The Fresh Prince Returns to Rap In Will Smith and Joyner Lucas' "Will" Remix

"The Fresh Prince" himself, Will Smith, has returned to dropping rhymes in Joyner Lucas' "Will" remix on Friday, May 15.

In the updated version of the ultimate Will Smith tribute, Joyner Lucas set the beat and mood before Smith dusted his timeless rapping skills with perfectly measured verses that fit right in the song's original beat. Lucas returns on the last part to sing his chorus, a fitting closure to his idol's hot verses.

"You feelin' like me?/ I feel like a prince that turned to a king," the "Men in Black" actor began. Smith then took the opportunity to pay tribute to his idols in return, including peace icon Nelson Mandela, NBA legend Julius "Dr. J" Erving, and boxing icon Muhammad Ali.

"I love that you think that I'm perfect, but I had plenty of mistakes and burdens," The Fresh Prince continued before expressing gratitude to his grandma, who "always guided me when I was searchin'."

Smith then gave his fan Lucas a proverbial pat in the back with the last verse, saying that he "wasn't made to lose" and that he's also a legend in the making. Will also assured Joyner that his son would be great, too. Will Smith fathers three children - Trey from his first marriage with Sheree Zampino and Willow and Jaden with Jada Pinkett-Smith. Joyner Lucas, on the other hand, has a son called Joyner Messiah with Carmen Julissa Ayala.

"Brick by brick, buildin' a wall that no one could break/Flip by flip, glad I could help so you could be straight," Smith rapped, referencing his Charlie Rose interview that also served as a soft outro on the original track.

Lucas first released "Will" on March 23, as a tribute to his childhood hero. The music video featured the "ADHD" rapper running through his verses in different roles played by Will Smith, starting with "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" to the remake of Disney's "Aladdin." In "The Pursuit of Happyness" part of the music video, Joyner and his son Messiah portrayed Will Smith and his son Jaden from the 2006 drama biopic. The music video ended with a "deepfake" image of Smith over Lucas' own as he looked over his reflection in the mirror.

After the release of the tribute track, Smith shared the video for his 43.6 million Instagram followers to express his approval. It began a back-and-forth of support, admiration, and approval from the fan and the idol. Even Jaden Smith stepped in to introduce Lucas to his dad via a Zoom video conference.

While Will Smith is now known as one of the highest-paid actors in Hollywood, he is also a rapper starting in the late 1980s. He has released five albums with DJ Jazzy Jeff, the hip-hop duo DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince, and four albums as a solo artist. His last work was fifteen years ago with 2005's Lost and Found. However, as evidenced by his smooth flows in the "Will" remix, the 51-year-old artist still has the same rap skills that earned him four Grammy awards, including his first for Best Rap Performance of their "Parents Just Don't Understand."

Before "Will," Smith's latest work in music was in the recording of singles for the official soundtrack of the live-action remake of the Disney classic "Aladdin," where he played The Genie originally brought to life by the late Robin Williams. He sang parts of the 2019 fantasy musical, including "Arabian Nights," "Friend Like Me," and "Prince Ali."

Watch the "Will" remix below:

Tags

Will Smith, Jaden Smith, Remix