Will Smith announces first album in 20 years

Culture 24 March 2025 11:38

Will Smith returns to his hip hop roots and announces the release date of his first album in 20 years, Based on a True Story, which will be available on March 28th.

"It's official," the actor and rapper wrote in an Instagram post, "my new album Based on a True Story will be out March 28th. In two weeks!! Order it now. I've been working hard on this and can't wait for you to hear it." His last album, Lost and Found, was also released in March, but in 2005, CE Report quotes Kosova Press.

Based on a True Story has 14 songs and includes collaborations with artists such as DJ Jazzy Jeff, who with Smith was part of the hip hop duo DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince, Teyana Taylor and Jac Ross. The album was preceded by several songs, the latest of which, Beautiful Scars, was released in January. In an interview a few months ago with Extra, the artist spoke about how long it took him to complete his project.

"I worked on it for a year and a half," he said. "This project is without a doubt the most personal and intense music I've ever made."

Following the announcement of the new album's release date, Will Smith reunited with his co-star Tatyana Ali and rapper Doechii in an Instagram post, recreating a scene from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air from 1990. They took part in Doechii's trending song "Anxiety," which was released on streaming platforms on March 4. "I've waited 35 years for this dance to trend," Smith wrote, according to the report.

The Oscar-winning actor for King Richards (2022) has a successful history in music, winning multiple Grammys and the award for best rap solo song in 1999 for Gettin' Jiggy wit It. He also had success with Men in Black, his first solo song. The release of the new album could mean a rebirth of his reputation after the famous incident at the 2022 Academy Awards, where he hit Chris Rock who made a joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. For this act, the actor was banned from attending the Oscars for ten years, but his statuette was not returned.

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