Black history fact #25: Will Smith

What's going on, everybody. Welcome to another episode of a day with crime, black history fact edition. Of course I am your man, David. Let's jump in. 

There's another African-American who did something first and I'm doing this for all the young people out there who truly still believe that will Smith's first professional. Wasn't actor.

This one's for you one day. I went around at work and I asked a bunch of 18 to 21 year olds. If they knew what will Smith [00:01:00] first profession was, every one of them said actor. And when I said, no, I was argued down. Even when I showed them his dishonest graphy willsmith was and still is a wrapper over the years, he has done more acting, but he still can work a mic in 1988 will Smith and jazzy.

Jeff who were known as DJ jazzy, Jeff, and the fresh. One of the first ever rap Grammy back then the rat portion of the show was not televised. So it was not shown they won for the song. Parents just don't understand. So let's learn a little bit more about the man. Mr. Will Smith Willard, Carol Smith Jr. Was born September 25th, 1968.

It makes him about 52 years old. Right now he is an American actor, rapper and [00:02:00] film producer. He has been nominated for five golden globe awards and two academy awards and has won four Grammy awards. During the late 1980s, he achieved a modest fame as a rapper under the name, the fresh prince. In 1990, his popularity increased dramatically when he began starring in the NBC television series, their fresh prince of Bel air, which ran for six seasons until 1996.

After the series ended Smith transitioned from television to film, it went on to star in numerous blockbuster films. He is the only actor to have started eight consecutive films, which grossed over $100 million in the United States box off. 11 consecutive films, which grossed over $150 million internationally in eight consecutive films, which opened up the number one spot in the U S box office.

Tally [00:03:00] Smith has been ranked as the most bankable star worldwide by Forbes in April, 2007. Newsweek called him the most powerful actor in Hollywood. As of 2014, 17 of the 21 films in which he has had leading roles have accumulated worldwide gross earnings of over $100 million each with five taking in over $500 million each in global box office receipts, as of 2016, his films have gross of $7.5 billion at the global box office.

And for his performances as boxer Mohammad Ali in Ali in 2000 new one and stockbroker Chris gardener in the pursuit of happiness in 2006 will Smith received academy award nominations for best actor. Now I'm just gonna put my 2 cents in here. You may agree, may not agree with this is another one of those where I say it was just a tragedy [00:04:00] that he did not win, especially for all.

If you guys have ever seen that movie will Smith was a dead ringer for that. And I believe he should have won the academy award for that movie. So let's talk about a little bit about his early life. He was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. So that is just not a storyline to as mother Caroline, a Philadelphia school board administrator and Willard Carol Smith.

A us air force veteran and refrigeration engineer. He grew up in west Philadelphia is Winfield neighborhood and was raised Baptist. He has an elder sister named Pamela and two younger siblings, twins, Harry and Ellen Smith attended our lady of Lordis, our private Catholic elementary school in Philippines.

His parents separated when he was 13, but did not actually divorced until around the year 2000 [00:05:00] Smith attended Overbrook high school while it has been widely reported that Smith turned down a scholarship to attend the Massachusetts Institute of technology, better known as MIT. He never applied to college because he wanted to rap.

Smith says he was admitted to a pre engineering summer program at MIT for high school students, but he did not attend according to Smith. My mother who worked for the school board of Philadelphia had a friend who was the admissions officer at MIT. I had pretty high sat scores and they needed black kids.

So I probably could have gotten in, but I had no intention of going to college. So I'll tell you a little bit of his career, because of course, like all the other fabulous people I've talked to about will Smith has kind of a law career, but let's touch on the parts that, uh, my young friends probably need to know about.

So 85 to 92, Smith's started as the MC of the hip hop duo, DJ jazzy, Jeff, [00:06:00] and the fresh prince with his childhood friend, Jeffrey DJ jazzy, Jeff Townes, as turntablist and produced. Towns of Smith were introduced to each other by chance. In 1985, as towns was performing at a house party, only a few doors down from Smith's residence and he was missing his height.

Man Smith decided to fill in, they both felt strong chemistry and towns was upset when his height man finally made it to the party. Yes, young kids back in those days, we had house parties. Some people that had house parties were supposed to be having house parties, but that's how we got down. And will Smith filling in.

It was kind of funny always to me that, you know, once you know, Jeff's real height, man came back, you was kind of upset. You want a will to stay and be that. So soon after the two decided to join forces will enlisted a friend to join us. The beatbox of the group, Clarence homes, better known as ready rocks.

Making them a trio Philadelphia based [00:07:00] word workers released their first single in late 1985 to 1986. When ANR man, Paul Oakenfold introduced them to word up with their single girls. Ain't nothing but trouble. A tale of funny misadventures that Linda Smith and his former DJ in rap partner, mark forests known as Lord Supreme in trouble.

The song sampled the theme song of our dream of Jeannie. And Smith became known for lighthearted storytelling reps and capable through profanity free battle rhymes. They're single became a hit a month before Smith graduated from high school. Based on this success to duo were brought to the attention of jive records.

And Russell said, The duals first album rock. The house was, was first released on word up in 1986, debuted on jive in March, 1987. The group received the first Grammy award for best rap performance in 1989 for their 1988 hit parents [00:08:00] just don't understand though their most successful single was their 1991 hit summertime, which earned the group their second Grammy and piqued that number four on the billboard hot 100.

Smith and towels are still friends and claimed that they never split up. Having made songs under Smith's solo performer credit will spend money freely around 1988 and 1989 and underpaid his income taxes. The IRS originally assessed a $2.8 million tax debt against will. Smith took many of his possessions and garnished.

His income Smith was struggling financially in 1990 on the NBC television network signing. To a contract and build a sitcom, the fresh prince of Bel air around him. The show was successful and began his acting career Smith set for himself. A goal of becoming the biggest movie star in the world, studying box office successes, common characteristics.

All right. So if you didn't know the story of [00:09:00] the fresh prince of Bel air, the fresh prince of Bel-Air was not supposed to be will Smith show him to be. I forget the actor that it was supposed to be based on, but it was supposed to be based on somebody else's life. However, uh, will Smith was there. And his friend was hyping them up that, you know, this could be the cat to do it.

And so Quincy Jones pretty much came to him and said, Hey, you know, uh, or his friend came to him and said, Hey, you know, there's this spot. And a quiz was to talk to you about it. And he pretty much, at that point turned it down. He's like, yeah, let me, let me get, you know, a couple of days or so. And I'll come back.

And of course he Jones pretty much told him, you know, sometimes. There's things that was in, in front of you. Now you can go home and take these couple of days if you need and come back and we'll see where it is. Or you can take a shot right now while you are here and go ahead and audition for the park.

So, and we'll the way we'll smell tells that he decided audition for the park. And he was shocked because pretty much Quincy snapped his fingers and all of the furniture disappeared. People came out and moved all the furniture around and he ended up at Disney [00:10:00] right there and they gave him the. Now the one thing to know is it has been stated that we'll only took the part because as I just read, he was in serious RS trouble and he needed to pay.

He didn't have no job. So he took it. But the thing that nobody expected was he pretty much became a novice. Now, the thing is, is he was no actor and he'd be the first one to tell you that at this point he was no actor at all. And if you watch the earlier takes of the first principle layer, you can see.

Will Smith actually mouthing everybody's aligned. And when I watched the fresh prince reunion on HBO, I never noticed that until he said it. And I went back and looked at some early wins, and then you certainly can. And he said, because he was so afraid of forgetting his lines, that he just remembered everybody's line.

Now I've done some activity for myself. Think about what that's like, you don't only have your pages a lot. And being that he's a star, he's probably [00:11:00] got more lines than anybody at this point, but he's memorizing everybody's lives. Uh, and if you didn't know this, uh, the first principle bill, there was the first time Tyra banks was in an acting role.

That was her debut was on the fresh prince of Bel air. So I'm going to give you guys that little story because that's not a been here. I wanted to share that with you. All right. So like I said, I leave this down here for you guys to go ahead and check it out. Uh, as you know, he became a leading man. He started in a whole lot of films, uh, and he still is going.

Some people say that they think that he's a better actor than he is a rapper. Uh, I'm going to say that he is very good on both because I have actually seen him perform live. As you guys know, he is married to Jayda up here. They met wins Jada Pinkett addition for a role as miss character's girlfriend in the 90 sitcoms, the fresh prince of Bel air.

Uh, she did not get the part [00:12:00] because she was too short imagined that, uh, instead the roll went to Nia long. So if you've seen that episode, when Nia long comes in and plays his girlfriend a little bit, that was supposed to be Jada Pinkett Smith. Uh, so Jayda grew, grew more attracted to pink. It, when he later saw her on the TV series of different world Smith was married at the time, but decided not to act in this attraction.

And in 2018, he sat on the red table, talk that after Fletcher ended their relationship only then to hear approach Jada Pinkett Smith. So as you guys know, he married her and they had two children. Jayden. Christopher's sire Smith who was born at nine ninety eight and he is the CoStar in his father's film, the pursuit of happiness and after earth.

And of course, you guys know Willow Camille rain Smith born in 2000, who appeared as his daughter and I am legend, and both of them went off to have a musical [00:13:00] career. Well, Smith is a philanthropist. He gave $1.3 million to charities in 2007, of which $450,000 went to two Christian ministries. And 122,500 went to three Scientology organizations.

The remaining beneficiaries included the Los Angeles mosque after Christian based schools and churches and the yes, shag Ray-Ban Memorial center in Israel is Smith. And his wife have also founded a private elementary school in Calabasas, California. Which is called the new village leadership academy and federal tax falling, showing that Smith donated $1.2 million to the school in 2010.

Now, because of that nice donation that he gave to Scientology, it has started coming out. That will was indeed a Scientology. And he stated that he is not. Now, if you're sitting back in the chair I'm in, and if you kind of know the story, I do believe at some point that his wife did a [00:14:00] Pika Smith was kind of getting sucked in to the Scientology in, they were friends with Tom cruise and some other big time actor and actresses who are Scientologists.

And if you guys know anything about Scientology, there is a separate wing for celebrities and super rich. And these are the people they tried to bring in the most. So I think if it was up to Jada, they probably would have went all in, uh, just from what I've seen, but they both swear that they are not now or then Scientologists.

So we did name a couple of his films in there, but I give you just a few more films and closing that he was in. Oh, the long, long list that he does have, but he did appear in, made in America. One of my favorite films in 93, 6 degrees of separation in 93, of course, bad boys in 1995, independence day in 96 million black and 97.

So if you're [00:15:00] following that along, he had hit after hit after hit, uh, usually the next year, the year after. Uh, any of the state wild wild west enemy, the state was 1998 followed by wild west in 1999. Legend of bagger Vance in 2000 Ali in 2001. So this man has not had a break. Then he came back with bad boys, two in 2003, where my bad boys friends app, because we all waited for a whole lot of years just to get number three.

And we finally got bad boys for life in 2020. And Martin Lawrence and will Smith was as they had never, ever went away from each other. So that's just a few of his friends. You can find this from Martin UNFI down in the show notes as well. So to all my young friends out there who believed that will Smith was an actor first.

I hope you learned something from this one. He was very much a rapper [00:16:00] who turned into. One of the most successful actors Hollywood has ever seen. 

 all right, guys that does with this. And I thank you for tuning in to yet another black history fact here. Join me tomorrow, I have another one for you. 

As always need to get ahold of us, feel free to drop a line. At a day with crime@gmail.com. Also, don't forget to visit the website, www.adaywithcrime.com. It is your one stop shop for everything that is a day with crime. Alright guys, as always be safe all there and be good to yourself. and each other. And I'm going to catch you guys on the next one.