Black Eyed Peas member Taboo joins for the new song
Will.i.am returns with the new single, “East LA,” featuring fellow Black Eyed Peas member Taboo via Epic Records. A heartfelt tribute to their California roots, the track arrives alongside an official music video, directed by Will.i.am and Sterling Hampton IV.
Drawing inspiration from their upbringing in the East Los Angeles neighborhood of Boyle Heights, the song begins by deftly reimagining Santana’s iconic “Maria Maria,” which references the area with the refrain, “Maria, Maria, she fell in love in East LA.” Will.i.am and Taboo infuse the track with personal storytelling and deep cultural pride. The result is a powerful celebration of community, identity, and resilience.
Will.i.am was inspired to write the song after feeling a need to recognize the deep sense of community and pride felt in his hometown in light of recent political events. He channels that urgency into the spirit of the song.
As a member of one of the few black families in the predominantly Mexican-American Estrada Courts housing project in East Los Angeles, Will.i.am witnessed firsthand the strength and solidarity of his community. In response to ongoing ICE raids that continue to impact immigrant neighborhoods across the country—including in Boyle Heights, East LA—he felt a renewed urgency to uplift and support the place that shaped him. With nobody better than Taboo to add an even further personal touch, they pay tribute to an enduring spirit, celebrating the same feeling of resilience and unity of their East LA community.
Black Eyed Peas will join Shakira on her two Los Angeles stadium dates at SoFi Stadium on Monday, August 4th, which is sold out, and Tuesday, August 5th, as part of her Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour. The hometown performances will mark a special reunion between the band and Shakira, who previously collaborated on two singles – “Girl Like Me” in 2020 and “Don’t You Worry” in 2022.
