EXCLUSIVE: Will.i.am On Mercedes Sound Drive, Lewis Hamilton, And Insane Car Collection
It's no secret that will.i.am, the rapper, singer, songwriter-turned entrepreneur, has had a long relationship with Mercedes. His varied car collection boasts a number of cars from the German brand, and he's not shied away from his strong friendship with F1 driver Lewis Hamilton.
At this year's CES, the partnership unveiled Sound Drive, a technology that is able to create music from how a car is being driven by taking data from every sensor and every input and output, and plotting it on a DAW (digital audio workstation). More aggressive driving results in a more aggressive beat and melody, whereas cruising could result in something more peaceful and relaxing.
This kind of technology sounds like something the car industry might just leap on, so when I was offered the chance to talk to the man himself about how he and his team at Mercedes went about taking this idea to fruition, as well as a number of other topics such as his connections to Formula 1, I couldn't say no.
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Alex Harrington: Congratulations on Sound Drive. I found this really interesting and I think a lot of people will because music's become such a subconscious part of driving. I think we all love a good driving song to get the heart pumping. First of all, I want to talk about the tech. Tell me a bit about it and how did this idea of blending music and driving come about?
will.i.am: "Well, to your point that you just made, driving and music has been related ever since they put the radio in the car. The drive is alive, but the music is captured. Meaning, the most you can do is turn the volume up. And with today's technology, why is that a limitation that the only thing you can do is turn the volume up or pause it, maybe put it on shuffle or repeat. And when it repeats, does it really, truly repeat in a seamless loop.
"Why? And so to allow for an expressive, immersive, interactive music experience we took all the sensors, the accelerometer, the gyro, the acceleration, the brake, the suspension, the steering wheel, and GPS, and those sensors are being fed to a DAW. A sort of DAW, digital audio work, and the sensors are altering, reconfiguring music sounds, eventually it will be creating songs from scratch and our architecture is where the smart is. What happens when you come to a stop? What happens when you accelerate? How does it do it in a way to where you don't get bored of the same instant? So it's always in a malleable state to where you don't... it's not repetitive. No drive song will ever be the same experience every single time.
"It's like a drive is not the same drive. If you take the same route every single day, you're not stopped at the stop sign the same amount of seconds. You're not turning the same radius every single time, the bump or the swerve. It's not the same all the time, but you don't really notice it because nothing's ever captured it so you could see the nuance and the difference. There's no colour so you don't really pay attention to the ever so slight alterations on your commute.
"And now with the system you're able to curate, create, alter, enhance, dimensionalise your music experience and it's great. Not only for the driver, it's great for the creator of music. Now, the creative community has a broader way to imagine, 'what do I want my music to feel like when people are stopped? How do I want the song to behave when people take off from a stop? What type of elements do I want to add to the song when people break when people pass a certain coordinate or what type of Easter eggs or unlocks can I put on the earth?'
"For people to experience, it opens up instead of just saying, 'Hey, I want to write it. I want to make the song aimed at TikTok. Ooh, I want to make sure my song has no skip rate.'
"Let me put the chorus in the beginning and I want it all to happen in two minutes. That is what music has reduced itself to, to where you're thinking algorithmically and thinking in a two minute, three minutes is too long. The skip rate is not going to allow your record to perform. Like really? My imagination is only supposed to fit in two minutes!
"And this copycat, you know, carbon copy, cookie cutter song structure is the only thing that has let move and allows folks to expand their imagination and dream up other ways of creating. Why? Because people drive every single day, there's millions of cars on the street in every single city, every single day.
"And there's a whole new way that creators can create for that. So SoundDrive is not only a driver's experience, we also have a creator's tool for people to define how they want the song to unfold and a simulator to simulate drives so that when people drive, it's exactly like your simulation and you're unfolding."
AH: I love that, it's all about tearing down those limitations. I feel with EVs they all have these sounds that are programmed into them and they're not like engines that individual engine sounds. So I love that, you kind of linked it to your music, having to limit your music to two, three minutes. Are we going to hear any of these kind of audio samples from your driving style in any of your future music?
will.i.am: "I would like to answer that this way. My future music is just going to be drives. Opposed to thinking, 'Yo, I'm gonna make songs for limitation, I'm going to make songs for abundance and expansion.'
"And then what could come from that? Maybe that version that people are TikToking came from Samantha's drive to work in Orange County that week. You know what I'm saying? Maybe Samantha's or Robert's or Jamal's or Sunil's or Melissa's or Mitchell's drive to work is the one that people are freaking vibing on TikTok.
"A drive for millions of people to escape to or dive into while they're driving. Sorry, drive into while they're driving. You know, a honking traffic jam. Brilliant. That's the headline right there. Because I mean when I when I was reading about this technology, I was just thinking how cool would it be to attach this technology to Lewis Hamilton's Mercedes and you can get a symphony of his year."
AH: Do you think something like that could be possible?
will.i.am: "Oh, yeah, easily."
AH: I know you've had a long partnership with Mercedes. You've had the Flip, the really cool AMG based car. Can we expect any other partnerships, any other projects with Mercedes anytime soon?
will.i.am: "Well, this partnership with Mercedes is a doozy. This is a big one in a good way, it's a heavy one. The trust that they've had in me to assemble a team, to execute my vision that I pitched to them, to go, to co invest with them, to materialise it and make it real. Out of all the partnerships that I've had with companies in the past, I've never seen anything at this level.
"I've never seen a big company like Mercedes collaborate with an artist or someone outside of the traditional realm that they're in, take on an idea that was pitched to them, trust their team assembly, co-collaborate, co-invest and deploy into their fleet. When is the last time that that's happened?
"Perspective. I think this collaboration is a blessing. So before I start thinking about other ones down the line, this is the gem, right? This is the one."
AH: I love that. Sound is so important when it comes to a car. Music, the sound of the engine, the sound of the road, it all makes a car. And especially for people who love driving, but, even for people who are just driving to and from work, it is still so important. I feel like something like this could be undertaken by maybe the whole automotive sector. I feel like there's a limit, but this kind of technology does, like you said, it opens it up. Now, I want to talk with you about your car history because I've never seen a history like it. We obviously love your cars, you love customisation and just like your music, I feel like a car is an extension of you. You've had custom VW Beetles with V8s and Teslas, where does a project like this start? Do you wake up and just have an idea or is it more of a collaborative process?
will.i.am: "So for the Tesla, whilst being respectful to my partnership with Mercedes, just make sure when I say this, I put the AMG logo there.
"So I invested in Tesla in 2006/ 2007 when they just had the roadster, right when Elon [Musk] took over the company. I asked to get access to a rolling chassis so I could build a new thing on it. And because the company was small, not many people had Teslas, I had the first Tesla in LA and then one of the first sedans in LA and so I just wanted to reimagine the body, the form and change the interior.
"And so I remember when I finished the rocket, he came over and I showed it to him. And so that was really, really, really awesome to be able to show a design as Tesla was taking off. And there's the guy that built the rocket that then moved to work at team Tesla. So one of the guys that was responsible for the build now is working at Tesla and helped build the roadster. The one that hasn't came out yet.
"I built other things in the past. I call it the monster, the blue Volkswagen with the V8. My dream thing that I always wanted to do when I was a teenager, I wanted to flip a Bug. It's the first one I've ever did. That's cool. I like it. It's an art piece.
"They're great building blocks, it's a great platform to mess around with. When you're doing things like that, there's no such thing as right or wrong. It's just fun to play, to dream, to build, to have a good time with other engineers and create. We used to do that as kids when you coloured. 'Hey, let's colour. Mum, where's my crayons? I want to colour something beautiful'. And it comes out, you're excited. It's a passion thing. You're passionate about it. You can't wait for it to be complete. So you could take it for a drive and I enjoy that type of creative process.
"So I built five cars. The monster, the DeLor.i.am- I gave that car to J Balvin, the Rocket, the Thunder Vet (I did a remix of a Corvette and a Thunder bird), then I did the Spate, the Pearl, the white Tesla sedan, and then I did the Will.I.AMG. And that project was to raise capital to build robotics teams in inner cities. The purpose of the build was to auction it off and when Mercedes saw the level of build it was, where I took a four door, turn it into a two door, elongated the front by moving the a pillar and taking out the B pillar, they went and vetted my team, like, 'Hey, wow, you funded the build, you assembled the team'.
"And so when it came to doing the Sound Drive, they knew I had team assembly skills. I know how to go out and find engineers, collaborate with different disciplines, to materialise concepts."
AH: Yeah, I love that. So we'll pull it back to Mercedes. You were saying how Mercedes is one of these manufacturers that they just put dreams together. They have the right people and the right attitude. I know you're a huge fan of Formula One. I'd love to know your thoughts on whether you think Mercedes is going into this year optimistically with Formula One? Are you optimistic about Mercedes' performance?
will.i.am: "With engineering, yes, they're the best engineers on earth. And Lewis Hamilton is one of the best drivers that ever existed. So yeah, I'm super optimistic. And Toto [Wolff] is an amazing leader. George [Russell] is fearless and one of the nicest guys I've ever met.
"George is an amazing cat. So yeah, I'm super optimistic. They have an awesome team. They know what's at stake. And if Lewis gets a win, that's historical. So yeah, a lot for not only Lewis to accomplish as far as history books, but for Mercedes to accomplish that as well because it's going to take a long time for somebody to beat that once Lewis has that in the bag. So this is a legendary moment for Lewis, for the sport and for Mercedes, and when Lewis does it, it's going to take a long time for Max [Verstappen] to catch up, even though he is awesome, don't get me wrong, but when Lewis has it in the bag, it's going to take Max some years."
AH: I love it. I love it. You and Lewis are close and I would love to know when you first met Lewis, what was it that you saw in him or did you see something in him that made you think, God, he is a force to be reckoned with? What was it? Can you pinpoint that feeling?
will.i.am: "I met Lewis in November, 2007. We we're doing the MTV music awards and me and Nicole Scherzinger were in the VIP section, and a dear friend of mine did the after party. And he comes up to me and he's like, 'Hey, there's this F1 driver that wants to meet you and Nicole'. The guy that introduced me to Lewis is a guy by the name of Toby.
"And so at that point in time, I introduced Lewis to Nicole. And through Nicole, I became friends with Lewis. And when I met him, I'm like, 'Wait, there's black F1 racers?' And they're like, 'Yo, this guy is an amazing driver. He's going to win it. He's going to change the game.'
"It's 2007 and, boy did he. It's kind of not fair that he's that good and he sings amazingly. Seriously, I've been in the studio with Lewis, he's an amazing singer. Like, amazing. How can someone be so talented? That's really annoying and he's the kind of cat, if he comes on stage with you, he's probably going to out-vocal you. If you introduce him to your girlfriend, she's going to think he's hot. If you're in a car, he's going to out race you. You feel what I'm saying? Not fair, bro. Like, come on, suck at something."
AH: Yeah, that's really inspiring. Thanks for telling me that. That's really interesting. I mean, the last couple of years has been a mental struggle for him. You know, things didn't turn out his way in 2021 and since then, he's been struggling with a car he doesn't quite align with...
will.i.am: "Right, so, anybody will struggle with something being snatched and it's just a matter of time for him to wait, he just has to figure it out once and history's made.
"They say just let the master do what he's really good at. He's figured it out a bunch of times, and this one time is gonna be history. Historical. And it's historical for him. First, all the folks that have been inspired by him, the flock, the school, the herd, that's going to come after him.
"It's going to be historical for the sport. It's going to be historical for Mercedes. And all it is, is him figuring how to figure it out once and I think he's going to do that. And then the person that comes after him, it's gonna be some years for that record to be broken. And he will hold that forever. There's this one quote, somebody does a math, there's eight mathematical questions, they get one through nine, right? They get one wrong. Everybody laughs and makes fun of that one they got wrong and never rewards or applaud or salute them on the nine they got right. Eventually they're going to get 10, right? Meanwhile, everyone's afraid to even take a freaking test.
"The moment they do, they're probably gonna get three right and seven wrong. The next time, that person that got nine right, one wrong is gonna get 10 right and history will be made. And anybody's gonna have an upset when history should have been made already. Actually, history was made.
"It has already been made and now there's this 'prove it' process, this theft process that he has to undergo. The semantics, this, 'You're not going to get it that easy'. He was like, 'What do you mean easy? I already did it'.
"He's been dealt a hand of cards. I've never seen an athlete or anyone actually use what cards he's been given like he has. The way he has taken everything in his stride and learnt from everything. Not that he should have learned from anything, but, it's just reflected so incredibly well on him, as an athlete and as a person.
"I think it's inspiring, truly inspiring. I'm curious to know when he's back racing, preparing, what's going on in his mind? I'm always curious, because he seems so focused all the time and it's the same way he is when he's in the studio. He's quiet, focused. I remember working with him in the studio, going in the booth, I'm like, 'Wow, this dude, what a force,' and it's the same, I'm curious to know. Lewis in the studio singing vocals, is the same type of inward thinking happening for him back in the race car getting ready to take off? It's the same mind, because, what a mind."
AH: Definitely. Have you ever tried to persuade him or push him to release his music? Because I know he loves his music, but apart from a few Instagram lives, we've never actually heard anything and we'd love to.
will.i.am: "Imagine you were like, 'All right, Alex, go out there and make history'. You'd be like, wait, wait, wait, right now? Yeah, yeah, do it right now, Alex. You gotta go out there and make history. This one's for the history books. Go out there and do it. Anybody at home watching this, on your phone, on your freaking laptop, your desktop, wherever you're at, go out there and make history. Do it right now.
"It's a daunting thing for anybody to be like, 'Yo, I'm about to do that right now'. Especially when you know you already did it. You already know in your heart and your mind and a whole lot of other people know it too. You already did it. Now you're asked to do it again.
"Then everybody's super critical on the machine he has to use to do it again. And we know the machine is not the way it was when he did it the last time. For some reason, the rules changed, and he has to do it again. And when he does it again, not only is it historical, it's like, damn, you gotta jump through a hoop, and then after you jump through the hoop, they change the rules, now you gotta jump through a hoop a hoop a hoop?
"What the fricking hula hoop? You got to jump through a hoop with the hula hoop. You hear me?"
AH: Thank you so much for this. Final question, you talked about Lewis getting into the zone and staying positive is such a huge part of that. How do you go into something, a project, whether it be a car or a project like this with Mercedes, how do you maintain that motivation, the will to just win, and also stay optimistic about it?
will.i.am: "It's a delicate balance between taking things lightly and heavy all at the same time. [You] Can't take everything so personal. But then at the same time, you can't be careless. So you have to care deeply while remaining this attitude of, I cannot.
"Imagine there's a bear that loves this bee. And the bee has a lint on its wing. And the bear says the bee, 'Get over here. Let me get that lint off your wing'. No matter what the bear does, as gentle as it is, it cannot take the lint off with his hands. It'll crush the f**king bee. If the bear [blows], it's going to blow that motherf**king bee away.
"So the bear has to be very strategic and gentle to help the bee get the lint off his wing. It's a very delicate thing with any type of project, you could be a caring bear and you could care so much that you crush it, but you can't neglect it. You have to figure out the best way to nurture, protect, advise, support, give it freedom to grow how it needs to grow. [You] can't smother it, can't suck the oxygen off, you can't drown it, right? You have to provide water without drowning it.
"It's very delicate stepping when you're bringing something to life."
This interview is published to both Sports Illustrated and Men's Journal