Taboo, aka Jimmy Gomez, is a member of the Grammy Award-winning music group Black
Eyed Peas. Taboo, who is of Shoshone and Mexican descent, didn’t know much about his
Shoshone heritage until he was older, learning his history from his maternal grandmother, who was from Jerome, Arizona. She played a significant role in his rise to success, encouraging him to work on his performing skills from a young age.
Despite his success, Taboo’s journey to the top has also had a few bumps. In 2004, he was diagnosed with stage 2 testicular cancer. After aggressive chemotherapy, he is now cancer-free and released a single entitled The Fight, chronicling his healing journey and raising money for the American Cancer Society.
Taboo’s latest fight has been in the name of Indigenous rights in North America, speaking out against the Dakota Access Pipeline at Standing Rock, North Dakota. Taboo released a song and video, Stand Up/Stand N Rock #NoDAPL, in 2016, supporting the Standing Rock Reservation and the Sioux Tribe as they lead a peaceful and powerful movement to stop the pipeline. Taboo is also passionate about helping disadvantaged youth. He visits schools to inspire them to dream and help motivate them to reach for those dreams.