Will Smith has revealed that JAY-Z and Kendrick Lamar gave him the same brutally honest advice for his new album.
Earlier this month, Smith announced his plans to release his forthcoming album, Based On A True Story, which is his first in 20 years, on Friday (March 28).
In a recent interview with “Sway In The Morning” on SiriusXM, the Hollywood actor and rapper revealed that before diving into his latest musical endeavor, he reached out to two rap legends, JAY-Z and Kendrick Lamar, for advice. Surprisingly, both of them had nearly identical words of wisdom.
“Before I started, I made two phone calls,” Smith shared. “I talked to Jay and I talked to Kendrick. And I was like, ‘Hey, I want to get back in music.’ And it was like, ‘What’s the advice?’”
Will Smith shares the advice he received from Jay-Z and Kendrick before making his new album “Based on a True Story”
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JAY-Z’s message was clear: authenticity above all else.
“He said, ‘Don’t fake your story,’” he recalled. “‘You gotta say what’s true for you. He said, you’ll be looking at the younger rappers, and you want that to be true for you, but you don’t live like that. Be true to your story. Tell your story.’”
JAY-Z’s advice stuck with Smith so much that it became the foundation of his upcoming project.
“That’s where I got the Based On A True Story from Jay,” he explained.
Kendrick Lamar’s advice, while different in wording, carried the same essential message
“He paused, he said, ‘Man, just say that s### you always been f###### scared to say,’” Smith revealed.
The weight of their words wasn’t lost on him. He admitted, “It was scary, right? To just, like, say it.”
But he took it as a challenge. Instead of chasing trends or crafting songs for approval, he’s now focused on making music that feels real to him.
“That’s the thing with genre—make the record you want to make,” he said. “Don’t try to make the record that you think people will like you for. Make the one that’s authentic.”
Smith’s album is set to feature 14-tracks and guest verses from artists such as his own son Jaden, Big Sean, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Teyana Taylor and more.
