ARTIST

Will Smith

Will Smith's remarkable fame as an actor often overshadows the fact that his career began as a musician. Born in Philadelphia, Smith teamed up with aspiring DJ Jeff Townes (aka Jazzy Jeff) at the age of 16, and the two began performing as DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince to local praise. Smith turned down a scholarship to MIT to continue pursuing his musical dream, which surprisingly ended up being the right decision: His debut album with Townes, 1987's Rock The House, included the hit "Girls Ain't Nothing But Trouble," and the Fresh Prince's climb to stardom began.

The duo's second album, He's The DJ, I'm The Rapper, further cemented their reputation as purveyors of mainstream rap rhymes. The album's smash single, "Parents Just Don't Understand," was a G-rated indictment of the generation gap at a time when other hip-hop artists were becoming harder and more profane, and this middle-of-the-road approach brought the DJ and rapper massive success. The album went on to sell more than 2 million copies and "Parents Just Don't Understand" won the first-ever rap Grammy; these achievements subsequently opened the doors to other artistic avenues.

In 1990, Smith (who was still only 22 at the time) was cast in the NBC sitcom The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air, and his connection with television audiences was instantaneous. The show ran through 1996, during which time Smith and Jazzy Jeff continued to make music, scoring their biggest hit, "Summertime," in 1991. Smith's first feature film, Where The Day Takes You, soon followed, but it was his starring role in Six Degrees Of Separation that cemented his reputation as a serious actor. After one final album with Townes, the overlooked Code Red, he ended their rapping partnership, though Townes moved on to his own impressive career as a producer, working behind the scenes with Philly artists like Jill Scott and Musiq via his production company, A Touch Of Jazz.

It was Smith who became a major superstar, however, with films like Independence Day, Men In Black, and Ali making him a top box office attraction (he received a best actor Oscar nomination for the latter role as well). Smith also enjoyed greater musical success than ever with his 1997 album Big Willie Style (which included the massive hit "Gettin' Jiggy Wit It") and its 1999 follow-up, Willennium.

Written by Rob O'Connor