Will Smith got his start rapping in the late 80s as part of the rap duo DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince. He launched his acting career in the early 90s sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel Air. Smith’s last album was his 2005 solo work “Lost and Found” with the hit single “Switch.”
He’s now a big box office star and is moving on. Smith suggest he may close the door on his music career and tells Star Magazine that he’s passing the torch to his 17 year-old nephew:
Q: Are we ever going to hear you rap again?
I have a 17 year-old nephew who just started rapping, and he told me it’s time to hang it up. He’ll take it for the family from here.
[From Star Magazine print edition, January 8, 2007]
Smith doesn’t explicitly say that he’ll never rap again, just that his nephew told him not to, so maybe he’ll just take a break for a while and come back.
I remember my friends and I reciting all the lyrics to “Parents Just Don’t Understand.” Here’s the video:
And here’s his last hit single, Switch:
Smith is a talented rapper and I love his pop hip hop style. It seems to me like he’ll get back to music after a break like most other musicians that say they’re finished. I know Jay-Z’s retirement didn’t last long.
Smith currently stars in The Pursuit of Happyness with his son, Jaden.
I heart Will Smith! I love how his music is fun and upbeat and CLEAN.
He is a much better actor. I’m glad he’s leaving music behind cuz he’s really not good at it.
I like his stuff, it may not have been ‘hardcore’ but it was fun and upbeat, and it’s a shame to lose a rapper like that because it makes everyone think that if you’re not rapping about guns and violence then it ‘isn’t really rap’.
Which sucks, frankly.
At least he’ll still be acting.
Wow, he hasn’t aged much in 20 years has he?
Good he wasn’t that good of a lyricist. But he would be better in the hip hop game compare to some of these rapper today.
Will Smith CAN DO NO WRONG. In my books, anyway.
yeah i really love will smith, he’s been an actor with integrity for his whole career… however it’s a leap to compare him to Jay-Z. I think he’ll do another movie theme a la men in black… he’s great at it!
Oh and lets not forget Summer Time, that was a good one too!
It is a sign of maturity to move on and leave some things behind. What we want to see, a new album from Mr. Smith what would suck instead that remembering the good old hits?
I don’t mean that Mr. Smith would had a bad album, I just respect the man who chose to play on the safe side.
I wonder if Cruise and COS got him already. Cruise seems to be working hard trying to recruit fresh meat for COS. It would be sad if Will Smith fell into the trap.