Taboo | |
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Taboo in 2016
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Background information | |
Birth name | Jaime Luis Gomez |
Also known as | Taboo Nawasha Bobby Green Toes Pringles |
Born |
Boyle Heights, Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
July 14, 1975
Origin | Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
Genres | |
Occupation(s) | |
Instruments | |
Years active | 1995–present |
Labels | Nawasha Networks |
Associated acts | The Black Eyed Peas, will.i.am, Fergie, apl.de.ap, Kim Hill, Faith Evans, Fudge Dog, Juanes, Paulina Rubio |
Jaime Luis Gomez (born July 14, 1975), better known by his stage name Taboo, is a Mexican-American and Native American rapper, singer, songwriter, actor and DJ, best known as a member of the hip hop group The Black Eyed Peas.
Jamie Luis Gomez was born in Boyle Heights, Los Angeles, California. His parents were also both from Mexico, as well as Shoshone Indian from his mother's side. He attended Rosemead High School (class of 1993), and was educated at Richard Garvey Intermediate School. Two days before his 33rd birthday, Taboo married Jaymie Dizon in Pasadena, California on July 12, 2008. will.i.am and apl.de.ap served as groomsmen. The couple had their first child, Jimmy Jalen Gomez on July 19, 2009 and their second, Journey, on April 19, 2011. He has another son from a previous relationship, Joshua, who was born October 13, 1993. His autobiography, "Fallin' Up: My Story", co-authored with Steve Dennis, was released in February 2011. He was diagnosed with stage 2 testicular cancer in June 2014 in a new interview, and that he went through 12 weeks of intense, aggressive chemotherapy out of the public eye. Taboo says he was diagnosed after going to the emergency room for what he thought was the flu. He is now cancer free.
The Black Eyed Peas date back to 1988, when eighth-graders William Adams (will.i.am) and Allan Pineda (apl.de.ap) met and began rapping and performing together around Los Angeles. The pair signed to Ruthless Records (run by Eazy-E) in 1992, catching the attention of Eazy-E manager, Jerry Heller's, nephew. Along with another friend of theirs, Dante Santiago, they called their band Atban Klann (ATBAN: A Tribe Beyond a Nation). Will 1X (aka will.i.am)apl.de.ap, Mookie Mook, DJ Motiv8 (aka Monroe Walker) and Dante Santiago formed Atban Klann. Their debut album, Grass Roots, was never released because Ruthless founder Eazy-E had died.