The countdown is on for Will Smith’s first album release since the Bush administration.
The rapper-turned-actor is set to drop Based on a True Story on March 28, featuring five previously released singles alongside nine new tracks.
This marks Smith’s first album since 2005’s Lost and Found, which, like three of his four solo records, landed in the Top 10.
Taking to Instagram, the Fresh Prince himself confirmed the album’s release:
“My new album Based On A True Story drops March 28. TWO WEEKS!! Hit that presave. Been working on this project for a minute and I’m itchin’ to get it out to y’all.”
Smith also hinted that Based on a True Story is the first installment in a trilogy, as suggested by the subtitle “Season 1: R.I.T.W.”
Tracklist & Collaborations
Released under indie label Slang Records, the album includes several 2024 singles—“Tantrum,” “Work of Art,” “First Love,” “You Can Make It”—along with “Beautiful Scars”.
Other tracks featured in the album include:
- “Int. Barbershop Day” – Featuring DJ Jazzy Jeff and Simone
- “Hard Times” – Featuring Jac Ross
- “Rave in the Wasteland”
- “You Lookin’ for Me?”
- “Make It Look Easy”
Will Smith (Photo: Getty Images)
A Look Back at Smith’s Music Career
Smith began his career as one-half of the ’80s rap duo DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, breaking through with their 1988 sophomore album He’s the DJ, I’m the Rapper. The record produced hit singles like “Parents Just Don’t Understand” and “A Nightmare on My Street.”
His transition to television with The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air in 1990 didn’t slow down his music success. In 1991, the duo scored their biggest hit with “Summertime,” which peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100.
After three more albums with DJ Jazzy Jeff, Smith went solo and exploded onto the charts with Big Willie Style, released in 1997, just over a year after his Hollywood breakthrough in Independence Day.
The album spawned massive hits, including his first No. 1 single, “Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It”, and went on to sell over 9 million copies in the U.S.
He followed up with Willennium (1999), which featured the chart-topping “Wild Wild West”, and later released Born to Reign (2002) before Lost and Found (2005).
Upcoming Performance
Ahead of the album’s release, Smith is set to perform live on March 23 at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles following the CONCACAF Nations League final.
