Oscar-winning actor Will Smith once portrayed Christopher Gardner, a homeless salesman, in the 2006 film “Pursuit of Happyness,” where he gave his son, played by Jaden Smith, a piece of advice: “Don’t ever let somebody tell you you can’t do something.”
He brings this advice into his new album, “Based on a True Story.”
The project — released on March 28 — marks his return to hip hop, reminding listeners that before his acting career, Smith was a rapper. Due to his emphasis on acting for several years, many have forgotten his musical roots. However, since he dropped this album, his hip hop songs have regained their popularity.
The album reflects on Smith’s life as both an actor and a hip hop artist. But more than that, it confronts the stereotypes people often place on him. This makes “Based on a True Story” especially powerful, as Smith tackles those assumptions through creativity and vulnerability.
The album does a great job at showing what Smith is capable of while also giving listeners a chance to walk in his shoes and experience the pressure that comes with living under the spotlight.
Smith raps about the ways people classify him in today’s society. Since many people talk about Smith nowadays as a controversial figure, whether that be attributed to his public outburst at the Oscars or the complicated relationship with his wife.
This album also clearly explains the message of Smith’s life through song lyrics in the album. This is because the album is about the different careers Smith has been through and the gossip people have about Smith’s life.
These song lyrics also represent the beliefs Smith has about his critics.
An interesting song that Smith created was “First Love” because it represents Smith wanting a certain love in his life. He also uses powerful lyrics in order to intrigue listeners to be more curious about him.
Another great song from Smith is “Bulletproof” since it shows his strength as a celebrity by being aware of the negative thoughts the world has on him.
In a lot of Smith’s songs on this album, he mentions critics, how they affect his life, and the judgement he receives from them.
For example, some songs include him acknowledging the incident at the Oscars with Chris Rock, which contributed to his controversiality, and resulted in Smith being banned from the Oscar’s and all academy related events for 10 years.
This album not only addresses Smith’s haters, but also the disappointment Smith has in himself for what happened at the Oscars. One of the main reasons Smith created this album was to take accountability and show resilience to critics.
This album also brings back nostalgia to many people since DJ Jazzy Jeff, the first hip hop artist beside Will Smith to win a Grammy award for best rap performance, is featured in some of the songs. Notably, the two have not worked together since 1988 with the previous project, “Parents Just Don’t Understand.”
Since then, Smith has revived his hip hop era from when he was younger and combined it with the stories of his life today in the album.
Because of this, he should not only be recognized for not just starring in movies, but also singing hip hop songs.
“Every song is about some part of myself that I discovered or wanted to explore, something I wanted to share,” Smith said in an interview at the Hard Rock Cafe in Philadelphia on March 25. “It’s the most full musical offering that I’ve ever created. My challenges and my obstacles and my difficulties are actually divine curriculum.”
The album is powerful as it signifies the importance of someone as popular as Smith taking the necessary action and being transparent about his career, with Smith expressing himself freely and actually reflecting on who he is.
Will Smith’s album, “Based on a True Story,” is not only key to protecting his career, but also how he lives his life.
