The Oscar-winning actor Will Smith returns to the hip-hop scene with his brand-new album, Based on a True Story, which was released on March 28, 2025. After a 20-year hiatus from music, the I Am Legend star is once again back with an album. In a recent interview on Sway in the Morning, which is a radio show, Smith discussed the album and talked about how he sought advice from the two gods of rap music, Jay-Z and Kendrick Lamar.
While Jay-Z is considered to be a classic rapper due to his seniority, Kendrick Lamar is the modern-day rapper who is unapologetic about his lyrics. However, the common thread that ties these two rappers together is that they believe that their songs should contain some kind of truth and should be a reflection of society with historical and cultural context.
It took Will Smith twenty long years to release a new album since his last album, Lost & Found, which was released back in 2005. The Men In Black actor, while talking about his new album on Sway in the Morning, revealed that before he began recording, he rang Jay-Z and Lamar for some genuine advice. The actor said:
"Before I started, I made two phone calls. I talked to Jay and I talked to Kendrick. I was like, 'Hey, I want to get back in music. What’s the advice?'"
Smith recalled Jay-Z advising him:
"Don’t fake your story."
According to the actor, Jay-Z also told him:
"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. Tell you story."
Interestingly, Smith also mentioned that it was Jay-Z's advice that inspired and helped him come up with the title of the album. Smith then moved on to Kendrick Lamar and revealed that he told him to:
"say that sh*t you’ve always been f*cking scared to say."
The King Richard star mentioned that Lamar asked him to be authentic and honest. The rapper further advised Smith and said:
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"That’s the thing with genre. Make the record you want to make. Don’t try to make the record that you think people will like you for. Make the one that’s authentic."
You can check out Will Smith's brand-new album, Based on a True Story, on Spotify and Apple Music. The album features 14 tracks, including the previously released single tracks such as Tantrum, First Love, Work of Art, Beautiful Scars, and You Can Make It. The album also features collaborations with Smith's son, Jaden, Teyana Taylor, Jac Ross, and DJ Jazzy Jeff.
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