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November 20, 2011

Nothing is impossible in the world of Will.i.am.

For the song "Mona Lisa Smile," a track featuring Nicole Scherzinger on his new solo album, #willpower, the French government opened the Louvre so he could record a guitar part at 2 a.m next to the actual Mona Lisa.

Yet, there was one thing even he thought was impossible, getting Mick Jagger for "T.H.E. (The Hardest Ever)," #willpower's lead single.

And as Will explained to us in an exclusive interview, that pursuit of the impossible was the whole reason he went after Jagger.

"I went to play material for the label and Jimmy Iovine’s like, 'Yo, this is dope. Who are you gonna put on it?'," Will says. "I’m like, 'What are you talking about? It’s finished, it’s me.' So, he’s like, 'Oh, you don’t feature no one?'"

"You play your music and the first thing someone says, 'Who’s gonna be on it?' So I think of the hardest thing ever," he says. "And it happened, Mick Jagger. I just wanted to throw something out there that I thought could never be possible so they would stop asking me."

"T.H.E. (The Hardest Ever)" also brought Iovine back to producing for the first time in decades. The Interscope chairman, who has worked with U2, Tom Petty, Stevie Nicks and many more, produced Jagger's vocals at Will's suggestion. "Jimmy’s like, 'Will.i.am, Mick Jagger and the Rolling Stones are like my Tribe Called Quest, my De La Soul, myN.W.A. I wanted to be like Mick when I was young,'" Will says.

It turns out, however, that Jagger and Iovine had never worked together, much to Will's surprise. So he convinced Iovine to come out of production retirement for Jagger's part of the song. "He produced Mick’s vocals, and this was the proudest moment of my life," Will says. "Winning a Grammy is cool, but the guy who helped you out – and then you got to see him execute one of his dreams – that’s just the dopest ever."

Iovine also contributed to the track by calling Jennifer Lopez, who will be performing tonight with Will when he unveils the song at the American Music Awards. For Will, debuting a solo song on a national stage with Lopez is very special. "I collaborate in the Peas all the time, but this is the first time I’ve ever done big collaborations with big-name artists on my solo projects," he says. "So it means a lot that J. Lo’s even considered performing with me, that’s dope. She’s great."

Link

heard it. fun track. it!! can't wait to get on the danceflor with this one!

[Edited 11/27/11 22:45pm]

thanks for posting it.

i wish there was a version with just Jennifer. and would've liked a bit more Jagger.

the track is nothing groundbreaking or that different than another B.E.P. / will.i.am track. however i do like the pairing of someone like Mick Jagger with J.Lo. just another fun track to keep you going on the dancefloor.

why mick

Will and JLo Go "Hard" @ the AMAS

http://videobam.com/uLpCw

I like this beat a lot! I wonder if this was offered to anyone special.

The live performance was the most obviosuly lip synched heap of trash I've seen in a long time. Where those vocals really that hard for Jlo to sing live? and for all we know that wasn't even Will.I.Am. and the video of Mick Jagger playing on the side didn't even have synched vocals on it. It was a shitshow if you ask me.

Why the hell is Mick jagger working with those losers

Dewrede said:

Why the hell is Mick jagger working with those losers

$$$

Mick was lured by monetary gain and the opportunity for street cred.

Presumaby Jagger is trying to build on the popularity of Maroon 5-Moves Like Jagger. I mean that song must have got a lot youngsters wondering, 'Who is Jagger?'. What better way to build on that than popping up in a video with the king of ring tone showing off some of those 'moves like Jagger'!

He's always been obsessed with youth.

Hmmm....his rapping style is kind of like Nicki Minaj's on this song

funkypixie said:

Presumaby Jagger is trying to build on the popularity of Maroon 5-Moves Like Jagger. I mean that song must have got a lot youngsters wondering, 'Who is Jagger?'. What better way to build on that than popping up in a video with the king of ring tone showing off some of those 'moves like Jagger'!

He's always been obsessed with youth.

He'll be young, until he croaks

Identity said:

Mick was lured by monetary gain and the opportunity for street cred.

Mick got money already. It's probably to get recognized "in the hood" lmao

Jagger's vocals are the only good thing on that track. I like that part.

I rather hear him there instead of those young guys. There are no rules that 60s rock gods are not allowed to work with young producers who make shitty music

Prints said:

Jagger's vocals are the only good thing on that track. I like that part.

I rather hear him there instead of those young guys. There are no rules that 60s rock gods are not allowed to work with young producers who make shitty music

That's really the only good thing about it. It's like Stevie on Drake's track, he takes it away from the other folks lol legends will never let you outshine them. I would've been like you know you terrible if a legend can be on your track and have the best verse in the song. It's like Andre 3000 on Lil Wayne's or Drake's albums.

funkypixie said:

popping up in a video with the king of ring tone showing off some of those 'moves like Jagger'!

!!!

Mick big lip old ass is a SELL OUT!!! Music legend these days don't exist.

[Edited 11/21/11 14:56pm]

PoppyBros said:

Mick big lip old ass is a SELL OUT!!! Music legend these days don't exist.

[Edited 11/21/11 14:56pm]

PoppyBros said:

Mick big lip old ass is a SELL OUT!!! Music legend these days don't exist.

[Edited 11/21/11 14:56pm]

HELL NO they dont..

PoppyBros said:

Mick big lip old ass is a SELL OUT!!! Music legend these days don't exist.

[Edited 11/21/11 14:56pm]

purplethunder3121 said:

PoppyBros said:

Mick big lip old ass is a SELL OUT!!! Music legend these days don't exist.

[Edited 11/21/11 14:56pm]

Timmy84 said:

purplethunder3121 said:

I found this one on another website.

PoppyBros said:

Timmy84 said:

I found this one on another website.

I'll give Mick the benefit of the doubt. He is getting old & confused a lot, he probably confused Will for Keith & decided and thought they where doing some kind of new dance/rock/pop

Hey Mick is getting up there in age

Beside moves like Jagger there is also that swagger jagger song & every other song rhyming swagger it is jager

Ala Black Eyed Peas, Kesha, Far East Movement

I will admit I think Mick's charisma goes along way in this song.