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Did Will Smith Have A Music Career? Here's When Bad Boys Actor Decided to Face The Camera
Will Smith, acclaimed actor and producer, began his career with DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince. Transitioning to acting with The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Know more about the all-rounder artist!
Will Smith, born on September 25, 1968, is an acclaimed actor, comedian, producer and whatnot. Dubbed "the most powerful actor in Hollywood" by Newsweek in 2007, Smith has won four Grammys and received multiple Golden Globe and Academy Award nominations. He began his career in the mid-1980s with the hip-hop duo DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince and gained further fame with the NBC sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
Will Smith has been nothing but extraordinary throughout
Will Smith, originally part of the hip-hop duo DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince with Jeffrey ‘DJ Jazzy Jeff’ Townes, started his career when they met by chance in 1985. Their first hit, Girls Ain't Nothing but Trouble, was released in 1986 and led to their debut album, Rock the House, under Jive Records. The duo won their first Grammy in 1989 for Parents Just Don't Understand, followed by another Grammy for Summertime in 1991.
Despite financial struggles and a hefty IRS debt, Smith transitioned to acting with the successful NBC sitcom, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, in 1990, setting his sights on becoming the biggest movie star in the world. As of 2024, his films have grossed over $9.3 billion globally, making him one of Hollywood's most bankable stars.
It was the action-packed Bad Boys (1995) and the sci-fi comedy Men in Black (1997) that marked Smith's breakthrough, roles he reprised multiple times in sequels. He gained further fame with Independence Day (1996) and Enemy of the State (1998).
Smith's stellar performances as Muhammad Ali in Ali (2001) and Chris Gardner in The Pursuit of Happyness (2006) earned him Academy Award nominations for Best Actor. He continued his streak with hits like I, Robot (2004), Shark Tale (2004), Hitch (2005), I Am Legend (2007), Hancock (2008), Seven Pounds (2008), Suicide Squad (2016) and Aladdin (2019).
King Harris and Rapper T.I.’s discuss about the GOAT actor
With Bad Boys: Ride or Die hitting screens last week, it is interesting to recall that just a few months ago, the son of a certain rapper-turned-actor revealed a curious ignorance of Will Smith's career trajectory. According to a viral video from late 2023, King Harris and his father, the rapper T.I., were asked, "Who is the GOAT actor turned rapper?" When T.I. says, "Will Smith — can’t forget Will," King Harris replies, "He a rapper?"
"Will Smith won the first Grammy," the father said. “As a rapper. He was the first rapper to ever win a Grammy, bruh. It was him who opened the door for rappers to come in, go to the Grammys, and stunt."
The song is the lead single from DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince's sophomore album, "He's the DJ, I'm the Rapper." The same year, Smith and Fallon performed The History of Will Smith on NBC’s Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, which chronicled his career arc from his debut single, Girls Ain’t Nothing But Trouble, to his No. 1 hit Getting' Jiggy Wit It through his roles in Six Degrees of Separation, Men in Black, and Independence Day.
Watching The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air from 1990 until 1996 is a marvel at Smith's development from a rapper to an actor serious about his art. Smith, who won an Oscar for Best Actor in 2022, was not only moving into the mainstream but also opening the door for other rappers.
There's more to it than just movies. Among the moments Todd Boyd covers in his book are hip-hop at the Super Bowl, hip-hop at the Met Gala, and hip-hop at Paris Fashion Week. “Jay-Z and Beyoncé doing Tiffany ads with a Jean-Michel Basquiat painting in the commercial; Nas performing at the Kennedy Center with the National Symphony Orchestra; Kendrick Lamar winning a Pulitzer Prize — nobody would have thought of any of these things.”
Back then, no one could have imagined the jokester who gave us "Parents Just Don't Understand" and "I Think I Can Beat Mike Tyson" would become such a huge box office draw that his past as a rapper would shock future generations.
ALSO READ: Bad Boys 5: What Is The Only Condition Where Will Smith and Martin Lawrence Return?
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