JumpinJack AJ

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. 

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!  

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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.

So excited for this album, love you can make it, work of art, bulletproof and beautiful scars. I’m not as much of a fan of first love but we can’t have it all.
 
Just 5 days to go, we’ve been waiting a long time for this moment. I’m also hoping for a physical CD. It just won’t feel right if this album doesn’t sit on the shelf with the rest of them. 

Got tickets for Wolverhampton to meet up with Brakes, Kev and Michelle. The JJFP crew is back together. We’ve not seen each other since 2018 

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. 

How did you go undetected for 20 years? 

Hey guys, just thought you'd like to celebrate my one year anniversary on the JJFP board!
 

At first this felt like an album cut to me that he just put out for Valentine's Day based on the love theme, but the more I listen to it, the more I like it. It's probably the most different thing he's ever done musically. The guitarist on it is insanely talented. I like India, too, but I kind of wish there was an all English version. 
That performance is great. Will always comes with real showmanship and always surrounds himself with a great team. 

Here's a clip of Will's speech:
https://www.tiktok.com/@hollywoodreporter/video/7467034873228758314

Will Smith Returns With ‘Based on a True Story’ Album: ‘I’m on Fire About This Next Creative Phase’
The March 2025 project, which includes new single 'Beautiful Scars,' is first of three albums the Grammy winner will be releasing.
https://www.billboard.com/music/rb-hip-hop/will-smith-talks-based-true-story-album-new-music-1235888222/

I really like this. The production is my favorite of all the songs. I'm not crazy about the chorus or Big Sean, but Will carries this. 

Okay, okay...  (a preview)
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DDc9kFzREmN/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Will Smith Says “Creative” Partnership With Alfonso Ribeiro “Totally Transformed My Life”: “Nobody Commits as Hard”
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/will-smith-partnership-alfonso-ribeiro-transformed-life-1236077761/

This airs tonight!
https://ew.com/will-smith-hung-out-backstage-at-arsenio-hall-show-trying-to-get-famous-8754245