Hollywood. Born September 25, 1968, he has enjoyed success in music, television and film. The history of pop icons attempting to make it in Hollywood is a long and often sad one. But not for Will Smith who is surely the most successful crossover star of the modern era. In April 2007, Newsweek called him the most powerful actor on the planet. Smith has been nominated for four Golden Globe Awards, two Academy Awards, and has won multiple Grammy Awards.
Influenced both by Eddie Murphy and new hip-hop heroes like Grandmaster Flash, Will began rapping at the age of 12, quickly developing his own slick, semi-comic style. Then, at age 16, hemet the man with whom he would score his first worldwide success. At a party inPhiladelphia, he fired a fart spray into a fan, impressing noone. No one except DJ Jazzy Jeff, whohad himself beenworking atmusic since theageof10. The pair becamefirm friendsand began to collaborate, Jeff as DJ, Will as rapper"Freshprince". Sovigorous was their
pursuit of musical excellence that Will even turned down a scholarship to Boston's super-prestigious MIT in order to follow his dream.
The pair began producing music, but steered clear of the Gangsta Rap sound that was emerging on the West Coast in groups like Public Enemy and NWA. The Fresh Prince 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 debut album Rock the House (1990) hit the Billboard Top 200, and made Smith a millionaire before the age of 18.
In 1988, DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince continued their success with the album He's The DJ, I'm The Rapper featuring the radio-friendly singles "Parents Just Don't Understand," "Brand New Funk," and "Nightmare on My Street." The album won the first ever Grammy Award for a Rap Performance. That album was followed by And In This Corner... which continued the pair's rise to stardom.
