JumpinJack AJ

It's strange. A lot of comments for this era have been positive outside of "Pretty Girls". I guess this channel just isn't for him. I will say that host is super annoying.

Maaaan, he saw that a lot of us were not feeling "Pretty Girls" and was quick to drop some heat. That "expect me on the stage" line is kinda gangsta. I just wish the host would shut up. This better be on the next album.

I think it's cool that he made a capella and instrumentals of "Pretty Girls" available through Instagram, and that he made them wav files (CD quality). I wonder what kind of remixes might come out of that.

I suppose it's kind of true that it's not that serious. I think that the song is just so disappointing that it kind of feels like the end of the world. With the Rave In The Wasteland being so understeamed and under purchased/under downloaded as a whole, it just doen't seem like this song is going to help give the new music a new life. Nothing from this era is even trending in his Spotify top 10. Will often gets called corny when it's not called for. With this song, it is. When we talk about fun songs from JJ+FP and Will, the music is still good. The lyrics are good. This doesn't compare that. A few lyrics are okay, but quite a few of them are dumb...on purpose. Maybe because the masses are into dumb music. I doubt Jeff is involved with this. When he's done dance and house tracks, the music is sooooo much better than this. I think Will just reacted too quick ot the question in that interview. He'd probably credit Jeff in a more noticeable way if he was. Speaking of which, was is Omar credited? I'm not tryng to be rude, but his vocals are just filler back-ups. With the pervous music releases, the feedback was all pretty good. That's not the case with this.

I agree. I think he's just trying different things and getting some sort of satisfaction out of that. However, if he's trying to please fans, I think he needs to go back to his roots. Hip-hop beats with him rhyming, telling stories, cracking jokes. 99% people don't want a new version of Will. They want the Fresh Prince and Will Smith they know to deliver a similar flavor. The pop audience might spend some money on the music (well, back when people spent money on music), but Hip-Hop is where he's always to be an important figure. And for what it's worth, even though I'm not into the song, I bought it.

You're being a bit of a jerk here. We want to keep a standard higher than what you'll find on social media.

It's out. I'm only a few songs in, but I'm loving it.

It's one thing to share an opinion. It's another to come here and act like a jerk toward other board members. You can be removed, if that's your agenda.

I'm not gonna lie. I'm struggling with it. I knew I would when I first saw the teaser. Those opening notes told me I wasn't going to love the sound. When the beat drops in, it's not so bad, but it sounds like something from the 2010's... a low point for music, generally speaking. If he was going to do a house-inspired song, maybe have Jeff and Masters At Work get on the beat. There are a few Fresh Prince style lyrics here, but some of this lyrics are quite dumb, which prevents them for making up for the beat. There is an audience for this, but it's not for me. The music video continues the struggle. There are some fun moments in it, but it's also a bit hard to swallow. As I type this, I'm realizing my own hypocrisy. One of the things about Rave In The Wasteland that has had me listening to it less than I have his other albums, or at least skipping through it more, is that so much of it serious. There's a time and place for that, but I'm not always in a serious mood. "Pretty Girls" provides a contrast. Maybe just not the contrast I prefer. I'm also still struggling with some of the language. Like, why drop the f word in a song like this? At this point, he's just doing it as carelessly as other rappers. Why a music video for this? I feel like if he did a video for "Hard Times (Smile)", it would have been a better investment and generally loved. This song is polarizing, as seen in the comments everywhere. As few music videos as we get, I kind of hate that it was wasted on this song. As for these weird posts, I don't know. They've been happening for months. The ones that are clearly spam get deleted, but the ones that are weird, but possibly made by real people have stayed. As one of the moderators, I struggle with whether they are bots and should be deleted/banned.

New Single! "Pretty Girls" drops this Friday, June 13th!

The mask makes this a little weird.

Victory is all about perseverance, storytelling, imagination and evolution. Slick Rick joins forces with Idris Elba for Victory — a visionary visual album set to be released through 7Wallace, in collaboration with Mass Appeal on June 13. Celebrating 26 years since The Ruler’s last album, Victory is a triumphant new chapter — a sonic and cinematic tour de force that redefines the boundaries of storytelling, legacy and the power of imagination. Executive produced by The Poet (Slick Rick) and The Visionary (Idris Elba), the project features powerful collaborations with Nas and Giggs, along with a special contribution from Estelle. At its heart lies a 30-minute immersive film, directed by Meji Alabi — the creative mind behind Beyoncé’s Black Is King, which brings Victory to life through bold imagery and narrative depth. For the aesthetic vision, Slick Rick collaborated with legendary photographer Jonathan Mannion and brand storytellers Equator Studios. The music was mixed by Young Guru, with the album artwork and rollout developed in partnership with British agency PAQ and Rick’s own Team Eye Patch. Victory will premiere at the inaugural SXSW London on June 7th followed by an In Conversation with Slick Rick, Idris Elba and film director, Meji Alabi. In New York, the film will premiere at the prestigious Tribeca Festival on June 13th followed by a Q&A with Slick Rick.

This is being released, right? The verse is dope. https://www.instagram.com/p/DJkjWovyCBg/

I can't say I'm sad to see this one go. It seemed kind of uneccessary.

https://ew.com/fresh-prince-of-bel-air-producer-gave-will-smith-acting-tip-11719281 Fresh Prince producer shares acting tip he gave Will Smith: 'He hated this' The future Oscar winner was force-fed some old-school comedy, much to his chagrin. By Jordan Hoffman Published on April 22, 2025 07:00AM EDT Will Smith during his 'Fresh Prince of Bel-Air' days.Credit: NBC/courtesy Everett Writer-producer Gary H. Miller says knew from his first day on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air that Will Smith was going to be a star, but that didn't mean he didn't give a few notes along the way. And one specific performance tic resulted in a homework assignment the future Oscar winner wasn't all that thrilled about. The former Fresh Prince showrunner appeared on a recent episode of Pod Meets World to discuss his storied career that goes all the way back to Laverne & Shirley, and includes Gimme a Break, 1st and Ten, A Different World, Reba, and, of course, Boy Meets World — hence the reason he was speaking with Danielle Fishel, Will Friedle, and Rider Strong on their popular podcast. "When I took over [The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air in season 4], he kinda had his own way all the time," Miller said of series star Smith. "And I said, 'Look, I'm not like that,' and I think he respected that. I told him things like, 'Look, you're telegraphing your joke because you don't have confidence in it. You're touching the actor in the scene with you right before the joke — it's a thing you do, a habit you do.'" Miller explained that Smith's movements meant "I know the joke is coming next." To help Smith develop his comedic chops, Miller "made him sit and watch — he hated this — the old Sgt. Bilko series, You'll Never Get Rich with Phil Silvers." Yes, the very hip rap star of the early 1990s was condemned to watch the very schticky, black-and-white series from the 1950s, which was later called The Phil Silvers Show, but Miller being so old school, he used the original name. Hardcore. "I said, watch this guy. Watch this guy drive an episode. No matter how flimsy the storyline is, it's like a moving train, and he takes everybody on the train with him, and you get to the end," recalled Miller. "I said, that's the kind of energy we need in 22 minutes. Because slow time in a 22-minute show is deadly." It is undeniably amusing to think of Will Smith — who would later dominate the box office in blockbusters like Independence Day and Men in Black, then appear in critically acclaimed movies like Ali and The Pursuit of Happyness before finally winning the Oscar for King Richard — having to watch old tapes of Phil Silvers because the boss told him to. Phil Silvers in his Sgt. Bilko uniform. An early inspo for Will Smith?. Courtesy Everett Incidentally, Silvers' famous shyster character Sgt. Bilko was later revived as a feature film starring Steve Martin in 1996. It was not particularly beloved by critics, and did not fare so well at the box office. Maybe by then Will Smith could have offered some tips. For more wild tales from Hollywood's trenches, check out Gary H. Miller's interview on the Pod Meets World podcast below.

Chuck D is releasing a new project soon. You can currently pre-order it on... CD (signed): https://defjamshop.com/products/chuck-d-chuck-d-presents-enemy-radio-radio-armageddon-signed-cd and Vinyl (signed): https://defjamshop.com/products/chuck-d-chuck-d-presents-enemy-radio-radio-armageddon-signed-vinyl They are doing a 1,000 for each format.

I know that it's more complicated than this (which is why there is so much conflicting information). For example, listening to music on a free account versus a paid account counts differently. In the past year, I've seen Ariana Grande, Ed Sheeran, Taylor Swift, Sabrina Carpenter, Katy Perry, and Justin Bieber all selling CDs and CD singles on their website...sometimes with autographs. Granted, they have more money and big labels behind their careers, but those kind of things offer their supporters more opportunities to have their music boosted. I hope the lack of support for the full album changes and that Will doesn't impact Will's plans to release the other albums he already has in the pipeline.

Yeah, I'm confused on what means success when we're only talking digitial. The way they chart things is strange, too. I think he messed up by not having physical copies available up front. Buying the album in any form would have drastically helped on certain charts. I've found varying stats, but one said 1,250 premium audio streams equals one CD sale. 3,750 ad-supported audito streams or video streams equal one CD sale. I'm not sure if the digital album SALE (not stream) is considered the same. Additionally, CD sales and vinyl sales are documented separately. Unless you have outrageous support, steaming means virtually no money for the artists involved in the album and it makes it hard to chart.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-14601703/Will-Smith-comeback-album-flop-poor-sales-Chris-Rock-Oscars-slap.html Will Smith's comeback album 'flops' as his first record in 20 years sells very few copies in the wake of the Chris Rock Oscars slap scandal By NIOMI HARRIS FOR MAILONLINE Published: 04:42 EDT, 12 April 2025 | Updated: 04:43 EDT, 12 April 2025 Will Smith's comeback album - his first in 20 years - has reportedly flopped. Last month, the actor and rapper, 56, released his latest record Based On A True Story, but despite his superstar status, the album only sold 268 copies in its first week in the UK. And things didn't fare better across the pond as the LP failed to make it onto the Billboard 200 in the US reports Forbes - the first time one of his solo albums has not charted. Based On A True Story is Will's first album since 2005's Lost And Found, and despite big name collaborators including Big Sean, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Teyana Taylor and his own son Jaden, it has failed to make any commercial impact. Reports suggest that the album was hoped to be a start of a music resurgence for Will in the wake of his controversial Chris Rock Oscars slap in 2022 - the move that seriously tarnished his career. Will Smith's comeback album - his first in 20 years - has reportedly flopped Reports suggest that the album was hoped to be a start of a music resurgence for Will in the wake of his controversial Chris Rock Oscars slap in 2022 - the move that tarnished his career The incident occurred following a joke Chris made about Will's wife, Jada Pinkett Smith's bald head, amid her battle with alopecia, It prompted Will to make his way to the stage, slap Chris and shout 'keep my wife's name out of your f****** mouth.' In the wake of the slap, the film star - who won his very first Oscar on the night - was banned from the Academy Awards for ten years. The development of his film Fast and Loose was also put on hold by Netflix. While his reported £28 million role in slavery epic Emancipation failed to make an impact at the box office in 2022, leaving his movie career somewhat in the wilderness. Will's new 14-track album features tracks including Beautiful Scars (with Big Sean), Work of Art (with Jaden Smith) and Hard Times (with Teyana Taylor) - the latter of which he was plugging on Instagram only on Friday. MailOnline have contacted representatives of Will for comment. The former Fresh Prince of Bel Air star has in the past enjoyed commercial success with his musical offerings, with his first four solo albums - Big Willie Style (1997), Willennium (1999), Born to Reign (2002), Lost and Found (2005) - all making it on to the Billboard 200. Last month, the actor and rapper, 56, released his latest record Based On A True Story, but despite his superstar status, the album only sold 268 copies in its first week in the UK Things didn't fare better across the pond as the LP failed to make it onto the Billboard 200 in the US reports Forbes - the first time one of his solo albums has not charted Despite his disappointing album sales, Will is reportedly set to release a further two albums this year. While the Men In Black hitmaker is ploughing ahead with his 'first ever' headline tour and will see the actor visit a host of venues up and down the UK and Europe. These live shows will see him performing songs from the new album along with his classic hits including Jiggy Wit It, Miami, Summertime and more. But, some fans are shocked to discover that most of the UK venues have a capacity of less than 5,000, which seems small compared to the actor's huge level of fame. The locations include the likes of Scarborough and Wolverhampton, but skip out bigger cities like Birmingham, Glasgow and Dublin. Ahead of his solo tour, he is set to perform at multiple international festivals, including Mawazine in Morocco, POSITIV Festival in France, Dreambeach in Spain and BIG ART Festival in Italy. Announcing the news of his tour last month, Will wrote on Instagram: I'M GOING ON TOUR THIS SUMMER!! 'We're hitting up UK & Europe to bring U all the hits, some new joints, and a few surprises ;-) All these years, I've NEVER done a headline tour and I can't wait to see you guys!!' Fans rushed to the comments to quip: 'Life is complete!!!! Been a fan since the fresh prince days !!!!!!! Omg' and 'I'm excited, I can't wait'. In the wake of the slap, the film star - who won his very first Oscar on the night - was banned from the Academy Awards for ten years Despite poor album sales, the Men In Black hitmaker is ploughing ahead with his 'first ever' headline tour and will see the actor visit a host of venues up and down the UK and Europe Smith gained recognition in American hip-hop duo DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince who released Grammy-winning single Parents Just Don't Understand. In the Nineties, he starred in the hit sitcom The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air about a fictionalised version of himself, born and raised in West Philadelphia, who is sent to live with his wealthy uncle in Los Angeles. His debut solo album, Big Willie Smith, was released in 1997 and included the hit song Men In Black, which accompanied the film of the same name and peaked at number one in the UK singles chart. Across his career, Smith has starred in dozens of films including The Pursuit Of Happyness (2006), I Am Legend (2007), and Suicide Squad (2016). In January, he released track Beautiful Scars, featuring rapper Big Sean, as well as a music video where they re-enacted a scene from 1999 science fiction film The Matrix.

Well, this is unfortunate. https://www.forbes.com/sites/hughmcintyre/2025/04/10/will-smiths-comeback-album-fails-to-make-any-commercial-impact/ Will Smith’s Comeback Album Fails To Make Any Commercial Impact ByHugh McIntyre, Senior Contributor. Hugh McIntyre covers music, with a focus on the global charts. Apr 10, 2025, 09:45am EDT Share SaveComment0 Will Smith’s first album in 20 years, Based on a True Story, fails to chart on Billboard despite ... More Getty Images Will Smith has been on a long and quiet journey back into the public eye since his infamous altercation with Chris Rock at the Academy Awards several years ago. After keeping a relatively low profile in the aftermath of that moment, he’s been slowly re-engaging with audiences, and he recently stepped back into his first love, music. For Smith, hip-hop isn’t just the genre that made him famous, it also may be the key to a redemption arc – or at least that’s what he was hoping. Unfortunately, that plan isn’t panning out quite the way he might have anticipated. Smith’s new album Based on a True Story is his first in two decades, but it makes virtually no commercial impact. Despite months of buzz and big name collaborations, the album just didn’t hit with the American public in any meaningful way. Will Smith’s Based on a True Story Fails to Chart Based on a True Story ix Smith’s first album since 2005’s Lost and Found. The project was promoted with a steady stream of singles and features from major names in the music industry, including Big Sean, Joyner Lucas, and his own son Jaden. The Grammy winner tried to push the project properly, but even anticipation and what seemed like a fair amount of media coverage – at least in the music-focused press – couldn’t move the needle. The full-length doesn’t make it onto a single Billboard ranking this week. Not the Billboard 200, not the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, not any genre-specific or consumption-specific tallies. For an artist of Smith’s stature, that’s a harsh result. He’s still a household name, and with so much attention focused on the release, it felt like it could become at least a minor win. It didn’t. Will Smith’s First Billboard 200 Miss Throughout his music career, Smith has only released four prior solo albums. All of them made it onto the Billboard 200, and three even cracked the top 10. His 2002 effort Born to Reign stalled just outside that space, peaking at No. 13. A few years earlier, Willennium soared to No. 5 – his all-time peak – driven by hit singles and the momentum of his acting career. Now, for the first time, he’s released an album that doesn’t make it to the all-genre tally. Based on a True Story also fails to send a single cut to the Hot 100. That’s especially disappointing given the roster of collaborators featured on the set. Smith was never the biggest star on the Hot 100, but he has earned multiple top 10s and even a few No. 1s throughout his career. This time around, not one of the several official singles gained enough traction to appear on the tally. Will Smith’s Surprise Gospel Hits Even though the album itself doesn’t chart, a few of the tracks from Based on a True Story do manage to land somewhere. Three cuts from the set make a home on Billboard’s Hot Gospel Songs chart, a tally that Smith was previously largely unfamiliar with. Two brand new tunes — “The Reverend (Rave Sermon)” and “Rave in the Wasteland ” —debut at Nos. 8 and 22, respectively. At the same time, “You Can Make It,” a collaboration with Fridayy and Sunday Service, reappears at No. 18. Smith claims a trio of the most-consumed gospel tracks in the country this week, which is a curious outcome for an effort largely pitched as a hip-hop project.

I think he needs to release a proper video for this song. Not just because it's proabably my favorite song off of the album, but because all of the other singles/videos have been serious. This song best represents the Fresh Prince well all know and love.

This is actually one of the better Drink Champs. Noriega is just the worst interviewer. He always cuts off the people he's interviewing. I only watch these when I really love the guest. I didn't notice Will not drinking until I read one of the comments. Since he's mindful of his health and since he wouldn't risk being sloppy in front of cameras, I'm not surprised.

Years ago I wanted to hear the songs they worked on together. These days I hope they never see the light of day.

Not really the support he needs... https://www.vibe.com/news/entertainment/ye-takes-break-bashing-friends-praise-will-smith-1235059359/?utm_campaign=trueanthem&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwY2xjawJhM5JleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHq7zc2NFSJCJ9qWMXkyualvDx-GAoc8nWDn1XAmc5k5oMR0PEgeR5mQbdgqU_aem_fqbwumusvgrTi03OhQRZTQ Ye Takes A Break From Bashing Former Friends To Praise Will Smith’s Thriving Career The surprising positivity follows Ye's run of disrespect against JAY-Z, Kim Kardashian, Playboi Carti and others. By Amber Corrine April 3, 2025 1:11pm Kevin Winter; Brad Barket/Getty Images Ye (formerly known as Kanye West), took a break from his usual online tirades on Tuesday (April 1) to shower praise on none other than Will Smith. In a rare moment of appreciation, the Yeezy creator reposted a clip of Smith effortlessly rapping over Griselda’s 2019 track “Dr. Birds” for Lyrical Lemonade, and declared his admiration. “Will Smith is one of my biggest inspirations,” Ye wrote in a X post. “This ni**a really became the biggest movie star in the world. Married the baddest actress. Raised brilliant children. And still got that drive.”* X/kanyewest Ye’s public praise comes as a surprise, considering his recent streak of bashing his former friends, collaborators and even his ex-wife, Kim Kardashian. Besides his online antics, Ye took aim at Frank Ocean, J. Cole, John Legend, JAY-Z and Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar, Playboi Carti and so many others in an hour-long interview with Akademiks In his rant, he directly addressed Hov, calling out his lack of support. “JAY-Z, Beyoncé, you ain’t help me when I was having problems with my kids… You ain’t show up to my first wedding. You ain’t my family,” he said. His grievances extended to Lamar as well, accusing the Pulitzer Prize-winning rapper of lifting elements from The Life of Pablo for Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers. “It’s like, ‘Oh, these are the drums from this song. This is the approach to this song’,” he claimed. Meanwhile, Smith himself admitted to looking to Lamar and JAY-Z for guidance while crafting his comeback album, Based on a True Story. According to the multifaceted star, the two Hip-Hop giants encouraged him to embrace raw honesty in his music. “Say that sh*t you’ve always been fu**king scared to say,” Smith recalled of K. Dot, as JAY advised, “Don’t fake your story. 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.” The Oscar-winning actor dropped his album on Friday (March 28). The album boasts features from Big Sean, Russ, Teyana Taylor, and even his youngest son, Jaden. Revisit Will Smith’s “Lunch Break Freestyle” below.