Will.i.am & Cody Wise Talk Making of ‘It’s My Birthday’ on ‘Fallon’ & Jam With the Roots

Jimmy Fallon sure has a way with getting musicians to open up. For a Tonight Show web exclusive, Will.i.am and Cody Wise shared some songwriting secrets about their recent single "It's My Birthday."

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The intro and outro of "It's My Birthday" employ an interesting sample from the song "Urvasi Urvasi," which comes from the 1994 Tamil film Kadhalan . "I fell in love with the song and wanted to interpret it," Will.i.am says. "We took portions of that song and put it over today's thick, urban electronic-type beat."

As far as the meaning, Will.i.am didn't want to simply write another corny birthday song. Instead, he linked it to his own #YOLO worldviews:

"You get a license to do whatever you want on your birthday. I try to live in that celebrative, who-gives-a-f perspective and celebrate every day as if it was my birthday."

Cody Wise didn't get to talk much in the segment, but he got to perform the song alongside Will.i.am and the Roots on the show:

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