Local News
Taboo Gomez: The ‘Jamesy Boy’ Interview
B
orn in L.A. on July 14, 1975, Jimmy
“Taboo” Gomez began dreaming
about show business at an early age.
The versatile fourple threat is a multilingual
rapper, singer, dancer and emcee who got
his big break in 1995 when approached by
will.i.am to form the Black Eyed Peas.
Among the popular hip-hop group’s hits
are the Grammy-winning “I Gotta Feeling,”
“Let’s Get It Started,” “Boom Boom Pow”
and “My Humps,” to name a few. Besides
music, Taboo is also the designer of his own
line of footwear, Taboo Deltah, and has
added acting to his bag of tricks.
Here, he talks about his latest outing as
Guillermo in “Jamesy Boy”, a fact-based
tale of redemption co-starring Ving
Rhames, James Woods and Spencer Lofran-
co. Although he wants to make more
movies in the future, he is currently focused
on his own solo album releasing later in the
year, as well as on an upcoming tour with
the Black Eyed Peas.
Kam Williams: Hi Taboo, thanks for
another interview.
Taboo: Thank you.
KW: Like last time, I’ll be mixing in my
questions, with some from my readers. How
did you get interested you in acting?
T: Well, I had actually been taking acting
classes prior to joining the Black Eyed Peas
in ‘96. In fact, I originally thought it was
going to be my introduction to the enter-
tainment world, because Black Eyed Peas
was more of a local, L.A. underground
band. I kept up with the acting classes as a
safety net, until we took off a couple of
years later, after the release of our first
album. Once we started touring, I had to put
acting on hold, although I still wanted to
act. Fast-forward to 2005, when I made my
feature film debut playing a character
named Ramirez in “Dirty”, with Cuba
Gooding, Jr., Clifton Collins, Wyclef [Jean]
and a couple other people. Then I did a
movie called “Cosmic Radio” and, after
that, one called “Streetfighter”. And now,
“Jamesy Boy.'
KW: Editor/Legist Patricia Turnier asks:
What drew you to the story of James Burns
and what is your perception of him?
T: The reason I got the movie is because
my acting coach presented the script to me,
and I fell in love with the role of Guillermo.
I’m a big James Woods fan, so when I found
out he was already attached to the film, I
C
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by Kam
Williams
was sold.
KW: Patricia also asks: How did you pre-
pare to play Guillermo?
T: I really wanted to challenge myself, so
that I wouldn’t just be Taboo of the Black
Eyed Peas up on the big screen. I did some-
thing that’s a no-no in the music industry. I
cut my hair. For years, my hair was my
stamp. “Oh, that’s the long-haired guy from
the Black Eyed Peas.” But when I did it, it
was like a breath of fresh air. So, I
immersed myself into the character Guiller-
mo to the fullest, with intense power, since
I wanted to show the world that I’d go that
extra mile because I believe in this project
and in my acting abilities so much, and
because I want to continue to do films.
KW: Well, you definitely disappeared
into the role. I barely recognized you.
T: Thanks, Kam. That’s what I want to
hear. I love when people say that.
KW: Did you base your character on a
hardened convict you know?
T: Guillermo was kind of a reflection of
my family, on my dad’s side. My father
came from a gang lifestyle. My brother,
who passed away last year, God rest his
soul, had been in prison for many years. He
had the bald head, the tattoos, and served as
an inspiration for Guillermo, being the clos-
U
N
I
T
est person to me in prison and living that
hard lifestyle. But also, there was an insecu-
rity I saw in him that I brought to Guillermo
who was a bully and antagonistic as a
defense mechanism.
KW: Sorry to hear about your brother. I
do remember how in your autobiography
you credited your grandmother for saving
you from the streets.
T: Yeah, if it wasn’t for her and my mom
taking me away from that lifestyle, my life
would’ve gone in a totally different direc-
tion. When my mom divorced my dad, she
introduced me to a new world. I’m blessed
that I had a strong grandmother who gave
me a second chance at life. So, I owe her a
lot.
I really wanted to
challenge myself, so
that I wouldn’t just be
Taboo of the Black
Eyed Peas up on the
big screen
M
Taboo with Spencer Lofranco in ‘Jamesy Boy’
ly?
T: I’ve been talking about it since 2008,
but my first single is finally coming out in
April, “Dumbao.” It’s dedicated to the
World Cup. I’m Latino-American, and I
wanted to do something that best represents
my culture. So, I created this song that’s in
Spanish, but has the pulse, rhythm and beat
of a Black Eyed Peas song.
KW: What interested you in linking the
release to the World Cup?
T: I supported the World Cup four years
ago with the Black Eyed Peas, and I fell in
love with the atmosphere so much that
when I learned that the next one was going
to be in Brazil, I love Brazil so much that I
was like, “I gotta be there! I gotta create an
anthem that will go hand-in-hand with the
World Cup.” And that’s what I did.
KW: Jamesy Boy had a pretty impressive
cast, including veterans like James Woods
and Ving Rhames.
T: They were all great people. I worked
mostly with James Woods, Spencer
[Lofranco] and Ben [Rosenfield]. We had a
really good time both on and off the set. I
enjoyed working with Trevor [director
Trevor White], too. I was able to hang out
with him as friends, go to the clubs, and
hear his stories. It was a great opportunity to
work with such a great cast and crew and to
make some new friends.
KW: Since we’re on the subject of music,
what was the last song you listened to?
T: You’re gonna laugh at me, dude,
because I have a 2 year-old and a 4 year-old
who are heavily into movie soundtracks.
For some reason, we’ve watched Despica-
KW: What’s going on with you musical-
See TABOO on page 8
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KW: I loved that album, “Timeless,” that
you recorded down in Brazil with Sergio
Mendes.
T: Thank you, that was great.
D
A
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S EATTLE 2014
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