Will Smith

Will Smith’s First Gospel Single “You Can Make It” Debuts on Billboard Charts

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Will Smith to Star and Executive Produce Iraq War Film ‘Sugar Bandits’

Will Smith’s inaugural Christian/gospel single, “You Can Make It,” featuring Fridayy and Sunday Service Choir, has made a notable entry onto Billboard’s charts dated July 13.

Released on June 28, the track debuts at No. 3 on the Hot Gospel Songs chart and No. 23 on the Hot Christian Songs chart. According to Luminate, the single garnered 726,000 in radio audience, 665,000 official U.S. streams, and sold 1,000 copies through July 4. This debut marks a significant milestone in Smith’s musical journey, showcasing his versatility and appeal in the gospel genre.

“I was really talking to myself,” Smith said to Billboard. “To see so many people resonate with the intention gives me a clear North Star for this next chapter of my creative life.”

Will Smith performed the song at the 2024 BET Awards, which you can see below.

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Will Smith Is A Huge Fan Of Donald Glover’s BET Awards Joke About Him And Sam Smith, His Reaction Shows

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In case you missed it, Donald Glover made waves at the 2024 BET Awards this weekend when he took the stage to lament his lack of historical success at the awards. He joked, “It doesn’t really make sense: I have more Grammys than Will Smith, which makes no sense, but I have the same amount of BET Awards as Sam Smith. Does that make sense to you guys? Me and Sam Smith are neck-in-neck at the Black Entertainment Television…”

Will Smith, it turns out, is a fan of the bit.

On Instagram yesterday (July 1), Smith shared a video of himself in what looks like a hair and makeup room, watching the aforementioned part of Glover’s speech on a TV. He laughed after he was mentioned, then let out a bigger laugh at the Sam Smith punchline.

Glover was up for Best Actor at this weekend’s show, ultimately coming up short as the honor went to Denzel Washington. Glover was also part of the massive Usher tribute performance, opening the multi-artist medley by singing Usher’s “U Don’t Have To Call.”

Will Smith didn’t have any nominations, but he was on hand to give a performance of a very Kanye West-like new song.

Will Smith Returns to Music with Uplifting Single “You Can Make It”

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Will Smith Returns to Music with Uplifting Single "You Can Make It"

Following the premiere of Bad Boys: Ride or Die, actor and Welcome to Miami singer Will Smith triumphantly returns to the music scene with his new gospel-leaning single, “You Can Make It,” released at midnight on Friday, June 28. Collaborating with artist Fridayy and featuring the soulful Sunday Service Choir, this inspirational track aims to empower listeners and remind them of their inner strength to overcome hardships.

Distributed by the minority-owned, multi-featured music sound house SLANG Music Group, “You Can Make It” marks Smith’s first independent music release. Known for his dynamic presence in film and music industries, Smith is set to reconnect with his fans through this powerful message of hope and perseverance.

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Will Smith Goes Full Kanye In His 2024 BET Awards Performance With A Brand-New, Inspirational Song

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Will Smith took a page from the book of Kanye West — fortunately, not the one about Jewish people — for his 2024 BET Awards performance, employing a full Sunday Service-esque choir (led by Kirk Franklin, naturally) to accompany him as he debuted an inspirational new song, “Bulletproof.” The stage was set up like something West would have deployed during his Donda era, replete with dancing flames and extremely Yeezy wardrobe to boot — pun intended. If Will Smith wants to move into the space recently vacated by the disgraced Kanye, though, we could do worse.

Smith certainly has had his share of self-inflicted tribulations over the last couple of years. Those stem, of course, from the 2022 Academy
Awards, when Smith walked onstage to slap the host, comedian Chris Rock, after Rock made some disparaging remarks about Smith’s wife(?), Jada Pinkett Smith. Since then, due to Will and Jada’s promotional tours for their respective memoirs, the rapper/actor fell out of public favor for some time due to their persistent oversharing.

However, you’re only ever one hit away from a comeback, and in Will’s case, that hit is Bad Boys: Ride Or Die, which is not only dominating the box office, but also reminding people why they loved the Philly native as an actor in the first place. With his new song, he’s really returning to his Fresh Prince roots, and perhaps on the cusp of a musical comeback, as well.

You can watch Will Smith’s 2024 BET Awards performance above and find the full list of 2024 BET Awards nominees and winners here.

Who Is Performing At The 2024 BET Awards?

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This Sunday (June 30) at 8 p.m., all eyes will be on BET as the 2024 BET Awards take place. We know who’s nominated: That was announced in May, and leading the pack are Drake, Nicki Minaj, J. Cole, Sexyy Red, SZA, Victoria Monét, 21 Savage, Beyoncé, Doja Cat, Megan Thee Stallion, Tyla, and Usher.

The other big piece of the puzzle is who is set to perform during the broadcast. Well, now we know.

Who’s Performing At The 2024 BET Awards?

It was announced today (June 26) that Megan Thee Stallion has joined the lineup, as she’ll perform to open the show.

Meanwhile, added to the lineup two days ago was Will Smith, who is set to perform a new original song.

Also performing during the broadcast will be GloRilla, Ice Spice, Latto, Lauryn Hill and YG Marley, Muni Long, Sexyy Red, Shaboozey, Tyla, and Victoria Monét. Tanner Adell will also perform, on the BET Amplified stage.

Usher, meanwhile, will be honored with the Lifetime Achievement BET Award. Taraji P. Henson is returning to host the show.

Aside from getting ready for the BET Awards, Megan also just had a fresh Amazon Prime Day ad campaign drop, which included a brand-new song made specifically for the commercial.

Will Smith To Perform First New Song In Seven Years At BET Awards

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Will Smith is having a moment. The entertainer just scored a massive box office hit with Bad Boys: Ride or Die. The press tour for the action sequel has gone a long way in restoring Smith’s goodwill with the public. He knows it too, because he isn’t taking any plays off. In fact, Smith is doubling down and has decided to return to his hip-hop roots. On June 24, the Oscar winner announced that he will perform at the upcoming BET Awards. To make things even more interesting, he will be playing a brand new song.

Smith has flirted with hip-hop a few times in the 2020s. He collaborated with artists like Logic and Joyner Lucas, and he even performed “Men In Black” at Coachella this year. The difference with the BET Awards is that Big Willie Style will be giving fans original material. He hasn’t released a new solo song since 2017, and “Get Lit” didn’t exactly light the world up. Will Smith hasn’t had a top 10 single since “Switch,” which came out in 2005. Now’s the time to attempt a comeback, though, and BET confirmed the performance with a Variety press release.

Read More: Rob Schneider Goes Off On Will Smith In Explicit Rant

Will Smith Is Allegedly Working On A New Album

The release was penned by Connie Orlando, EVP Specials, Music Programming and Music Strategy at BET. “From his start as a rapper to The Fresh Prince,” she stated. “To being a box office king as one of the Bad Boys, Will Smith is truly a global icon. And we are honored to welcome him back to grace the BET Awards stage. We look forward to Will adding to yet another defining night for the culture that is not to be missed.” Smith hasn’t divulged any details about the song or the album that it will reportedly serve as a single for. He did, however, discuss why he felt compelled to pick up the microphone during a 2015 Guardian interview.

Will Smith credited his son, Jaden, and Kanye West, for prompting his musical rebirth. “My son tells me I have to write out the things I don’t like,” he told to the outlet. “I can’t write and stop, I have to keep going and going and write them out. I’ve never worked like that before but I think I might give that a shot… I’m exploring.” It’s taken nearly a decade for this exploring to come to fruition, but it sounds like Smith may have finally found what he was looking for. We’ll know for sure on June 30 when the BET Awards air.

Read More: Will Smith And Martin Lawrence Reveal Their G.O.A.T. Rappers

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Will Smith to Debut New Song Live at BET Awards 2024

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BET has announced a star-studded lineup and exciting additions for the upcoming “BET Awards” 2024, scheduled to air live on Sunday, June 30 at 8 pm ET/PT. Academy Award-winning actor and multiplatinum recording artist Will Smith will debut an original song during the event, joining an impressive roster of performers.

“From his start as a rapper to The Fresh Prince to being a box office king as one of the Bad Boys,  Will Smith is truly a global icon, and we are honored to welcome him back to grace the BET  Awards stage,” said Connie Orlando, EVP Specials, Music Programming & Music Strategy at BET. We look forward to Will adding to yet another defining night for the culture that is not to  be missed.” 

Hosted by Golden Globe-winning actress Taraji P. Henson, the awards ceremony will honor GRAMMY-winning icon Usher with the prestigious Lifetime Achievement BET Award. The lineup of performers includes GloRilla, Ice Spice, Latto, Ms. Lauryn Hill & YG Marley, Muni Long, Sexyy Red, Shaboozey, Tyla, and Victoria Monét, with Tanner Adell set to perform on the BET Amplified stage.

For three consecutive years, the “BET Awards” has been the #1 cable award show among all adults 18-49 and continues to lead as the top cable award show among Black adults 18-49 for the 22nd year. The event serves as a platform to celebrate Black music, creativity, and sportsmanship, highlighting the culture and driving social change.

Drake leads the nominations with seven nods, reflecting the influence and impact of his work. Nominees were selected by a voting academy comprising respected figures from the music industry.

Fans can participate by voting for the “BET Awards” 2024 Viewer’s Choice Award until June 30, 2024, at 6:30 PM PT/9:30 PM ET. For more information and the complete list of nominees, visit the official BET website.

The post Will Smith to Debut New Song Live at BET Awards 2024 first appeared on The Source.

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WATCH: Martin Lawrence and Will Smith Give Their Picks for Greatest Rappers of All-Time

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Martin Lawrence and Will Smith Give Their Picks for Greatest Rappers of All-Time

The greatest rapper of all time is always a hot topic in Hip-Hop. Continuing their media run for Bad Boys: Ride or Die, Martin Lawrence and Will Smith pulled up on GOAT Talk and revealed who gets their vote.

“I would have to say Snoop Dogg for me,” Martin said. “Because Snoop’s always come through for me. He’s done my show and has always been excellent. And he’s a good friend of mine.”

Smith added, “I think that in terms of changing the game, Rakim. The combination of Melle Mel and Grandmaster Caz in terms of me developing my love for hip-hop.”

You can hear it below.

The post WATCH: Martin Lawrence and Will Smith Give Their Picks for Greatest Rappers of All-Time first appeared on The Source.

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Will Smith And Martin Lawrence Reveal Their G.O.A.T. Rappers

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Will Smith and Martin Lawrence are having a moment. Three decades after they were two of the biggest stars on television, they’re proving themselves to be even bigger draws as movie stars. Bad Boys: Ride or Die has killed at the box office, and part of the reason why is the promo tour Smith and Lawrence are on. They’re everywhere, sharing anecdotes about their friendship and their seemingly bulletproof franchise. The Smith and Lawrence convo we didn’t expect, however, was who the greatest rapper of all time is.

Smith and Lawrence recently went on the YouTube series GOAT Talk to discuss, well GOAT topics. Given the impact that both of them have had on hip-hop culture, it was only a matter of time before they were hit with the “GOAT rapper” question. Their answers did not disappoint. Martin Lawrence decided to go with a generational peer and a close personal friend. “I would have to say Snoop Dogg for me,” he noted. “Because Snoop’s always come through for me. He’s done my show and has always been excellent. And he’s a good friend of mine.” Both Lawrence and Snoop Dogg appeared in the 2019 film The Beach Bum. The latter also made a cameo on a 1994 episode of Martin.

Read More: Will Smith Admits He Hated Quincy Jones’ Original “Fresh Prince” Theme

Will Smith Struggled To Pick Between Three Rappers

Will Smith’s answer was more intriguing. He rose to fame as a rapper. He was the first rapper to win a Grammy, in fact, so he’s technically a GOAT candidate himself. Rest assured, however, the actor didn’t pick himself. He decided to go old school with his picks. “I think that in terms of changing the game,” he posited. “Rakim.” Will Smith was unable to limit his answer to one, though. He mentioned two other men who shaped his love for the genre. “The combination of Melle Mel and Grandmaster Caz,” he explained. “In terms of me developing my love for hip-hop.” The Caz shout out is timely, given that Smith recently encountered the rapper during a radio interview.

Smith gushed about Grandmaster Caz during his appearance on Sway In the Morning. He told the host that he modeled his rhyming style after the Cold Crush legend. In the middle of his interview, Caz walks in the room and leaves the Oscar winner starstruck. Smith let out a yell of surprise before hyping up the rapper to the rest of the room. “Ladies and gentleman,” he said. “The full, complete and total inspiration for the Fresh Prince: Grandmaster Caz.” Smith might’ve said Rakim first, but this encounter tips the scale in Caz’s favor.

Read More: Will Smith & Jada Pinkett Smith’s Friends Doubt Sincerity Of Reconciliation: Report

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Stephen A. Smith Walks Back Will Smith Criticism Amid Massive Backlash

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People who didn’t agree with Stephen A. Smith’s perspective bombarded him with calls and emails, and he declined to cancel Will Smith. Now, Stephen A. Smith’s opinion has changed. Furthermore, after asserting that Will Smith owed the Black community an explanation for slapping Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars, the seasoned sportscaster encountered criticism. He said that the occurrence was “devastating” for both Rock and “the Black community” on his own show. Additionally, Smith thinks that Will Smith and Antoine Fuqua’s prospects of winning an Oscar for Emancipation the following year were impacted by the slap.

Smith claimed that he made his comments with Black folks hoping to be in Hollywood in mind. He said that because of Will Smith’s behavior, he was afraid that white people would stereotype Black actors. “It was a blemish on all of us,” he said. “Because I know how much white America reveres Will Smith and the thinking along the lines in my mind was, hell if he did that, what would the rest of us do. There are certain things that happen in the lives of an individual where those incidences are used as a license to castigate the rest of us.” All in all, Smith has walked back his statement.

Read More: Shannon Sharpe Announces Massive Multi-Year ESPN Deal On “First Take”

Stephen A. Smith Walks Back Will Smith Criticism Amid Massive Backlash

Stephen A. Smith said, nevertheless, that he had a change of heart after speaking with a mutual acquaintance. Charlie Mack, a longtime friend and former security guard of Will Smith, called Stephen A. He begged him to show the actor “grace.” Additionally, Mack questioned why someone with Will Smith’s spotless background shouldn’t be allowed to make mistakes. He pointed out that this is how he makes a career and provides for his family. Smith claimed that Mack urged him to think about the impact on Martin Lawrence and the crews that produce Will Smith’s films. “Throughout Will Smith’s life, not just his career, there has been exponentially far more good than bad, and I certainly did not mean to gloss over that,” he said.  

Stephen A. received a barrage of calls and messages from people who didn’t agree with him. They would not back down from not canceling Will Smith. Stephen A. Smith was convinced that Will Smith remained a beloved figure after seeing a video of Black admirers crowding the 55-year-old during a screening of Bad Boys: Ride or Die. “So I got to stand down,” Stephen A. Smith conceded. Overall, Stephen A. was pressed by a lot of people because of his out-of-touch comments about Will Smith.

Read More: Stephen A. Smith Says Fans Aren’t Ready To Support Will Smith After Chris Rock Slap Despite “Bad Boys: Ride Or Die” Making $100 Million

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