While a lot of contemporary artists and modern day fans have maligned Will Smith for his songs and albums, there is no denying that he was a hip hop idol for the majority part of the early 90’s and late 80’s.
1.The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air – “Now this is a story, all about how, my life got flipped turn upside down…” And everybody on the face of the earth knows how the rest goes. This song is the song that launched the man behind the song! It is a hip-hop classic and a television legend all wrapped in one. It sounds more like a fairy tale than your original rap song, and that is a part of the reason for the criticism of Will Smith today. But for all those people that critique the Fresh Prince now, they were all probably bobbing their heads to this song every Monday night back in the 90’s.
2.Summertime – “Drums please!” If you couldn’t relate to this song when it first came out, then I don’t know if you can relate to anything. This song’s “soft, subtle mix” was one of Jazzy Jeff’s best. This song, and summertime, were rap aphrodisiacs for all of the true rap enthusiasts. Will brings an instant feeling of nostalgia to everybody with his lyrics about barbeques, car shows, family reunions, poppin’ water plugs, reminiscing with your friends and girls playing Double Dutch.
3.Getting Jiggy Wit It – As soon as you heard Getting Jiggy Wit It for the first time, you knew this was going to be one of the best dance songs of the 90’s. As for those who couldn’t dance, a lot of them ended up trying to dance whenever this hip-moving song hit the airwaves, despite the fact the fact that they couldn’t “ball with the kid.” Other then its dance-prone beat and extended unaccompanied composition, there was not much to this song other then the message, “Stand up and dance!
4.Miami – Along with Bad Boys I, this song can probably be accredited to Miami’s rise in popularity in the 90’s. The song made Miami seem like the hottest spot on Earth, both literally and figuratively. Will highlighted the spectacular nightlife, Miami’s sexy and diverse population and the infamous Miami Strip. I don’t know about you, but after hearing this song, my next vacation was to Miami, “where ain’t no other city in the world like this!”
5.Wild Wild West – Another one of Will’s many songs that sampled a prior hit song. Yet once again, Will made this his song, and many people remember his version more than the original. Meant to couple his star role in a movie, Wild Wild West was a song that featured KC and JoJo, an upbeat tempo, and a black cowboy mindset. Yeah. It was definitely interesting!
6.Just The 2 of Us – This is a song that is popularly noted for referring to Will Smith’s son. But for those of us not named the Fresh Prince, the song was about everybody being their for the ones they love.
7.Big Willie Style – This song made everybody and their momma bob their heads. It matched a contemporary 90’s beat with some contemporary 90’s lyrics. Full of self-promotion, tales of extravagant ventures and high rolling night life, Big Willie Style let us all know just how huge Big Will had become. Because if you didn’t know he was on top before this song, you certainly knew after. With a “sweet wife,” Versace clothes, and “convoys of whips on the strip,” we not only got introduced to Will Smith’s profligate lifestyle, but we got acquainted with the avant-garde lifestyle of the rich in famous all together.
8.Lovely Daze – A lot of people haven’t heard this song. Some of you may have heard of the original version. As for the few who have heard it, you know this is Will Smith’s best love song ever. The song dictated how a man should court a woman. It showed a lot of brothers that you don’t have to wait for the perfect day or the perfect moment to show your women a good time, but that just telling your woman that you’re going to the beach, top down and with a picnic basket is more romantic than any planned special occasion.
9.Parents Just Don’t Understand – This song used one of the most old school rap beats in the history of hip-hop, but only the Fresh Prince could have made old school work in the 90’s. With unparalleled lyrics about a topic that everyone could relate to, Will Smith made this song a one-of-a-kind original.
10.Will 2k – In 1999, Will Smith brought in the “Willennium” with this song. With Jazzy Jeff putting down another beat, and KC and JoJo singing the hook, this song was an immediate hit. As Will rapped about ringing in the New Year, partying in style, and commemorating with his celebrated friends, he also made note of the significance of Y2K. He conversed about how so many people from his generation have been dreaming about the turn of the century for so long, and he wondered how the year 2000 might change the world.
Bonus Song: Freakin’ It – I would have liked to have put this in the top 10, but this song was more important for being Will Smith’s stance against all of his colleague rappers who were constantly calling Will Smith and his songs disparate from rap. In this song though, he let them all know who was in the rap game first, who helped open it up to the mainstream, and who recurrently continues to sell records. The recurring answer: Will Smith.
