WILL I AM, part of the black eyed peas, inspired an innovative music clip by Lexus and navigated several Lexus NX in a breathtaking show to the beat of his song #thatPOWER. The spectacle was produced at an airport in Spain.
The Lexus Sound Road
What a cool action from superstar Will i am ! The US rapper, designer and co-founder of the cult band Black Eyed Peas caused a sensation in Madrid. He shot the spectacular spot for the new Lexus NX campaign in the Spanish metropolis – and slipped into the role of the master conductor. For the shooting of the music video for a remix of his song “#thatPOWER”, an airport runway had been transformed into a huge staff. This “sound-street” had been illuminated with projections and lasers, which interacted perfectly with the musician’s hip beats. Will i am then directed the three NX precision riders so that they rode at the right speed and rhythm.
The result: an artistic masterpiece that matches the style of the compact SUV and the creative talent of the musician. The master himself was apparently proud of the result. We met multi-talented Will i am, for whom this was already the second collaboration with the Japanese car manufacturer (he was allowed to design the NX F-Sport to his taste last year in Paris and was the protagonist of the “Incomparable – the new Lexus NX” campaign), for an interview at the “NXonTrack Challenge”.
To me, a car must be powerful
AP: The speeding cars and in the middle of it all Will i am – that looked really dangerous. How did you feel?
Will i am: I was grateful I wore a helmet, because I didn’t see the cars behind me. I knew they were there, but I didn’t know how close they were. That took away some of my fear. But it was really fun, it was really cool!
AP: What is the message behind the song and the spot?
Will i am: It’s about power! And about computers, engineering and technology. About the vehicle, lighting design, lasers and music – and about bringing it all together. I think “That Power” is simply the perfect title for the spot.
Will i am and Lexus
AP: Why are Will.i.am and Lexus a good fit?
Will i am: It’s a great honor to work with Lexus. This is already our second cooperation. Last year we did a great thing together in Paris and this year in Madrid. The release and launch in Paris were fantastic. And now this extravagance: a whole bunch of visual art in a remote place in Spain, an hour away from Madrid – it’s just amazing! The many people who took the trouble to come here to see it. Thanks a lot, folks! I hope everyone enjoyed it as much as I did. It looked really great.
AP: What does a car have to bring to make Will.i.am happy?
Will i am: Wow, that’s a tough question. Should I be honest? First of all it has to be comfortable. The seats let me know right away whether I want to spend 30 minutes or 10 hours in them. It has to be a car that I want to drive over long distances. For me, a car is a kind of extension of my home. My house is comfortable, and if I want to sleep there, I can do so. A car should offer the same possibilities. You should be able to sit in the back seat or the passenger seat and sleep. When I drive myself, it should not feel like I’m sitting in a seat, but as if the car were a part of me. And of course speed is important! A car must have power. Otherwise I can also walk or take the bike.
AP: What do you like about the Lexus NX?
Will i am: It can do many of these things. It is comfortable: If I want to sleep, I can do it in the back seat. I travel a lot on business, I am always on the road. Never more than three days in one city and always in a vehicle, whether it’s an airplane or a car – I live in vehicles. That is why I always travel with a pillow: I take it with me on the back seat or on the passenger seat and fall asleep. And when I drive myself – I love to drive myself – I don’t feel like driving a car. The car is rather a part of me.
William, the Magician
AP: Where does your enthusiasm for cars come from?
W: At school I had a teacher named Ms. Taylor. Ms. Taylor once gave us homework to describe ourselves. And I, at the age of nine, described myself as “William the Wizard.” “What do you like about yourself?” And I said I like that my friends like me because I help other people. And that later I want to have a Lamborghini and live in Hollywood. I still have this essay I wrote when I was nine years old at home. I loved that car! How did it happen? There were no Lamborghini commercials on TV, I just liked it. That’s when I started liking cars and their shape. Later I started listening to hip hop songs and the musicians rapped about their Lexus. That was the car that everybody wanted to have at that time. So I started to get involved with Lexus. I fell in love with the brand because I knew that one day I would drive one of those. They still make super awesome cars today.
AP: Recently the Black Eyed Peas released a new song, “Yesterday”. And a lot of people wonder why Fergie isn’t on it.
W: We founded the Black Eyed Peas 20 years ago. Twenty years ago the Black Eyed Peas consisted of three people. These three had the dream to form a band. Fergie is our sister, our bandmate, we love her and would never replace her with anyone else. But there are also the “Peas” who started the band 20 years ago. With this song we wanted to reflect all the sacrifices we made for the Peas and explain our roots to the people. Because there are a lot of people who don’t know these Black Eyed Peas. They only know “Where is the love”, but they don’t know “Joints & Jam”, “Weekends” and “Request Line”, the song we did with Macy Gray. Our new song is about the people who inspired us. It doesn’t have to be about every song with every band member. We’re working on Fergie’s new album right now and we can’t wait for it to be released.
About Lexus
Introduced in 1989, the Lexus brand is known worldwide for product quality that sets standards. Lexus is the first and to date the only premium vehicle manufacturer with a comprehensive range of hybrid vehicles. This includes the first premium compact car with full hybrid drive, the Lexus CT, the elegant luxury sedan Lexus GS, the luxury sedan Lexus LS, the premium SUV Lexus RX, as well as the sports sedan Lexus IS with different engine options. The “L-finesse” design language reinforces traditional brand values such as flawless manufacturing quality, luxurious interiors and the use of the most advanced technologies, thus contributing to the global positioning of the Lexus brand. Exclusive Lexus forums offer customers a first-class, personalised service.
