"Will" is a song by American rapper

Joyner Lucas Gary Maurice "Joyner" Lucas Jr. (born August 17, 1988) is an American rapper, singer and songwriter. Lucas first received widespread exposure and critical acclaim after the release of his single "Ross Capicchioni" in 2015. In June 2017, he relea ...

, and the ninth single from his debut studio album ''ADHD'' (2020). It was released on March 25, 2020 with an accompanying music video. The song is a tribute to actor and rapper

Will Smith Willard Carroll Smith II (born September 25, 1968), also known by his stage name The Fresh Prince, is an American actor and rapper. He began his Will Smith filmography, acting career starring as Will Smith (The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air), a ...

, one of Lucas's biggest influences. On May 15, 2020, a remix of the song with a guest appearance from Smith was released.

Composition

In the song, Lucas raps about his great admiration for and influence from Will Smith's success throughout his career. Lucas references ten of Smith's most renowned works in his filmography, most notably ''

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air ''The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air'' is an American television sitcom created by Andy and Susan Borowitz for NBC. It aired from September 10, 1990, to May 20, 1996. The series stars Will Smith as a fictionalized version of himself, a street-smart t ...

''. Furthermore, he states that he hopes his son will one day become successful as Smith's children

Willow Willows, also called sallows and osiers, from the genus ''Salix'', comprise around 400 speciesMabberley, D.J. 1997. The Plant Book, Cambridge University Press #2: Cambridge. of typically deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist s ...

and Jaden are, and also raps about the importance of paying homage to icons while they are still alive.

Music video

The music video was directed by Joyner Lucas and Ben Proulx, and shows Lucas dressing as the iconic characters played by Will Smith in the films he mentions in the song, and parodies the movie scenes, shapeshifting from one to another. The ending of the visual features an audio clip of a quote by Will Smith. As of April 2021 the video has over 40 Million Views.

Response

Will Smith responded on Instagram, saying that he was "humbled and honored", and that he hoped to meet Lucas one day. In April 2020, Smith hosted Lucas on his YouTube channel to thank him. Lucas called Smith his idol, and said that he grew up watching his movies and listening to his music.

Remix

The official remix of the song has guest vocals from Will Smith, and was released on May 15, 2020. On his verse, Smith again thanks Lucas and discusses his inspirations as well.

Charts

References

{{Will Smith 2020 singles 2020 songs Joyner Lucas songs Will Smith songs Songs written by Joyner Lucas