will.i.am is a taste maker.
The 40-year-old first came to public prominence as part of The Black Eyed Peas, and has gone on to produce mega hits for the likes of Britney Spears and Mariah Carey.
He also sits as a mentor on The Voice UK and Australia, but will's not all about music; he's also a technology entrepreneur.
"There's this huge void in culture, that's to be filled. And that's, what is tomorrow's company of the future to look like? We all know we live in a world where, if I identify with something and someone, I'm going to align with it," he told the BBC.
"I think I represent a certain demographic that are taste makers, that will eventually inspire or educate other folk to like it as well. So I'm a taste maker. I want to make songs I like, so other taste makers that I reflect will like it too. And those people affect everyone else."
will is currently working on a project he calls Entity at his Los Angeles-based creative compound, named The Future. The idea of Entity is to give people back time in a world obsessed with checking social media.
Despite his bold claims, will insists his ego is in check.
"I don't say that arrogantly, I say that because I like to go out and research what people like. So it's two way," he explained.
"I'm trying to frickin' feel what's missing right now. I think I have a good ear and a good eye for what's missing. And if I could build [it] people are going to want it."
