will.i.am has called out hip-hop music for being sexist.
will.i.am
The Black Eyed Peas star admitted the ethos of sex, drugs and rock and roll has treated women as a "resource".
He said: "Music is probably ... it does a really good job at diminishing the power of a woman. And that's really sad. Especially hip-hop, rock - sex, drugs, and rock and roll. A woman is a resource in that sentence. It's sad."
And will.i.am joked that if The Isley Brothers' hit 'That Lady', which includes the refrain of, "Who's that lady?", was released today, "It'd be like, 'Who that b***?'"
The 42-year-old muscian and producer went as far as saying women were the most creative of the two genders and he believed men should acknowledge that.
He said: "Times Up should have happened a long time ago. The most creative gender on the planet, male and female, is the woman. And I'm not saying that because I love my mom and I'm a mamma's boy - I just happen to be a mamma's boy and I love my mom - but I think the world would be a lot better if we just realised and acknowledged the power of the woman."
But will.i.am argued female empowerment is not in the hands of men.
He told Variety: "A man doesn't have the power to empower a woman. All a man can do is acknowledge the power of a woman. I don't have the power to give a woman, when a woman gave power to me. So our society is all effed up."