It's been two decades since Will Smith released an album. That's longer than some rappers have been alive, so it makes sense the Oscar-winning actor was leery about making mistakes. He had to put some work in to not sound outdated or like he was chasing trends. Because he's Will Smith, though, he has an ability to consult anybody he wanted to. During a recent appearance on Shade 45, Smith noted that Jay-Z and Kendrick Lamar provided him with invaluable advice during the making of Based on a True Story.
Will Smith started with Jay-Z. These are two of the most successful rappers/businessmen of all time, so it made total sense. "Jay said, 'Don't fake your story,'" Smith quoted. "'You gotta say what's true for you. You'll be looking at the younger rappers and you want that to be true for you but you don't live like that. Be true to your story.'" Will Smith revealed that Hov's advice actually served as the basis for the album's title. Kendrick Lamar provided a different perspective. The Compton rapper is currently at the top of the rap game, and he told the former Fresh Prince to challenge himself.
Will Smith New Album 2025
"Kendrick, he said, 'Man, just say that sh*t that you always been f*cking scared to say,'" Smith relayed. The actor's Dot impression got a laugh from the audience. Smith took the rapper's advice to heart, and realized that honesty was going to be the most important thing during the making of the album. "Just be honest," he asserted. "It was scary, to just like say... make the record you want to make." The rapper said that Based on a True Story is something from the heart, rather than an album that he made in an effort to make people "like" him. "Authentic" was the word he used to sum up its appeal.
Will Smith is definitely having a moment. In addition to the new album, the iconic rapper had a street in Philadelphia named after him. "Philly, I am yours," he wrote on Instagram. "This is the honor of a lifetime." The area, located on 59th Street, has been renamed "Will Smith Way."
