Will Smith called Jay Z for advice before returning to the music industry and his wise words inspired the new album’s name.
The ‘Independence Day’s star is returning to the charts with ‘Based on a True Story’ – his first new record since 2005’s ‘Lost and Found’ – and he’s revealed he made two phone calls before hitting the studio to start the recording process – calling both Jay Z and Kendrick Lamar.
During an interview on the ‘Sway in the Morning’ radio show, Will explained: “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?’ …
“[Jay said] ‘Don’t fake your story’. He was like: ‘You gotta say what’s true for you.’ He’s like, ‘You’ll be looking at the younger rappers and you want that to be true for you, but you don’t live like that.’ He was like: ‘Be true to your story. Tell you story.’ “
Will added that Jay’s advice inspire the name ‘Based on a True Story’.
He went on to reveal that Lamar told him to be brave and honest in his lyrics. Will shared: “[Lamar said] say that s*** you’ve always been f****** scared to say.”
Will previously declared he is entering the “greatest artistic creative period” of his life with the release of the new record last week.
In a video on Instagram, he explained: “The past couple of years, I’ve been doing a very deep exploration of who and what I truly am.
“The process of this album is really allowing myself to be more honest with myself than I ever have about who and what I actually am.
“This is about to be the greatest artistic creative period of my entire life.”
The album features the singles ‘First Love’, ‘Beautiful Scars’, ‘TANTRUM’, ‘Work of Art’ and ‘You Can Make It’ plus collaborations with DJ Jazzy Jeff, Teyana Taylor and Jac Ross.
Will previously admitted he turned back to music again following the controversy of the 2022 Academy Awards when he stormed the stage and slapped host Chris Rock shortly before being awarded the Best Actor Oscar for his movie ‘King Richard’.
The rapper/actor told Billboard: “A well opened up inside of me, a well of understanding of art and pain … all kinds of things that I didn’t even know were in there.
“Then after the Oscars, that spiritual investigation continued and a whole world woke up inside that I didn’t even know was there.
“Dreams, visions; parts of my inner landscape that I had no awareness of prior to three years ago. And that opened up this bubbling to share what I’m seeing and experiencing, to explore.
“A big part of my music now is about that: the ecstatic kind of joy I remember from church when I was growing up; the ability to try to make this place more bearable.
“You know, I’ve always had a wild imagination; that’s part of who I am. But there’s something new happening with me that’s demanding I explore musically.”