Will.i.am explains ‘real’ meaning behind controversial Let’s Get It Started lyrics but not everyone is convinced
It topped the charts, won the Black Eyed Peas a Grammy Award and is still beloved by fans of the band today...but 'Let's Get It Started' has quite the controversial backstory.
Before the music group - made up of Will.i.am, Fergie, apl.de.ap and Taboo - dropped this song in 2004, they had released another version of it a year prior.
The original, which was featured on their legendary Elephunk album, was titled 'Let's Get R*tarded', while the lyrics also featured this word heavily.
Most listeners took this as a reference to getting extremely drunk and letting go of your inhibitions.
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But the slur is a derogatory term often used to describe a person with disabilities and it is rejected in today's society as hurtful ableist language.
The inclusion of it in the track sparked outrage upon it's release more than two decades ago too, and disability advocacy groups successfully lobbied the the Black Eyed Peas to switch its name.
And according to the BBC, the alternative hip-hop band only gave in to the idea of rewriting it as they hoped to get it played on US television during the 2004 NBA Playoffs.
Now, the Black Eyed Peas frontman Will.i.am - who is also one of the wordsmiths who wrote the controversial lyrics - has revealed what he claims is the real meaning behind the offensive bar.
The California-born rapper, singer and producer, 51, was quizzed about the problematic title and contents of the track which was later revamped during a recent appearance on comedian Bill Maher's Club Random podcast.
Maher broached the topic by sharing his thoughts on the slur, remarking that he believes 'it just shows what a different place we were in 20 years ago'.
Will.i.am then offered to 'break down' the backstory behind how it all came to fruition - but a lot of music fans still weren't convinced.
The musician told Maher: "So if your in the studio, right? And you have a conductor, or a producer, and they're telling the band the instructions on the song.
"The producer or the conductor says, 'Okay, on bar 24, we're going to ritard on bar 24'. That's a musical term."
Which is true - ritard is a musical instruction, short for the Italian word 'ritardando', that refers to gradually slowing the speed or tempo of a piece of music.
However, given the track is an upbeat party anthem, during which 'the bass keeps runnin', runnin', and runnin', runnin'...a lot of people aren't buying Will.i.am's explanation.
The Voice judge went onto claim that the other lyrics included in the song also back this up.
He told Maher: "That's the reason why in the lyrics it says, 'In this context / There's no disrespect / So when I bust my rhyme / You break your neck / We have five minutes for us to disconnect / From all intellect / And let the rhythm perfect'.
"So that song, 'Let's Get R*tarded', is a musical term meaning to let's slow down our inhibitions on bar four.
"And in the first verse it says, 'In this context / There's no disrespect'. Because we're referring to slowing down our inhibitions on bar 24'. Which is the reason why we said, 'Let's just make it, let's get it started'. "
To a lot of folks, this sounded like a whole load of rubbish, as a quick glance at social media will tell you - as people pointed out the spelling of the word in the original title of the song contradicts Will.i.am's entire argument.
One person described Will.i.am's account of the meaning as a 'weird cop out', saying: "The tempo of that song doesn't change and pop music RARELY has ritards, they keep a steady tempo through the entire song. Exceedingly few exceptions. This is a prepared and feigned PR answer."
A second said: "Bro had 20 years to craft this BS response."
A third then added: "Bro, the lyric right before it is 'Get stupid, let's get r*tarded'. There's no way anyone is falling for this sh*t."
Others backed Will.i.am's explanation, with one saying: "The word has been used for hundreds of years before having negative connotations towards anybody. It means to slow things down."
Another wrote: "Bro is a rapper. They bend words and meanings so many ways. Honestly, people still offended need to leave."
What do you reckon?
Topics: Music, Celebrity, Celebrity News, Podcast
Olivia Burke