Blender Q&A Dear Superstar June 2005 Issue"The idea to come back to music is a long shot at best," say Will Smith within seconds of entering his suite at Manhattan's Mandarin Oriental Hotel. "But that's the kind of shot I hot a lot."
Indeed, you would have received long odds, when a teenage Smith first teamed up with friend and producer Jazzy Jeff, that the grangly jug-eared rapper from Philly would become a platinum-selling hip-hop star, TV sitcom icon, A-list movie star and husband to big-screen hottie Jada Pinkett.
But it's three years since the 36-year-old's last CD, 2002's Born to Reign, whose poor sales suggested that his fans had transferred their affections to more expletive-happy rappers like Eminem. It's enough to make a man (in black) angry!
Which is exactly how Smith sounds on his new album, Lost & Foun. "Mr. Nice Guy" takes pops at gossipy DJ Wendy Williams and at Eminem himself, who dissed the Fresh Prince on "The Real Slim Shady."
"Like it says on my record, sometimes people mistake nice for soft," explains Smith. "I don't think that we need to continue to make that mistake about Will"
Given that the star of ALi could beat the tar out of Blender, it seems reasonable to ask if there are any subjects that might unleash Big willie's not-so-nice side.
"There's nothing you could say to offend me, if it's coming from a truthful place," he says with a smile.
Well the first question comes from...
"That's bullshit!" Smith explodes, before emitting that distinctive baritonehyena of a laugh.
Okay, this should be fun...
What was it like working with Snoop Dogg on your new album? Did he try to get you high? J-Bro, Tuscaloosa, AL
Oh, that's my man. I've know Snoop for, like 15 years. I just love that line that Snoop is able to walk-that the hardest, roughest gangstas in the world love Snoop and 4-year-old kids in the suburb love him. Did he try to get me high? You know...I don't know anything about Snoop's personal beliefs with that stuff. But no, we had a good time in the studio.
Do you ever swear? DJ_HERSH, Portland, OR
Oh, fuck, yeah.
When was the last time you threw a punch offscreen? BRADLEYAA, Miami
I smacked a dude in LAX a couple of years ago. I haven't punched anybody because I know how to punch now. And, if I punch someone, I'm gonna hurt them really bad. So I smack now. Because a smack stings. It was a photographer. They do this thing in LA where there's two photographers and one photographer comes over to fuck with you and the other one's across the street and they shoot it. So I made sure they got a good piece of film.
I read somewhere that you said had an open marriage. If that's true, can I get JAda's number? Grillpower, Lancaster, PA
I never said that I had an open marraige. What I said is that our relationship is based on 100% truth. That, no matter what, there's never going to be something that I would say or do that I wouldn't tell her first. And then the interviewer said, well, what if you were with Eva Mendes and you wanted to ... I said, well, I would say to my wife -if the that situtation presented itself -I would say, "Honey, I want to sleep with Eva Mendes, is that OK?" And, you know, she'd probably say no. But the point was, how can you expect to be successful in a relationship if you're not telling your partner 100% truth? The fact that the interviewer could that in the direction he took it showed me where he is in his relationship, you know?
I saw Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five at a place called Dance and Skates in Philly. It was like watching a holy person in lead a sermon. It just felt like it was so what I needed to be doing. It wasn't like anything else. It was brand new out, out of thin air as far as we were concered.
Is it true that the studio refused to cast a white actress opposite you in Hitch? Jane Stables, Hamilton, NJ
It was actually the other way around. They didn't want to cast a black woman. But this is a really good time for black folks in Hollywood in general. I think if we keep pushing right now, next year and the year after can continue along those lines.
It's 1988, and you're on tour with Run-DMC, Public Enemy EPMD, and Stretsasonic. Paint us a Picture of what's going on backstage Chunky_lover44, Lubbock, TX
God, we were havinga ball. That was the golden era of hip-hop. Everything was new. Every city was really receptive. That tour was essentially set up by Russel Simmons and Rush Management to break rappers into different places that they'd never been. For example, Run DMC and Jaazyy Jeff and the Fresh Prince were staying at the Four Seasons, to be able to prove that rappers could stay at the Four Seasons. EPMD were doing small shows. It was much more calm, because we had this overall purpose for hip-hop. It was a party every night. But it was much more calm than the year before. The year before was ridiculous...
Are you religious -and have you ever been approached by the church of scientology? Donicello, Vancouver, BC
I've probably read 95% of the words in the Bible. Probably 60% of the Toraj. 70% of the Koran. And the thing that is so amazing to me is how everybody, in essence, belives the same thing. I just can't understand how we get from such similiar beliefs to murdering one another. My beliefs are that individuals have to create relationships with God. You can't listen to what the preacher says -you have to read the Bible yourself and make your interpretation. I'm good friends with Tom Cruise and I just think a lot of the ideas in Scientology are brilliant and revolutionary and non religious.
What was your most embarrassing outfit from the Fresh Prince era? Elroy, Madison, WI
Aw, like, all of them! Here's an easier question: Whas there ever a good outfit? You know, what was the one oufit you thought was OK? God, I watch it on Nick At Night and it's amazing that I became famous from that. I think I was trying to have as bad an outfit as I could possible have.
Was there a point where you ever got sicjk of the word jiggy?? A-Kos, Lake Elisnore, CA
Yeah. Right Now. Ha! It was crazy. Jerry Seinfeld really launched that record. People were liking it, but as soon as Jerry Seinfeld said "jiggy" on the show it just went through the roof.
Do you let your kids listen to gangsta rap? Gigantic, Jupiter, FL
I don't sheild my kids from any of that stuff. They listen to everything. But they do all the clean versions. You can go on the iTunes music and download clean versions of everything.
I just found a porn movie called Six Degrees of Penetration. Is it true that you watch all the porn versions of your movies, and do you remember that one? Freshman_Prince, Chapel Hill, NC
I always see those. People always send them to me, like the stars of the movies send them, like I'd enjoy it. There were a couple that were pretty bad. Men in Back -that was no good. It's like, come on, man, don't do that to my movie!
Have you ever thought of getting your ears fixed? TheRealRamona, Albany, NY
Oh, they are fixed. They're as good as they could possibly be. Anything I did to them would take something away from them.
Is that your real laugh MJ Stoudt, Oak Park, IL
[Genuinely insulted] Yeah, that's my real laugh! I only have one. Like, I enjoy stuff. So, when I let it rip, it's ripped.
Did you ever get the chance to hang out with Tupac David_gutz_y2k@yahoo.com
Yeah, Tupac and Jada went to school together, so they were friends for a lot of years. He always viewed what I had and what I created as where he would have gone, under different circumstances, you know. I looked at him the same way. With different influences I absolutely, you know, I would have viewed the world the way that he viewed the world. So we had a real admiration for one other.
When Fresh Prince cast member Alfonso Ribiero turns up on your caller ID, do you take the call? Jonny, Aspen, CO
Oh, that's my man! Alfonso directs a few episodes of All of Us every year. And we just sold a TV that he's going to star and direct in.
what have you got planned for the remaining 994 years of the Willenium Gooter, Oakland, CA
Ha! let me concentrate on the next six months right now. I feel like I can shake them up a little now bit with this album. I think people will be really surprised when they listen to some of the tracks. I view myself as a new artist. I've never been this talented musically before.