Joyner Lucas is one of rap’s brightest new lyricists, and he put out a song recently in honor of Will Smith, called “Will.” In the song and video, he referenced many of Will’s accomplishments, whether it involved the Fresh Prince TV show, the Men In Black movies, and the Bad Boys franchise. Many praised the fact that Joyner Lucas took the time and effort to celebrate someone who beat the odds as Will Smith did, who transitioned from a TV star to one of the most famous movie stars in the world.
In the song, Lucas openly declares that Will Smith is his “idol”, and “doesn’t even know it.” The song appears on Lucas’ latest album, ADHD, which features guest appearances from heavyweights like Young Thug, Logic, and Fabolous. There are some clever lines here that speak to Will’s more minor roles, as well, and the entire video is an homage to the superstar. It also speaks to the struggle of black men to succeed. Lucas states that he was “loaded with bills” because he wasn’t blessed with an “Uncle Phil” – the rich uncle of Will in the TV show Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air (where Will Smith played a fictionalized version of himself).
The video has gone viral, accumulating over 20 million views in a month. At the end of the video, Lucas looks into the mirror – and none other than Will Smith looked back at him. Many fans speculated that it would be amazing if Will Smith hopped on the song for a remix…on a song about himself.
Will Smith has not only delivered, but he has exceeded expectations. On “Will (Remix)”, Will Smith speaks about how one of his biggest accomplishments is starting a family. He takes the opportunity to speaks on the people that inspired HIS rise, including Nelson Mandela, Muhammad Ali, Julius Erving, Eddie Murphy, his grandmother, and more. Smith also points out that he was able to sell 60 million records without cursing, which he doesn’t do in the guest verse, either. He points out that him and Jazzy Jeff would work tirelessly on their craft, and he would make music despite the claims that Smith was “corny”, since he wanted – and demanded – respect in the music industry.
He also saluted the late James Avery, the actor who played Uncle Phil, who passed away in 2013. Smith speaks on fame, his wife, Martin Lawrence, and more. Smith also takes the time to salute Joyner Lucas and the fact that he chose to make a song about him, stating that Lucas is a “legend in the making”, as well. Smith also praises his children, who have been successful in their own right, while declaring that he knows that Lucas’ son is headed for greatness, as well.
There’s another fascinating thing about “Will.” The song was actually produced by Crank Lucas (no relation to Joyner Lucas), a Youtuber who is known mostly for his skits and parodies about rappers. Lucas is known for his talent, and it has helped him gain over 500,000 Youtube subscribers. However, this is easily the biggest placement of his career – and now, he has not only worked with Joyner Lucas, but Will Smith, as well.
It’s nice to hear a song that salutes other artists, in a genre that is known for diss tracks and subtle jabs at other artists. Instead, both Joyner Lucas and Will Smith took the time out to salute those who helped motivate them on their journey. How many rappers can brag about having a song with someone whose movies had made billions at the box office? Joyner Lucas now can.
Many rappers had their prime years ago but couldn’t adapt to the modern “sound” of rap. Will Smith has proven that he can still deliver, and the “Will” remix remains one of the most-discussed topics in rap music today. We might never get a full rap project from Will Smith again, but this verse definitely helped solidify his own legacy, as well as that as Joyner Lucas.
