Will Smith

1968–present

Will Smith News: “Miami” Rapper Releases His First Album in Decades

After a 20-year hiatus, Will Smith is back with new music. The actor and rapper released his latest studio album, Based on a True Story, on March 28. Smith announced the release date on Instagram just one week before, writing, “Been working on this project for a minute and I’m itchin’ to get it out to y’all.”

The album’s opening song, “Int. Barbershop — Day,” addresses his 2022 Oscars controversy, in which he slapped Chris Rock onstage for making a joke about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith’s alopecia.

The 14-track record also includes the previously released singles “Beautiful Scars,” “First Love,” “Work of Art,” and “TANTRUM,” which feature artists like Big Sean, Joyner Lucas, and DJ Jazzy Jeff, as well as Smith’s son, Jaden. Based on a True Story marks Smith’s first album since his 2005 record Lost and Found.

In an interview with Billboard in January, the 56-year-old said he was inspired to make Based on a True Story following his experience with his 2022 film Emancipation, about a man who escapes slavery. Due to filming delays during the COVID-19 pandemic, Smith spent nearly a year in the mindset of his character, who was very spiritual and religious.

“A well opened up inside of me, a well of understanding of art and pain,” he said. “And that opened up this bubbling to share what I’m seeing and experiencing, to explore. A big part of my music now is about that: the ecstatic kind of joy I remember from church when I was growing up; the ability to try to make this place more bearable.”

To support the album, Smith will be going on his first headlining tour. “All these years, I’ve NEVER done a headline tour and I can’t wait to see you guys!!,” Smith wrote on Instagram. In conjunction with several festival appearances, the rapper will headline nine concerts. All 26 shows are in Europe.

Award-winning entertainer Will Smith transitioned from successful rapper to Hollywood A-lister by starring in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and the movies Independence Day, Men in Black, and Ali. As a teenager in the 1980s, the Philadelphia native launched a Grammy-winning rap career with his friend Jeff Townes as DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince. Smith then starred on the popular sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air for six seasons before tackling film. Since the 1990s, the actor has headlined numerous blockbusters—including the Bad Boys franchise, I Am Legend, Hancock, and Hitch—and earned Oscar nominations for his leading roles in Ali about boxer Muhammad Ali and The Pursuit of Happyness. Smith won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his turn as Richard Williams, father of tennis legends Venus and Serena Williams, in 2021’s King Richard. In March 2025, Smith is set to release his first studio album in 20 years.

FULL NAME: Willard Carroll Smith Jr.
BORN: September 25, 1968
BIRTHPLACE: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
SPOUSE: Sheree Zampino (1992–1995) and Jada Pinkett Smith (1997–present; separated)
CHILDREN: Trey, Jaden, and Willow
ASTROLOGICAL SIGN: Libra

Will Smith was born Willard Carroll Smith Jr. on September 25, 1968, in Philadelphia. His mother, Caroline, was a school board employee, and his father, Willard C. Smith, was a refrigeration company owner. His West Philadelphia neighborhood was a melting pot of cultures where Orthodox Jews co-existed with a large Muslim population. For their part, the Smith family observed the Baptist faith.

A middle-class upbringing saw Smith attend the strict Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School. He went on to attend Overbrook High School, a public school that also counts late NBA legend Wilt Chamberlin and former astronaut Guion Bluford as alumni. Smith was a good student whose charming personality and quick tongue were renowned for getting him out of trouble, a trait for which he soon gained the nickname “Prince.”

Smith began rapping at age 12, emulating heroes like Grandmaster Flash but tingeing his rhymes with a comedic element that would later become his trademark. At 16, Smith met his future collaborator Jeff Townes at a party. The pair became friends and soon formed a now-iconic duo.

DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince

Jeff Townes and Will Smith met in high school and formed the Grammy-winning duo DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince.

As teens, Smith and his friend Jeff Townes began producing music as DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince. The duo steered clear of the gangsta rap sound that was emerging from the West Coast by groups like N.W.A. Instead, as The Fresh Prince, Smith rapped about teenage preoccupations in a clean, curse-free style that middle America found safe and entertaining. The pair’s first single, “Girls Ain’t Nothing But Trouble,” was a hit in 1986. Their 1987 debut album, Rock the House, hit the Billboard 200 and made Smith a millionaire before age 18. The early success put any thoughts of attending college out of Smith’s mind.

Early on, it was reported that Smith had turned down a scholarship to Boston’s elite Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), but Smith later dispelled the rumor when he told an interviewer: “My mother, who worked for the School Board of Philadelphia, had a friend who was the admissions officer at MIT. I had pretty high SAT scores and they needed Black kids, so I probably could have gotten in. But I had no intention of going to college.”

In 1988, DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince continued their success with the album He’s The DJ, I’m The Rapper. It featured radio-friendly singles like “Brand New Funk” and “Nightmare on My Street.” Another hit “Parents Just Don’t Understand” won the first-ever Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance in 1989. That same year, the pair’s star continued to rise with the Grammy-nominated album And In This Corner...

As Smith struck out into acting, he and Townes continued producing music. Their 1991 album Homebase produced the hits “Ring My Bell” and “Summertime,” which won a Grammy for Best Rap Performance by a Duo the following year. Their final album together, 1993’s Code Red, was notable for “Boom! Shake the Room.”

Solo Career

Even after retiring his Fresh Prince persona, Smith continued making music as a solo rapper. He has released four solo albums, starting with 1997’s Big Willie Style that resulted in two consecutive Grammys for Best Rap Solo Performance. The first recognized the “Men In Black” theme song Smith performed and co-wrote. Then in 1999, “Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It” won the category after spending three weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

His next effort, Willennium (1999), featured another movie song, this time for 1999’s Wild Wild West, which Smith also starred in. The Grammy-nominated “Wild Wild West” was a certified chart-topper and helped propel the album to No. 5 on the Billboard 200—Smith’s highest career ranking.

His third album, Born To Reign, followed in 2002, and three years later, Smith released his most recent album Lost and Found. The single “Switch” landed him his first top 10 hit in six years.

After a 20-year music hiatus, Smith released his fifth studio album, Based on a True Story, on March 28, 2025.

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air saw Will Smith move from Philadelphia to Los Angeles to live with his relatives, the Banks family.

In the early 1990s, Smith began his crossover into acting. Drawing on his experiences with fledgling stardom, NBC signed Smith to headline a sitcom about a street-smart kid from Philadelphia who moves in with stuffy relatives in the posh Los Angeles neighborhood of Bel-Air.

Playing on his rapper persona, and at times featuring his friend and musical collaborator Jeff Townes, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air was a huge success that ran for six seasons from 1990 to 1996. In addition to his starring role, which earned him two Golden Globe nominations for Best Actor in a Comedy in 1993 and 1994, Smith wrote and performed the show’s wildly popular theme song with Townes.

While still making The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Smith started branching out into movies. Small roles in the drama Where The Day Takes You (1992) and the comedy Made In America (1993) were followed by a critically acclaimed lead in Six Degrees of Separation (1993). Holding his own alongside Donald Sutherland, Stockard Channing, and Ian McKellen, Smith played a street-wise gay hustler who cons his way through elite circles.

Bad Boys Franchise

The success of Bad Boys spurred stars Martin Lawrence and Will Smith to appear in three additional movies in the franchise.

Smith’s first steps into superstardom came with his next film, Bad Boys (1995). The high-budget cop movie saw him team up with comic Martin Lawrence, breaking away from the Black-cop-white-cop formula that had been so successful for Beverly Hills Cop and the Lethal Weapon series. The two Black leads proved an instant success, and Smith—playing the smooth lady killer to Lawrence’s clown—was established as leading man material.

Smith and Lawrence returned as cop buddies for Bad Boys II in 2003. The sequel was poorly received by critics but still performed well commercially. Earning more than $273 million globally, Bad Boys II was the 10^th highest-grossing movie of the year. After nearly two decades, the duo expanded the franchise with the movies Bad Boys for Life (2020) and Bad Boys: Ride or Die (2024).

Independence Day

After the original Bad Boys, Smith next took on the epic sci-fi flick Independence Day (1996), a role that confirmed him as a major player in Hollywood and the go-to guy for summer blockbusters. He played a pilot leading the counterattack against invading alien forces, and his comedic talents effortlessly transformed into the pithy one-liners all action heroes need to be able to drop while dispatching their enemies. The action-packed thriller was a box-office hit and the highest-grossing movie of the year, according to Box Office Mojo.

Men in Black Trilogy

Smith fought aliens again in his 1997 blockbuster Men in Black. Playing opposite Tommy Lee Jones, Smith chewed up the screen as the new recruit to Jones’ old hand in the comic sci-fi action movie. The multitalented actor also lent his musical talents to the movie by co-writing and performing the “Men In Black” theme song.

Smith and Jones went on to reprise their roles in the 2002 sequel Men in Black II and again in 2012 with the third installment, Men in Black³. Neither co-star took part in the later reboot Men in Black: International with Tessa Thompson and Chris Hemsworth.

Enemy of the State

The slick conspiracy thriller Enemy of the State (1998) became Smith’s next blockbuster after Men in Black. The performance earned him an NAACP Image Award nomination for Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture.

His string of hits came to an end in 1999 with Wild Wild West, a sci-fi cowboy Western co-starring Kevin Kline. Despite the film’s lackluster box-office performance, the track Smith cut for the movie became a hit on his 1999 album, Willennium. The golf movie The Legend of Bagger Vance (2000) was his next big film, with Smith playing the caddie to Matt Damon’s out-of-sorts swinger.

Oscar Nomination for Ali

The 2001 biopic Ali, based on boxing legend Muhammad Ali, gave Smith the opportunity to regain his big-screen swagger. His turn as the charismatic boxing great saw Smith put in the performance of his life, training and disciplining himself to extraordinary lengths to do justice to the athleticism—and ego—of the titular character. The film underwhelmed at the box office despite a record-breaking opening day, but Smith’s performance was strong enough to garner him his first Academy Award nomination for Best Actor in 2002. He also earned a Golden Globe nomination in a similar category.

I, Robot and Hitch

Smith moved on to I, Robot in 2004. The Isaac Asimov adaptation featured Smith as a futuristic cop investigating a murder by a robot and then battling a robot insurgency. The movie performed well, grossing more than $144 million domestically.

Smith’s smooth-talking charmer persona was put to use in the 2005 romantic comedy Hitch. He played a dating consultant helping luckless guys with their romantic moves whose methods are tested when he falls for a gossip columnist, portrayed by Eva Mendes. Smith also penned the theme song and included it on his 2005 album, Lost and Found. Hitch was a massive success at the box office and is now considered a modern classic in the genre.

Oscar nomination for The Pursuit of Happyness

Will Smith and his son Jaden Smith starred in the popular heartfelt drama The Pursuit of Happyness.

Another critical and financial hit followed in 2006’s The Pursuit of Happyness. Starring alongside his real-life son Jaden, Smith captivated audiences with the story of a single father who has to build a life from scratch. The movie was based on a memoir written by Chris Gardner, about his trying journey to ultimately become a successful stockbroker. Smith received his second Academy Award nomination for Best Actor for the performance, as well as another Golden Globe nod.

I Am Legend and Hancock

Again returning to action fare, Smith starred in I Am Legend, a 2007 remake of the Charlton Heston film Omega Man. The blockbuster saw its leading man battle bloodthirsty vampires and became a national and international hit.

Smith then took on the dual role of actor and producer for Hancock (2008), in which he played an alcoholic anti-superhero, and for Seven Pounds (2008), about a man who sets out to change the lives of seven people. The A-lister also helped produce two other movies released that year, Lakeview Terrace and The Secret Life of Bees.

After a hiatus, Smith returned to the big screen in 2012 as a military commander in the critically panned M. Night Shyamalan sci-fi flick After Earth, which co-starred his son Jaden. The Hollywood star then made a cameo as Lucifer in the film Winter’s Tale (2014).

Focus, Concussion, and Suicide Squad

Smith’s next leading role came with the 2015 heist caper Focus, co-starring Margot Robbie. Later in the year, he starred as Dr. Bennet Omalu in the sports drama Concussion, earning a Best Actor Golden Globe nomination for his role as a doctor fighting to raise awareness about head trauma in NFL players.

In 2016, Smith starred in the DC Comics blockbuster hit Suicide Squad, which became his most successful film since 1996’s Independence Day. The same year, he also took on a more somber role as a father who loses his young daughter in the drama Collateral Beauty. Although a follow-up endeavor, Bright (2017), was thoroughly panned by critics, audiences responded more positively to the urban fantasy crime flick.

Aladdin and Gemini Man

Come 2019, Smith had several projects debut. He was the wisecracking Genie in Guy Ritchie’s live-action adaptation of Disney’s Aladdin, which topped $1 billion at the global box office. Next up was Ang Lee’s Gemini Man that had Smith pulling double duty—with help from digital technology—as a 50-year-old assassin assigned to kill a 23-year-old version of himself. The A-lister closed out the year by voicing super agent Lance Sterling in the animated Spies in Disguise, alongside Tom Holland.

Oscar Win for King Richard

Jada Pinkett Smith was by her husband’s side when Smith won his first Oscar in 2022.

In 2021, Smith portrayed Richard Williams, the father and coach of tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams in the biographical sports drama King Richard. The role won the actor his first Academy Award for Best Actor in 2022.

“I want to say thank you to Venus and Serena and the entire Williams family for entrusting me with your story,” Smith said in his emotional acceptance speech. “That’s what I want to do. I want to be an ambassador for that kind of love and care and concern.” His remarks came in contrast to his shocking slap of presenter Chris Rock earlier in the night.

Later in 2022, Smith starred in the historical drama Emancipation, about a man who escapes slavery. The Apple TV+ movie inspired him to return to his rap career.

Before he accepted his first Oscar at the 94^th Academy Awards ceremony in March 2022, Smith slapped comedian Chris Rock across the face onstage. Now referred to as “the slap heard around the world,” the incident stemmed from a joke Rock made about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith.

Before presenting the award for Best Documentary Feature, Rock said, “Jada, I love you. G.I. Jane 2, can’t wait to see you.” Like the fictional character originally played by Demi Moore, Pinkett Smith sports a shaved head, but hers is due to an autoimmune disease known as alopecia. While she rolled her eyes at the comment, Smith walked onstage and slapped Rock, which made a distinct smacking sound. He then walked back to his seat and proceeded to shout, “Keep my wife’s name out of your f––ing mouth.”

As punishment for the incident, Smith was banned from attending the Academy Awards for 10 years. He addresses the slap in “Int. Barbershop — Day,” the opening track of his latest album.

Smith has been married twice. His first marriage, to Sheree Zampino in 1992, lasted only three years but produced a son. Willard Smith III, who goes by Trey, was born the same year the former couple got married.

Will Smith remains close ties to his three children—Trey, Willow, and Jaden—and his wife Jada Pinkett Smith despite the couple’s separation.

In 1997, Smith married fellow actor Jada Pinkett Smith. The couple’s son, Jaden, was born in 1998, and their daughter, Willow, was born in 2000. After years of speculation, Jada revealed in 2023 that she and Will have been separated since 2016. While they remain legally married, they are living in separate homes. Despite this, the two are reportedly still working on their relationship, which Jada has described as a “relationship of transparency.”

Beyond his family and his work, Smith leans politically liberal and has made donations to the presidential campaigns of Barack Obama. The entertainer is a fan of chess and video games and is known to take his mother on vacation every year, usually to the Canyon Ranch spa in Tucson, Arizona.

As of February 2025, Smith has an estimated net worth of $350 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. The actor typically earns anywhere from $20 to $60 million per film, but managed to get paid a whopping $100 million for Men in Black³.

• I want to represent the idea that you really can make what you want... I believe I can create whatever I want to create.
• I want to do good. I want the world to be better because I was here.
• I have a great time with my life, and I want to share it. I love living. I think that’s infectious. It’s something that you can’t fake.
• Being realistic is the most commonly traveled road to mediocrity. Why would you be realistic?
• There’s no easy way round it. Your talent is going to fail if you’re not skilled.
• I’ve never really viewed myself as particularly talented. Where I excel is ridiculous, sickening work ethic. While the other guys sleeping, I’m working. While the other guy is eating, I’m working.
• The first step before anybody else in the world believes it is you have to believe it.
• There’s no reason to have a plan B because it distracts from plan A.
• Don’t chase people. Be yourself, do your own thing, and work hard.
• I’m a student of patterns, at heart I’m a physicist.

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