John Newman rejected the chance to work with Will Smith.
The ‘Come And Get It’ hitmaker was in talks to record with ‘The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’ star for his second studio record ‘Revolve’ but revealed he decided to bin the potential collaboration in favour of an album introduction from ‘Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom’ actor Idris Elba.
He explained: "It’s weird. I was actually in talks with Will Smith about doing it. And it never came through, but then the more I thought about it, I was like, I’m gonna look like Johnny big balls here, and I didn’t wanna do that. I didn’t wanna go to LA and make a record and turn around and go, ‘I’ve worked with Michael Jackson’s musicians in the studio and then got Will Smith on a track’. It’s a bit like, just remember the music and the artist and stuff. And that’s not slating Will Smith, he’s just very, very famous and very successful! Whereas Idris Elba is Idris Elba."
The 25-year-old musician chose to work with Idris instead because he felt he was more suitable for the record because he is so "talented".
In an interview airing tonight (26.08.15) at 7pm on Free Radio, he said: "He’s a serious man! And what I mean is, I wanted somebody that did it justice in every sort of way for this piece of work, and Idris was that guy! He’s a very talented and lovely person."
John Newman rejected Will Smith
