the 2023 F1 season. will.i.am will launch two extra F1-inspired songs all through the season, culminating within the launch of his upcoming solo album through Epic Information this fall.
The artist says he pitched the idea to F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali in November as an initiative that may proceed with a brand new artist every year.
“To place out a report and go on tour with a sport because it travels the entire world — that doesn’t occur,” mentioned will.i.am, who’s slated to carry out at a handful of Method 1 races all year long along with the discharge of his album.
Not everyone seems to be thrilled with the concept of musicians as an integral a part of every Method 1 season, because the residency program’s first displaying in Miami with LL Cool J resulted in all 20 drivers getting pelted with smoke throughout the introduction. Mercedes driver George Russell known as the efficiency “distracting.”
“I’m right here to race; I’m not right here for the present,” he advised reporters. “I’m right here to drive, and I’m right here to win.”
In the meantime, Lewis Hamilton discovered the efficiency — which additionally featured will.i.am conducting an orchestra on the beginning grid — rather more favorable.
“I believe it’s cool that the game is constantly rising and evolving, they usually’re not simply doing the identical stuff that they’ve carried out up to now,” he mentioned. “They’re attempting new issues. They’re attempting to enhance the present, at all times, and I’m in full help of it.”
Whereas some stay skeptical of the collaboration, will.i.am is adamant that music will likely be “a bridge to speak” with new F1 followers, a lot of whom found the game by social media or Netflix’s docuseries “Drive to Survive.”
“The ‘new fan’ most likely doesn’t know something concerning the race. They know Lewis (Hamilton) — they could know Max (Verstappen). These are the one two folks they know,” mentioned will.i.am, who advised that new followers have been “flocking” to the game for “the vibe” greater than something. “They don’t know the engineers, they usually don’t know the small print of how somebody wins the race, so some training wants to enter the brand new fan.”
“However the vibe just isn’t sufficient to maintain them,” he continues. “I keep in mind enjoying the Singapore Grand Prix, and there’s like 100,000 folks within the viewers watching the present, however it wasn’t broadcast. If this was the Tremendous Bowl, it could all be broadcast. And F1 has 23 Tremendous Bowls each single yr, however they haven’t stitched these two worlds (collectively). The residency program is step one to deal with that.”
Hallwood Media continues increasing its attain as a full-service administration firm and world label for artists, producers, and songwriters.