Taboo is a founding member of the six-time Grammy Award-winning group The Black Eyed Peas. A Mexican-American with Shoshone blood on his mother’s side, Jaime Luis Gomez defied expectations early on—first by rejecting the limitations imposed on him by society, then by staying true to his dream of becoming a star. In ‘FALLIN’ UP: My Story‘ (Touchstone Hardcover/Simon & Schuster; February 8, 2011; $24.99; ISBN: 978-1-4391-9206-1), he tells the riveting story of his journey from the drug crime-ridden neighborhoods of L.A. to the packed performance sites around the world.

During a childhood spent moving between el barrio and the mixed-race community where his beloved grandmother lived, Taboo fell under the spell of the Spanish music his grandmother adored while at the same time embracing the pulse of hip hop. By the time he entered his teens, Taboo was an agile break dancer; he’d perfected all the floating, gliding, and sliding moves through hours of dedicated practice. In the Mexican-American community of Rosemead, where he eventually settled with his mother and stepfather, “no one…had ever heard of a Mexican b-boy. I was a hip-hop kid in a community where there was no such thing as hip-hop kids.” Taboo, the tag he first used when doodling in school, represented the path he was forging for himself—“Off-limits. Unspeakable. Something forbidden. Something non-conformist.”

Taboo built his skills—and his street cred—at hip-hop venues throughout L.A. It was at a hip-hop club that he first saw will.i.am, “an eccentric-looking black kid rapping like a madman” and apl.de.ap, “a Filipino dude dancing better than I had ever seen anyone dance…” In 1995, the three came together as The Black Eyed Peas, and right from the start, the group stood out: “[We] didn’t subscribe to lyrics about crack dens and AK-47. We were…promoting more feel good, progressive hip-hop. We were about braggadocious hope, not braggadocious violence.”

As he traces the rise of The Black Eyed Peas, Taboo reveals the inner workings of the music business during the 1990s and 2000s. He introduces a host of well-known performers, from Flavor Flav, Eminem, and Gwen Stefani, to Sting, the Rolling Stones, U2 and the great James Brown. He brings to life the exhilaration of performing for audiences throughout the world and the overwhelming exhaustion of spending months on tour, far from home and family. He writes about the Peas’ first encounter with Stacy Ferguson and discusses with wit and insight her unique contributions to the popularity of the group. His description of the evolution of The Black Eyed Peas offer an unprecedented look at the shaping of their style as they stepped outside their hip-hop foundation and integrated elements from different musical traditions to create a sound all their own.

Behind the stories of Grammy Awards, platinum albums, sold-out concerts and other moments of triumph recorded in FALLIN’ UP, Taboo tells another, darker tale. He writes about his long neglect of the son he had at eighteen; Jaymie Dizon, the woman who eventually became his wife and the mother of his second son; and the addictions to drugs and alcohol that almost ended his career. In detailed accounts of his missteps and mistakes, including drunken episodes during and after concerts, he shines an unforgiving light on himself and recalls with love and thanks the critical support he received from Jaymie, his friends and family, and his fellow-band members when he finally decided to turn his life around.

On June 10, 2010 The Black Eyed Peas performed at the World Cup Kick-Off Celebration concert in South Africa; their latest album, “The Beginning,” was released in November 2010. They—and their millions of followers—anticipated another triumph when the group appeared during the halftime show at the Super Bowl on February 6, 2011. FALLIN’ UP provides the first inside look at the making of the band, is must-reading for fans old and new.

I had the chance to talk to Taboo about his new book, his halftime Superbowl show, and his new shoe line. You can read about that below.

Where did your inspirations come from to write your new book?

I think the biggest inspiration came from my grandmother. Not so much to write the book, but to become the person that I am. She always instilled in me to believe that you can achieve, and that’s the direct inspiration. The book is the perfect example of that. It talks about my growing up, being a young father, following my dreams, meeting Will and Apl, and the good times and the bad times of Black Eyed Peas. It’s something for everyone. Most of the stories are about me being Mexican-American and paying homage to that.

Your book is co-written by Steve Dennis. How did you meet him and who’s idea was it to write the book?

I meet and auditioned Steve Dennis when I was doing interviews with different writers. I went through four writers to see who best fit me, and it was him. It was my decision to write the book.

In your book, you open up about how meeting Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards helped you kick your drug addiction. How did that come about?

When I saw him, I was like ‘I don’t wanna be like that guy!’ It scared me seeing how he deteriorated, so it was ‘Yo, I wanna change my life!’ But it wasn’t exactly him that helped me kicked my drug addiction. It was March 27, 2007 when I was arrested for driving under the influence of drugs, not alcohol. I was sitting in the jail cell thinking about all the people I hurt and disappointed like my wife, who was then my fiance, my family, and the Peas. I got out and called my manager and said ‘I want to change.’

In the book, you also mention how the Black Eyed Peas came about. How did you get hooked up with the others?

It was 1993 when I met Will and Apl at a place called Ballistics. We were really similar in our dance style and the way we dressed. We just connected and became a crew of friends called ‘Grass Roots.’ Will started the Black Eyed Peas and asked me to join. We performed all over LA trying to get the record companies to come to us instead of us coming to them.

You guys recently performed at the Superbowl in front of an audience of over 110 million people, and you guys nailed it. What did you do afterwards to celebrate your stellar performance?

I went back to the sky-box with my wife and kids, and then we went back to the hotel, ate dinner, and watched the playback on the internet.

What do you feel is in the future for the Black Eyed Peas?

We definitely want to tour. No dates are set yet, but we’re hoping to work something out for sometime later this year. We have a new single out called ‘Just Can’t Get Enough,’ and we just want to continue to make music.

When did Jamie Luis Gomez become Taboo?

In high school, when I was about 15. It’s a name that my friends gave me because it represented what I was living. I was a Mexican-American doing hip/hop, and in the community I was living in, things like interracial friendship and dating were considered taboo, and here I was friends with different cultures. My son Josh’s mother is African American and things like that just didn’t happen around there.

You’re going to become a 3rd time father in May this year. In the book, you talk about your extremely close relationship with your grandmother. How do you feel that carries over into what type of father you are to your sons?

Just being nurturing not only to their dreams, but to their needs and their aspirations as well. My son Josh wants to be a DJ as his career and I tell him that education comes first. My grandmother always told me how important education was because she was a teacher. She taught me how to be supportive and to give unconditional love.

In the book, we learn about your estranged relationship with your father and your brother. Is there any hope of reconciliation with them in the future?

I hope so. I’m mature enough to let bygones be bygones. I tried reaching out to my father but so far he hasn’t returned that. It’s been a while since I’ve talked with my brother as well. I’d like to put the past behind us and move on.

You currently have your own shoe line out. Can you tell us about that?

It’s Taboo Deltah and you can check it out at TabooDeltah.com to see the sneaker line. They’re available at Foot Action and the Womens’ line debuts on February 22nd.

The Black Eyed Peas have confirmed that their new single is “Just Can’t Get Enough.” The electro-ballad appears on their sixth studio album, ‘The Beginning,’ which is available on iTunes now.

The Peas have also just launched the “Don’t Miss A Beat” game on YouTube where fans can take part in a music video challenge spanning the group’s entire career. You can check that out here.

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