Willard Carroll Smith Junior known to most of us as Will Smith, was born on September 25th, 1968, in Philadelphia. Will Smith and one of his peers at school Jeff Townes formed a duo and began recording music together under the names DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince. Unlike other rappers at that time, they decided to record their songs without profanity and not rap about violence but create songs about things happening in their lives.
The duo released their first single called Girls Ain’t Nothing but Trouble in 1986, which was then followed by the album Rock the House. In 1988, they released their groundbreaking single, Parents Just Don’t Understand, which went on to win a Grammy. This was the first Grammy ever presented in the rap category. (Ali, 2019)
Will Smith and Jeff Townes worked together throughout the late 1980s and early 1990s, but Will Smith began his solo career 
in 1997 with the release of Men in Black, which was the theme song for the movie which he also starred in.
His first solo album “Big Willie Style” which came out in 1997 reached the top ten US billboard 200 and was certified nine times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) Another single of this album titled “Getting’ Jiggy with It” became his first Billboard Hot 100 number one when it was released in 1998. He went on to produce a total of four albums between the years 1997 and 2005. Will Smith went on to win a total of four Grammys and has been nominated for eight. (Brittanica, 2019)
Will Smith is probably someone who has had a successful transition from music to acting. In 1989, he was bankrupt, and the IRS seized a bunch of his property. The following year, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air aired, which was a show that NBC created and built around his rap persona. I think we can all agree when I say this show is a classic.
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air ran for six seasons until 1996. After the show ended, Will Smith made the transition from television to film, has gone on to make a name for himself with some iconic roles. Some movies that he has become known for include Bad Boys, Men in Black, The Pursuit of Happyness and I am Legend.(Parkman, 2019)
When I listen to Will Smith’s music what I hear is someone who has remained true to themselves. I decided to choose this song, Get Jiggy With It because I feel like it shows who he is as an artist and another thing that I noticed while listening to his music is that he almost always pays homage to Philadelphia, where he was born and raised. It’s almost like he is telling a story when he raps, almost all rap music today has numerous profane words, but his songs are all clean yet, you are still able to vibe to it and enjoy the music. In a way, it is almost like that spoken word type of rap, which is my favorite type of rap, you are able to clearly hear what the artist is saying.
There are not many people who have made the smooth transition from music to movies or even from television shows to film. Will Smith was able to make that transition and continues to have some iconic roles. I strongly believe that his name will be a household name for a long time just because of the presence he continues to have on social media platforms like instagram.
I hope you were all able to gain something from reading about Will Smith, I welcome any and all questions!
-Anita.
Bibliography
– ago, C.- 3 years, ago, C.- 1 month, & ago, C.- 11 months. (2018, May 11). Watch will smith break down how he got the life-changing role on ‘The fresh prince of bel-air’. Okayplayer. Retrieved October 14, 2021, from https://www.okayplayer.com/culture/how-will-smith-became-fresh-prince-bel-air-came-about.html.
– Ali, R. (2019, May 26). The evolution of Will Smith: From ‘The fresh prince’ to ‘bad boys for life’ (photos). TheWrap. Retrieved October 14, 2021, from https://www.thewrap.com/will-smith-evolution-fresh-prince-men-in-black-suicide-squad-aladdin/.
– Allan, S. (2019, May 28). Will smith’s pop culture longevity: A brief analysis. HotNewHipHop. Retrieved October 14, 2021, from https://www.hotnewhiphop.com/will-smiths-pop-culture-longevity-a-brief-analysis-news.81308.html.
– Brandy Parkman More Articles Published on July 30, 2020. (2020, July 31). Will smith’s music career is underrated, according to ‘fresh prince’ co-star Tatyana Ali. Showbiz Cheat Sheet. Retrieved October 14, 2021, from https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/will-smiths-music-career-is-underrated-according-to-fresh-prince-co-star-tatyana-ali.html/.
– Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. (n.d.). Will Smith. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved October 14, 2021, from https://www.britannica.com/biography/Will-Smith.
– Jefferson, J. (2018, May 24). Will smith announces New Music is on the way with Fiery Rap. Billboard. Retrieved October 14, 2021, from https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/hip-hop/8457676/will-smith-announces-new-music-rap