Rakim and Will Smith are peers. In genre, if not in style. Rakim is considered to be one of the most elite lyricists of all time. Will Smith, on the other hand, was the family-friendly pop star. Both men achieved massive success in the 1980s and 90s, but never really crossed paths. That is, until a recent interaction on Instagram. Rakim stumbled upon a video of him and Will Smith interacting during a Grammy special, and was so pleased with what he heard that he suggested they collab on a new song.
The interaction came about during A Grammy Salute to 50 Years of Hip Hop in 2023. Will Smith saw Rakim backstage, and revealed that he was trying to copy the rapper on his 1991 classic "Summertime." "I was absolutely trying to sound like you on 'Summertime,'” he gushed to the God emcee. “‘Cause I had been screaming all night, and I couldn’t get my 'happy-go-lucky' high voice." He then recalled that his producer, DJ Jazzy Jeff, suggested he do a Rakim impression. "[The producer] just said, 'Yo, just gimme that Rakim sh*t.'"
Rakim Was Flattered That Will Smith Emulated His Style
The suggestion worked. "Summertime" won a Grammy for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group and peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100. Will Smith reposted the heartwarming exchange to IG on July 23, and Rakim decided to capitalize on the moment. He took to the comment section and suggested him and Smith join forces on a sequel song. "Peace Will! Keep rockin bro, it’s time for SUMMERTIME PT 2 wit me on it," he wrote. Rakim's timing could not be better. Will Smith recently confirmed that he's in the studio, and working on his first new album since 2005.
Smith told Black Film Allies that he's spent the last year and a half experimenting with new sounds. He also told the channel that his album will be the most personal body of work he's released to date. Given what the actor has been through since the infamous Oscars slap, it makes sense. We don't see why the actor couldn't slip in a Rakim feature in the tracklist. "Summertime, Pt. 2" would be an extremely ironic collab, since fans have spent years theorizing that Rakim ghostwrote the song for Smith.
