Five Minutes with The Black Eyed Peas' Taboo

Shanghai was rapt in anticipation for one of the biggest headliners of the 2011 New Year’s Eve party scene to arrive, and he didn’t disappoint. Having already performed at major marquee events such as the Super Bowl and the World Cup, Taboo, the multi-talented DJ turned shoe designer, graced Shanghai’s G+ for a one night only event to drop his latest tracks, talk fashion and confirm his faith in Western trends.

How many times have you visited Shanghai?

It’s my second time in Shanghai; I’m very excited to be here. We were here in 2005 or 2006, I’m not sure exactly, but it’s my second time DJing as an individual artist and I’m very excited.

Are the Black Eyed Peas still on ‘hiatus’?

The Black Eyed Peas are on vacation. We’re taking a little pause right now to work on our individual projects.

What has the break given you time to work on?

I’m working on my solo stuff. I actually have a track that I debuted in Shanghai on New Year’s Eve. My new album is called WTF. Other than that, I’m just going to focus on my individual side projects. I plan to do something with the Black Eyed Peas eventually, but not right now.

From having your own unique sense of style and designing your own line of footwear, you clearly have a fondness for fashion. How did you get into shoe design?

I’ve been a ‘shoe pimp’ or a ‘sneaker pimp’ since I was 12 years old. I started with [Nike’s Air] Jordans, then I started migrating into Air Force Ones. I even got into Bathing Ape when the brand first came out. After I started getting into the exclusive, limited edition Nikes I asked myself, “Why am I spending so much money on limited edition shoes when I could just make my own shoe line?” And, with me being very interested in fashion, I was able to work with a company called Jump to create my shoe line called ‘Taboo Jump’.

Who are your favourite designers?

One of my favourite designers is Rick Owens because of his patterns. I love the clothing, the sharp edges and the really soft leather. Another favourite designer of mine would have to be Galliano. I love his creative insight in the type of materials he uses. My other favourite designer would have to be Gucci.

Western culture clearly dominates international trends. Do you see that as a detriment to the influence of Eastern culture?

Western culture is very hands-on when it comes to trend setting. We’re not taking anything away from Asian or Eastern culture – I personally love and appreciate all forms of expression – but there are a lot of things that we bring to the table as a Western culture that I think the world can learn about.