JumpinJack AJ

Chuck D is releasing a new project soon. You can currently pre-order it on... CD (signed): https://defjamshop.com/products/chuck-d-chuck-d-presents-enemy-radio-radio-armageddon-signed-cd and Vinyl (signed): https://defjamshop.com/products/chuck-d-chuck-d-presents-enemy-radio-radio-armageddon-signed-vinyl They are doing a 1,000 for each format.

I know that it's more complicated than this (which is why there is so much conflicting information). For example, listening to music on a free account versus a paid account counts differently. In the past year, I've seen Ariana Grande, Ed Sheeran, Taylor Swift, Sabrina Carpenter, Katy Perry, and Justin Bieber all selling CDs and CD singles on their website...sometimes with autographs. Granted, they have more money and big labels behind their careers, but those kind of things offer their supporters more opportunities to have their music boosted. I hope the lack of support for the full album changes and that Will doesn't impact Will's plans to release the other albums he already has in the pipeline.

Yeah, I'm confused on what means success when we're only talking digitial. The way they chart things is strange, too. I think he messed up by not having physical copies available up front. Buying the album in any form would have drastically helped on certain charts. I've found varying stats, but one said 1,250 premium audio streams equals one CD sale. 3,750 ad-supported audito streams or video streams equal one CD sale. I'm not sure if the digital album SALE (not stream) is considered the same. Additionally, CD sales and vinyl sales are documented separately. Unless you have outrageous support, steaming means virtually no money for the artists involved in the album and it makes it hard to chart.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-14601703/Will-Smith-comeback-album-flop-poor-sales-Chris-Rock-Oscars-slap.html Will Smith's comeback album 'flops' as his first record in 20 years sells very few copies in the wake of the Chris Rock Oscars slap scandal By NIOMI HARRIS FOR MAILONLINE Published: 04:42 EDT, 12 April 2025 | Updated: 04:43 EDT, 12 April 2025 Will Smith's comeback album - his first in 20 years - has reportedly flopped. Last month, the actor and rapper, 56, released his latest record Based On A True Story, but despite his superstar status, the album only sold 268 copies in its first week in the UK. And things didn't fare better across the pond as the LP failed to make it onto the Billboard 200 in the US reports Forbes - the first time one of his solo albums has not charted. Based On A True Story is Will's first album since 2005's Lost And Found, and despite big name collaborators including Big Sean, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Teyana Taylor and his own son Jaden, it has failed to make any commercial impact. Reports suggest that the album was hoped to be a start of a music resurgence for Will in the wake of his controversial Chris Rock Oscars slap in 2022 - the move that seriously tarnished his career. Will Smith's comeback album - his first in 20 years - has reportedly flopped Reports suggest that the album was hoped to be a start of a music resurgence for Will in the wake of his controversial Chris Rock Oscars slap in 2022 - the move that tarnished his career The incident occurred following a joke Chris made about Will's wife, Jada Pinkett Smith's bald head, amid her battle with alopecia, It prompted Will to make his way to the stage, slap Chris and shout 'keep my wife's name out of your f****** mouth.' In the wake of the slap, the film star - who won his very first Oscar on the night - was banned from the Academy Awards for ten years. The development of his film Fast and Loose was also put on hold by Netflix. While his reported £28 million role in slavery epic Emancipation failed to make an impact at the box office in 2022, leaving his movie career somewhat in the wilderness. Will's new 14-track album features tracks including Beautiful Scars (with Big Sean), Work of Art (with Jaden Smith) and Hard Times (with Teyana Taylor) - the latter of which he was plugging on Instagram only on Friday. MailOnline have contacted representatives of Will for comment. The former Fresh Prince of Bel Air star has in the past enjoyed commercial success with his musical offerings, with his first four solo albums - Big Willie Style (1997), Willennium (1999), Born to Reign (2002), Lost and Found (2005) - all making it on to the Billboard 200. Last month, the actor and rapper, 56, released his latest record Based On A True Story, but despite his superstar status, the album only sold 268 copies in its first week in the UK Things didn't fare better across the pond as the LP failed to make it onto the Billboard 200 in the US reports Forbes - the first time one of his solo albums has not charted Despite his disappointing album sales, Will is reportedly set to release a further two albums this year. While the Men In Black hitmaker is ploughing ahead with his 'first ever' headline tour and will see the actor visit a host of venues up and down the UK and Europe. These live shows will see him performing songs from the new album along with his classic hits including Jiggy Wit It, Miami, Summertime and more. But, some fans are shocked to discover that most of the UK venues have a capacity of less than 5,000, which seems small compared to the actor's huge level of fame. The locations include the likes of Scarborough and Wolverhampton, but skip out bigger cities like Birmingham, Glasgow and Dublin. Ahead of his solo tour, he is set to perform at multiple international festivals, including Mawazine in Morocco, POSITIV Festival in France, Dreambeach in Spain and BIG ART Festival in Italy. Announcing the news of his tour last month, Will wrote on Instagram: I'M GOING ON TOUR THIS SUMMER!! 'We're hitting up UK & Europe to bring U all the hits, some new joints, and a few surprises ;-) All these years, I've NEVER done a headline tour and I can't wait to see you guys!!' Fans rushed to the comments to quip: 'Life is complete!!!! Been a fan since the fresh prince days !!!!!!! Omg' and 'I'm excited, I can't wait'. In the wake of the slap, the film star - who won his very first Oscar on the night - was banned from the Academy Awards for ten years Despite poor album sales, the Men In Black hitmaker is ploughing ahead with his 'first ever' headline tour and will see the actor visit a host of venues up and down the UK and Europe Smith gained recognition in American hip-hop duo DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince who released Grammy-winning single Parents Just Don't Understand. In the Nineties, he starred in the hit sitcom The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air about a fictionalised version of himself, born and raised in West Philadelphia, who is sent to live with his wealthy uncle in Los Angeles. His debut solo album, Big Willie Smith, was released in 1997 and included the hit song Men In Black, which accompanied the film of the same name and peaked at number one in the UK singles chart. Across his career, Smith has starred in dozens of films including The Pursuit Of Happyness (2006), I Am Legend (2007), and Suicide Squad (2016). In January, he released track Beautiful Scars, featuring rapper Big Sean, as well as a music video where they re-enacted a scene from 1999 science fiction film The Matrix.

Well, this is unfortunate. https://www.forbes.com/sites/hughmcintyre/2025/04/10/will-smiths-comeback-album-fails-to-make-any-commercial-impact/ Will Smith’s Comeback Album Fails To Make Any Commercial Impact ByHugh McIntyre, Senior Contributor. Hugh McIntyre covers music, with a focus on the global charts. Apr 10, 2025, 09:45am EDT Share SaveComment0 Will Smith’s first album in 20 years, Based on a True Story, fails to chart on Billboard despite ... More Getty Images Will Smith has been on a long and quiet journey back into the public eye since his infamous altercation with Chris Rock at the Academy Awards several years ago. After keeping a relatively low profile in the aftermath of that moment, he’s been slowly re-engaging with audiences, and he recently stepped back into his first love, music. For Smith, hip-hop isn’t just the genre that made him famous, it also may be the key to a redemption arc – or at least that’s what he was hoping. Unfortunately, that plan isn’t panning out quite the way he might have anticipated. Smith’s new album Based on a True Story is his first in two decades, but it makes virtually no commercial impact. Despite months of buzz and big name collaborations, the album just didn’t hit with the American public in any meaningful way. Will Smith’s Based on a True Story Fails to Chart Based on a True Story ix Smith’s first album since 2005’s Lost and Found. The project was promoted with a steady stream of singles and features from major names in the music industry, including Big Sean, Joyner Lucas, and his own son Jaden. The Grammy winner tried to push the project properly, but even anticipation and what seemed like a fair amount of media coverage – at least in the music-focused press – couldn’t move the needle. The full-length doesn’t make it onto a single Billboard ranking this week. Not the Billboard 200, not the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, not any genre-specific or consumption-specific tallies. For an artist of Smith’s stature, that’s a harsh result. He’s still a household name, and with so much attention focused on the release, it felt like it could become at least a minor win. It didn’t. Will Smith’s First Billboard 200 Miss Throughout his music career, Smith has only released four prior solo albums. All of them made it onto the Billboard 200, and three even cracked the top 10. His 2002 effort Born to Reign stalled just outside that space, peaking at No. 13. A few years earlier, Willennium soared to No. 5 – his all-time peak – driven by hit singles and the momentum of his acting career. Now, for the first time, he’s released an album that doesn’t make it to the all-genre tally. Based on a True Story also fails to send a single cut to the Hot 100. That’s especially disappointing given the roster of collaborators featured on the set. Smith was never the biggest star on the Hot 100, but he has earned multiple top 10s and even a few No. 1s throughout his career. This time around, not one of the several official singles gained enough traction to appear on the tally. Will Smith’s Surprise Gospel Hits Even though the album itself doesn’t chart, a few of the tracks from Based on a True Story do manage to land somewhere. Three cuts from the set make a home on Billboard’s Hot Gospel Songs chart, a tally that Smith was previously largely unfamiliar with. Two brand new tunes — “The Reverend (Rave Sermon)” and “Rave in the Wasteland ” —debut at Nos. 8 and 22, respectively. At the same time, “You Can Make It,” a collaboration with Fridayy and Sunday Service, reappears at No. 18. Smith claims a trio of the most-consumed gospel tracks in the country this week, which is a curious outcome for an effort largely pitched as a hip-hop project.

I think he needs to release a proper video for this song. Not just because it's proabably my favorite song off of the album, but because all of the other singles/videos have been serious. This song best represents the Fresh Prince well all know and love.

This is actually one of the better Drink Champs. Noriega is just the worst interviewer. He always cuts off the people he's interviewing. I only watch these when I really love the guest. I didn't notice Will not drinking until I read one of the comments. Since he's mindful of his health and since he wouldn't risk being sloppy in front of cameras, I'm not surprised.

Years ago I wanted to hear the songs they worked on together. These days I hope they never see the light of day.

Not really the support he needs... https://www.vibe.com/news/entertainment/ye-takes-break-bashing-friends-praise-will-smith-1235059359/?utm_campaign=trueanthem&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwY2xjawJhM5JleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHq7zc2NFSJCJ9qWMXkyualvDx-GAoc8nWDn1XAmc5k5oMR0PEgeR5mQbdgqU_aem_fqbwumusvgrTi03OhQRZTQ Ye Takes A Break From Bashing Former Friends To Praise Will Smith’s Thriving Career The surprising positivity follows Ye's run of disrespect against JAY-Z, Kim Kardashian, Playboi Carti and others. By Amber Corrine April 3, 2025 1:11pm Kevin Winter; Brad Barket/Getty Images Ye (formerly known as Kanye West), took a break from his usual online tirades on Tuesday (April 1) to shower praise on none other than Will Smith. In a rare moment of appreciation, the Yeezy creator reposted a clip of Smith effortlessly rapping over Griselda’s 2019 track “Dr. Birds” for Lyrical Lemonade, and declared his admiration. “Will Smith is one of my biggest inspirations,” Ye wrote in a X post. “This ni**a really became the biggest movie star in the world. Married the baddest actress. Raised brilliant children. And still got that drive.”* X/kanyewest Ye’s public praise comes as a surprise, considering his recent streak of bashing his former friends, collaborators and even his ex-wife, Kim Kardashian. Besides his online antics, Ye took aim at Frank Ocean, J. Cole, John Legend, JAY-Z and Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar, Playboi Carti and so many others in an hour-long interview with Akademiks In his rant, he directly addressed Hov, calling out his lack of support. “JAY-Z, Beyoncé, you ain’t help me when I was having problems with my kids… You ain’t show up to my first wedding. You ain’t my family,” he said. His grievances extended to Lamar as well, accusing the Pulitzer Prize-winning rapper of lifting elements from The Life of Pablo for Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers. “It’s like, ‘Oh, these are the drums from this song. This is the approach to this song’,” he claimed. Meanwhile, Smith himself admitted to looking to Lamar and JAY-Z for guidance while crafting his comeback album, Based on a True Story. According to the multifaceted star, the two Hip-Hop giants encouraged him to embrace raw honesty in his music. “Say that sh*t you’ve always been fu**king scared to say,” Smith recalled of K. Dot, as JAY advised, “Don’t fake your story. You gotta say what’s true for you. You’ll be looking at the younger rappers and you want that to be true for you, but you don’t live like that. Be true to your story.” The Oscar-winning actor dropped his album on Friday (March 28). The album boasts features from Big Sean, Russ, Teyana Taylor, and even his youngest son, Jaden. Revisit Will Smith’s “Lunch Break Freestyle” below.

Noriega is a terrible interviewer, but Will makes up for it. He tells some stories for the first time here.

This is a great interview.

I love that you still do this. I like that this sounds more warm and colorful in contrast to the album version.

I bought it on Amazon. Explicit version: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F1JGN9DL/ref=sr_1_2?crid=1P9EPHL903HSW&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.eNt701T1MQ-VRlalDIciSUistiG6QfVD6ayObaPKyM3Q2WPMOnBsLNUh2nKff9Fa2aVnwC7OxcYdEfP2kxFH3C0k_khnnaIniC8nrTJ0XICI5gzd71ybsoA4I7pKxuUOalniZbDQ97H_5oe6pSwt8OphNcHCqcecVMVqz1HR-Ji4jApc8I1w79EbNtI3WrdBiN73y4roGUJZOx-jKrUIPbpYI-wHyD0ukZ0DGlFJbJmyAhAN0fM-xtJp2jIIJbGZFP_yTu_B_jzKFxnQ-bQN9zvPmfw_4I2PrVE99x686ps.VIkE3o3ELFyguE1uZHvixICl7zP77I-QWW5GyMFFbFE&dib_tag=se&keywords=will+smith+based+on+a+true+story&qid=1743395806&s=dmusic&sprefix=will+smith+based+on+a+true+story%2Cdigital-music%2C123&sr=1-2 Edited version: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F1JSKW2J/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1P9EPHL903HSW&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.eNt701T1MQ-VRlalDIciSUistiG6QfVD6ayObaPKyM3Q2WPMOnBsLNUh2nKff9Fa2aVnwC7OxcYdEfP2kxFH3C0k_khnnaIniC8nrTJ0XICI5gzd71ybsoA4I7pKxuUOalniZbDQ97H_5oe6pSwt8OphNcHCqcecVMVqz1HR-JgEpH4w_qqynFaICio543iOYmaDg_dCE7DSOAgzlkBuTIUS6KO116IV-a-RpNB8uj2yAhAN0fM-xtJp2jIIJbGZFP_yTu_B_jzKFxnQ-bQN9zvPmfw_4I2PrVE99x686ps.-dmn8Mz9Jo6e_SIYTAy63Iol1i_CMJSgALmvObF_1DM&dib_tag=se&keywords=will+smith+based+on+a+true+story&qid=1743395839&s=dmusic&sprefix=will+smith+based+on+a+true+story%2Cdigital-music%2C123&sr=1-1

You could say it's old school interms of consuming music, but I'm just stating facts. Streaming is just digits and micropennies. Buying the album is support. Buying albums the artist know if there is a market for a physical release. Buying contributes to charting.

Yeah, I have no interest in reading any reviews unless someone who likes Will's music is like "this is a good read." I couldn't care less about someone's opinion. What I think is interesting, is if you go to YouTube or something where you're actually listening to the music, it's virtually all positive. However, if you go to social media, there's a lot of hate. I think that speaks volumes.

A lot of the time, it's the digital purchases that will let an artist or label know if they want to do CD and vinyl. Additionally, we live in a time where songs/albums can be edited or removed without any warning. If you rely on streaming, you are relying on the music always being available. To not buy the digital release is a middle finger to the artist. There are already people on ebay bootleging the album on CD with unofficial copies of the album.

There's lyric videos for all the songs that don't have a music video...

We waited 20 years for a new album. Two more are lined up. For the first time ever, Will Smith/JJ+FP is headlining a tour that's going around the world. Yes, stream it and get those numbers up, but BUY this digital album. Money talks. This is how we get more. This is how they know people want this music and more of it. Like the social media posts that support this album. Let's gooo!

I agree. The writing adds to the image.

Man, the day has come. For Lost & Found, I want to Walmart to get the CD at midnight. I wish I had that kind of experience this time, but I had to settle for buying it/downloading it at midnight. I bought the regular version and the edited version. I drove around earlier today blasting the music on a super sunny 65 degree day. It was heaven. 1. Int. Barbershop - Day - I love this sound. More of this. I like the banter on this track and that Will specifically voices the characters who are critical of him. The back and for with Jeff is so welcomed. It brings the energy of the JJ+FP albums. B. Simone is a welcome addition to them. 2. You Lookin' For Me - Man, this is the Fresh Prince I love to hear. Especially those opening lines that borrow from Slick Rick. I love the lyrics and subject matter. The choir on the backup vocals sweeten up the kinda dark-sounding beat. 3. The Reverend (Rave Sermon) - I'll say this about all of the interludes. I like the encouragement and the gems he shares. It makes me wonder if they would be better coming from Will straight, instead of through the reverend character. With albums, I tend to get tired of interludes after the first few listens. 4. Rave In The Wasteland - Man, i love this beat and the energy. The subject matter is good, too. 5. Bulletproof - I like the energy and lyrics on this one, too, but I think the production is leaning average. Jac Ross has a great voice for this. 6. Hard Times (Smile) - Man, I love this one I must say, I slept on Teyana, but this song makes me want to check out her music. The slick, classic Hip-Hop meets R&B sound is my favorite. I like FP's relaxed flow and vocal presence. I'm so into this beat and the smoothed out chorus that I haven't really unpacked the lyrics yet. 7. Beautiful Scars - I love the production on this. I like the changes in his flow throughout it. Admittedly, I'm not a Big Sean fan. I always though his voice and presence was weak and his lyrics un relatable. I like him a little more on this compared to anything else I've every heard him on. I would have preferred to hear someone else on the track who is more on Will's level. No offense, to Omar, but I don't the auto tune chorus. I'd put someone like Usher on the chorus to upgrade it. 8. Tantrum - I'm not saying it's bad, but this is my least favorite song. It's just kind of repetitive. The beat is about as standard as you can get. Will holds it down. I'm not crazy about Joyner's voice. Why is Will kicking Joyner Lucas' butt on his own sound? 9. First Love - I like the artistic move with this one. I don't think it gets enough credit. However, I think it definitely takes down the pace of the album. I feel like it would serve better as a single or as a song oen one of the collaborating artists' albums. 10. Make It Look Easy - This is a really nice one. I love the sound and vibe. Like "Hard Times (Smile)", I think FP is the most comfortable on this sound. I guarantee this will be pumping through my car speakers all summer long. 11. The Reverent (YCMI) - I nice message to lead into "You Can Make It". 12. You Can Make It - This is a highlight. Heck, it crossed over to be a hit on gospel charts. Will is emotionally raw on the song. Fridayy complements it well and hearing Sunday Service literally gives me goose bumps. If this is the only real hit off the album, that's good enough. 13. Work of Art - The beat is modern, but dope. The lyrics sum up this era for Will. Jaden's feature is authentic and not forced. I know nothing about Russ, but his makes a mark on this. 14. The Reverend (WOA Sermon) A nice send off for the album. Overall I'm really happy with this album. I think it was weird that we heard so many singles off it before we got the whole thing. It made the listening experience kind of weird compared to having only heard a song or two. I feel like the songs that weren't released as singles are the glue of the album. Most of them are my favorites. I think my critiques are the sequence of songs. I feel like "Work of Art" should have been one of the first songs and that "You Can Make It" should have been the last song. I think the sound and production is kind of all over the place, which prevents it from feeling a completely cohesive album. I feel like I'll listen to some of these songs A LOT and some I'll only listen to when I'm in the mood to hear them. I haven't felt that about his previous albums. I gotta be honest, Will cussin' in his songs still sits with me funny. I'm sure 99% of the time I'll be listening to the edited version of the album. I really hope this album gets some shine. It's a reminder that the Fresh Prince is a legit emcee and musician. This is good music....good Hip-Hop.

I was wondering if the Reverend bit on the tracklisting was kind of a tie-in to the actual song on And In This Corner. It's seemed unreal, but I guess it is. I'm really happy to hear that JJ+FP is in fact touring....but it makes me even more annoyed that they aren't touring the US.

Agreed. I hate when albums don't get phyiscal releases. Many artists let the physical release come after the digital release. Black Star released CD and vinyl of their second album about two years after they released it digitally. Arrested Developement waited a month or two with their last album. Worse case scenario, maybe he releases all three as a box set.

I appreciate that someone put this together. I just wish it was in order and not repeatative.

Thanks for the link. I woke up in the middle of the night and saw the footage in the booth. I love those lyrics. I like the beat he chose, too, but I'd really love to hear those raps over a mid-90's New York beat.

I can't believe he's not booking US summer dates. Concert season, especially for artists who have hits that bring nostalgia, is huge.