Rapper-songwriter Joyner Lucas dropped the music video for "Will" last Monday, March 23, as a tribute to actor Will Smith, and they soon exchange reactions.
As Lucas raps the lines, the music video shows him swap outfits and backgrounds to reenact the scenes from some of Smith's biggest works, starting with "The Prince of Bel-Air," "Men in Black," "Wild Wild West", "I, Robot", and "Aladdin." The music video corresponds to the rap lyrics that also contain the same references.
After the "Aladdin" tribute, Lucas raps the last section of the song while heading out the studio. As he sits in an empty dressing room, he stares into the mirror where a computer-altered face of Will smiles back. The MV cuts to black, with the words "Thank you for helping me build my wall. Sincerely, Joyner Lucas." The dedication comes with a record of Will Smith's interview with Charlie Rose, veteran journalist and talk show host.
"You don't try to build a wall... you don't start there," the message after the song says. "I'm gonna lay this brick as perfectly as a brick can be laid."
Some of the lines include "We roll up on 'em like Men in Black," and "I'm in Cali with a vest/ That's the Wild Wild West." The song also encouraged to recognize our "heroes," noting that there's nothing worse "than losin' your hero and couldn't say bye." The video continues to rake in views, passing three million views as of this writing.
On Wednesday, the "Fresh Prince" himself, Will Smith, shared Lucas' music video on his official Instagram page, Wednesday, March 25. The video has been shared with Smith's 43.6 million followers and now has 2.5 million views.
"Joyner Lucas, yo, that joint is crazy. Dude, I am humbled and honored," Smith further expressed in a separate post, also on IG. "Hope to meet you one day," the actor and rapper said.
The "Ross Capicchioni" rapper reposted his idol's video on his Instagram profile. He asks his 2.1 million followers "is this real life?" before saying that he needs "to take a cold shower and wake up," further added that he's "dreaming right now."
"Will" is a single in Joyner Lucas' upcoming album, "ADHD", first announced back in 2018. He revealed that he was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and his perseverance to prove naysayers wrong was the drive behind this project, in a now-unavailable Instagram post. His debut studio album in his own label is scheduled to drop tomorrow, March 27.
His inspiration, Will Smith, is also a rapper making a name under the name "The Fresh Prince" back in the 80s. His starring role in the NBC TV series, "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air", has made Will Smith a household name. He would then move on to acting and would set a record for releasing eight films in a row, all grossing more than a hundred million dollars in the domestic box office alone. As a rapper, The Fresh Prince has four studio albums and four Grammy awards to his name.
