Ale

Ahh, cool. Didn't remember that. Propz for the article dude! :clap:

The Fame and the Respect Upon first being introduced to Smith's catchy, radio-friendly songs with his debut solo-LP, 1997's Big Willie Style, many began fully appreciating that the 'Men in Black' were indeed the good guys. Audiences were also keen to understand the whole concept of 'Gettin' Jiggy Wit' It', and had ambitions to party on the beach in 'Miami' 'til the break of dawn. People loved Will Smith, but did they ever really take him seriously? Particularly in Hip-Hop, Smith has had his fair share of critics down the years. At the time of releasing his second solo album Willenium, it was becoming fashionable to hate on Will Smith. Hip-Hop artists such as Dr. Dre and Eminem were the main candidates to openly express their displeasure with Smith's popularity in the industry. And most recently, 18 year old Bow Wow in XXL magazine (Nov 2005) said -ironically- that Smith "wasn't a real rapper" and was "more of a bubblegum rapper." Smith had the fame, but not the respect. The Impact Of Lost & Found Jeff Townes, the backbone of DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince and Will's longterm best friend, had always been a respected DJ in the game, but because of Smith's incredibly popularity the rapper of the duo failed to reach a similar level from his time in the mid-'80s to the late '90s. Arguably, after Will's third studio album Born 2 Reign failed to captivate critics and audiences alike, it wasn't 'til Smith's 4th solo album Lost & Found (his 9th in total) that people finally began respecting the rapper for his solo work. At the time of L&F's release, and with the culture of Hip-Hop seriously in question, Smith wisely began searching for props for his versatility as a clean-cut rapper in the industry, spittin' lines such as: "I ain't claiming to reign But when ya'll talk about rap Ya'll gon start saying my name; For real though I ain't playin Plenty of y'all love a brotha just scared to say it." ('Lost and Found') The was certified Gold; however, it was Smith's consistency in providing profanity-free lyrics over party-inspiring Hip-Hop beats that finally gained the artist some street credibility from other Hip-Hop artists, for his 25 years in the industry. ?uestlove, of the critically-acclaimed Philadelphian Hip-Hop band 'The Roots', spoke out in an interview in 2009 by saying he will "Always respect Will Smith for what he has done in the game." Nas also gave props to the star on the track 'Can't Forget About You': "Can't forget that the first rap grammy went to Jazzy and Fresh Prince,"; as did The Game, in his track 'Game's Pain': "Now that's some real s***, blaze a Philly it's the Summertime, shoutout to Will Smith, 'cause who didn't wanna be the Fresh Prince?, Flat Top Gold Chain And Some Fresh Kicks." Going Back To The Fresh Prince's Roots Now, people are more inclined to look back into Hip-Hop history and appreciate Smith's influence on the culture, from which it has evolved today. What was often overlooked was Smith's emceeing abilities, particularly within his early years. He was capable of humorous, light-hearted story-telling, as well as performing profanity-free battle rhymes that competed with some of the best, first wave Philadelphian rappers to gain notoriety in the area; including the much-respected Steady B. And with Jeff's backing, the Fresh Prince began touring with the likes of Run DMC and Public Enemy to entertain crowds. Then, of course, there was the achievement of the first ever Grammy in the category of Hip-Hop/Rap in 1988, for their single 'Parents Just Don't Understand'. This paved the way for other artists to market their music on a commercial level; thus, increasing the popularity of the music genre. Hip-Hop has always been a diverse art-form, even though it is often mis-interpreted primarily for its 'Gangsta' lifestyle. Despite this false stereotype, and pressures from the media and other artists, Will Smith, surely, deserves some serious props as he has continued to make "Will Smith Music" throughout his long career. Notably, many people, including myself, are no longer ashamed to give credit to Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince for introducing them to Hip-Hop music. But, perhaps more significantly, it is now at 40 years old that the emcee is receiving some street credit for his 25 year commitment to the industry. The man is proof that you can have the respect as well as the fame. Finally, he is becoming recognized as one of the pioneers of Hip-Hop. http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1891748/will_smith_the_fame_and_the_respect.html?cat=33

'The City That Sailed' being produced by Smith's Overbrook Francis Lawrence may be reuniting with his "I Am Legend" star Will Smith for a fantastical drama titled "The City That Sailed" at Twentieth Century Fox. The director is developing the project, which is being produced by Smith's Overbrook banner, with an eye to direct. Written by Andrew Niccol, the story follows a New York City street magician whose daughter, because of family circumstances, lives in England. In exploring a lighthouse one day, the girl discovers a room with magic candles and wishes to be reunited with her father, causing the island of Manhattan to break away and drift across the Pond. The studio picked up the spec in 2006. No deals are made for either Lawrence or Smith. Lawrence is simultaneously developing "Water for Elephants" at Fox 2000 as well as "The World Without Us," also at Fox. It is unknown which project will go first. Smith has also yet to choose his next project to follow his drama "Seven Pounds." Lawrence is repped by CAA and 3 Arts Entertainment. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/film/news/e3i4922fa0cb13ab365566be7249f2b7e3f

Will Smith and Family: Chillin’ in China More pix here! http://www.celebrity-gossip.net/celebrities/hollywood/will-smith-and-family-chillin-in-china-215425/

Jada reads more Facebook comments http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1165199764548&ref=mf "Wicked Wisdom rocks!!!" :pound:

Only 11.

Hope you have a great day man, wherever you are! :wave2:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JADEN!!!

This just shows how versatile Jada can be.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xd-bUZXxNU

Listening to Michael Jackson's favorite song: Smile http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCpD72b-dfs

I watched it. It was incredible. My favorite part was when Jermaine performed 'Smile'. What a wonderful moment.

Video: Ronaldo welcomed by 80,000 fans http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAIgWGCYGJU 80,000 Welcome ‘CR9′ to Madrid Cristiano Ronaldo, who will wear No. 9 for Real Madrid, has been dubbed “CR9″ by fans and the Spanish media. Some 80,000 fans showed up Monday to see Florentino Pérez’s vision for Real Madrid come one step closer to fruition. That’s approximately how many people filled the Santiago Bernabeu stadium for Cristiano Ronaldo’s introduction as the team’s new No. 9. The former Manchester United wing passed his team physical this morning and told fans this evening his boyhood dream of playing for Los Blancos is now a reality. “I didn’t expect a jam-packed stadium,” Ronaldo said, according to Goal.com’s transcription of the event. “This is truly impressive!” The club’s head of medical services, Carlos Diez, said Ronaldo “is in perfect condition and very eager to start the season as soon as possible.” “He has an extraordinary cardiac and lung capacity,” said Diez. “Now we will be able to start working using an individual plan in order to improve his performance.” When Ronaldo pulls on the Real Madrid jersey, he’ll wear the coveted No. 9 shirt worn by Real Madrid great Alfredo di Stefano. The Portuguese star has a history of living up to the number on the back of his shirt. At Manchester United, he inherited the No. 7 shirt from David Beckham, which was also worn by United greats Eric Cantona and George Best. Wearing that shirt, Ronaldo scored 118 goals in 292 appearances since 2003, a commendable achievement in one of the world’s top leagues. But the player made a bit of a stir (a ripple, really, compared to his record-setting $131 million transfer fee) when he said that the Prem won’t be the competition it once was with him gone. “I think La Liga is going to have more quality because of the players that are arriving,” Ronaldo said, presumably counting himself and new teammates Kaka and Karim Benzema. “All the players have a lot of quality and the referees protect the players.” “The Premier League is a very good competition,” added Ronaldo, “but I think that the Spanish league is going to have a little more quality because of the players that are arriving. Both leagues are going to be very good but I think that with Florentino Pérez’s signings, the Spanish league is superior to the English.” http://goal.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/06/80000-welcome-cr9-to-madrid/

Lady GaGa - Eh, Eh (Nothing Else I Can Say) The Fame (2008) My favorite track from the album.

Willow Smith Makes Her TV Debut on Special One-Hour Episode of Nickelodeon's Hit Series True Jackson, VP Saturday July 25 at 8 p.m. ET/PT NEW YORK, NY UNITED STATES Eight-Year Old Smith to Play Young True Jackson Opposite Series' Star Keke Palmer NEW YORK, July 6 /PRNewswire/ -- Willow Smith, daughter to one of Hollywood's hottest couples, Will and Jada Pinkett Smith, will make her television debut in a new, one-hour special episode of Nickelodeon's hit live-action comedy series True Jackson, VP, starring Keke Palmer, on Saturday, July 25 at 8 p.m. ET/PT. Currently the number-two program on Saturday nights with kids and tweens, True Jackson, VP's must-watch episode will guest-star Smith playing a young version of True in flashback scenes that appear throughout the episode. "I get my style ideas from True Jackson, VP," said Willow Smith. "If I had my own fashion company, I would call it 'Willow's Reign.'" In the hour-long episode, True finds out that she will be helping the Mad Style team create a window display for the fanciest department store in New York City. True is especially excited about this assignment since it has been a childhood dream of hers. The only problem is that True, Lulu (Ashley Argota) and Ryan (Matt Shively) are all headed back to school for a new year and True quickly discovers that balancing her school life and her work responsibilities is harder than she thought. True's father finally has to intervene after True gets detention, threatening to make her quit Mad Style if she does not ace her upcoming oral report for school. Meanwhile, Amanda's (Danielle Bisutti) polar opposite--and very pleasant--twin sister Lisa Marie comes to visit the office and Max (Greg Proops) is distressed that his ex-fiance has come back into his life to try and steal him away from Doris. "After seeing True mostly in the office, it is fun to see another side of her life. Most kids don't have dual lives as vice presidents and high school students, so True's comic dilemma is how to balance both. She faces this crisis with lots of comedy and her usual flair," said Marjorie Cohn, Nickelodeon's Executive Vice President, Development and Original Programming. "Willow Smith is fantastic playing the young True and was able to channel Keke's energy yet put her own signature on it." Following the premiere, viewers can log on to Nick.com for an exclusive online podcast interview with Willow Smith. In the week leading up to the special, Nick.com will also be featuring a new True Jackson, VP Game of the Week as well as Extra Scoops from the episode. True Jackson, VP is the number-two program on Saturday night on all of broadcast and basic cable television with kids 2-11 and 6-11 as well as tweens 9-14. (Source: NMR, Live + 7 Day from 12/29/08; Live + Same Day from 5/18/09-5/31/09). 7.2 million total viewers watch the series each week (NMR, NPower, Average Weekly CUME, Live + 7 Day from 12/29/08; Live + Same Day from 5/18/09-5/31/09). For the month of May, Nickelodeon scored three of the top 10 regularly scheduled programs on basic cable with total viewers, including: iCarly (#1); The Penguins of Madagascar (#4); and SpongeBob SquarePants (#6). Nick also ended May ahead of all competition with kids, tweens and total viewers by significant leads, averaging 2.1 million total viewers and a 3.3/1.1 million kids 2-11. Willow Smith has appeared in various feature films, including the role as Countee Garby in Kit Kittredge: An American Girl and alongside her father as Marley in I Am Legend. She has also voiced the role of Baby Gloria in DreamWorks Animation's Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa. Source: http://news.prnewswire.com/DisplayReleaseContent.aspx?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/07-06-2009/0005055177&EDATE=

Unseen Footage: Michael Jackson Leaked Interview The bombshell tape - never before made public - shows the King of Pop SHOCKED, COVERING HIS FACE with his hands in dismay as a team of lawyers grilled him in 1996 as part of a lawsuit brought against him by Neverland staff. Thriller star Jackson-who died last week-SQUIRMS at times as he is questioned about allegations surrounding Jordy Chandler, Home Alone star Macaulay Culkin and Brett Barnes. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZKnI-np2Dk

Its been around for a very long time!! I think its more to do with the flow as opposed to the lyrics of the song. It does bear resemblance to the way Rakim flows on a track! This sounds more reasonable to me. It must be the flow and not the lyrics. I've always thought that 'Summertime' was a bit different from the rest of their songs, at least from their previous work. Not saying that it was bad, of course. just different. I've always found FP's voice strange in that song. He said that he had a cold when he recorded it, lol. I like the song much, but I can't say it's one of my faves from them.

Couldn't agree more with Romano.

This is 1 of the 2 videos, AJ: Will Smith - Happy 4th Of July!

Hmm... I really don't think so. He'll be in China for the next few months, so... The last time he shaved his head was for 'I Am Legend' though.

Great.

Happy B-Day guys! Have a wonderful day! ... (we need birthday smilies Tim!)

Maybe I'm pessimist, but it would be surprise me if the last 2 seasons were released. More than 2 years, no news, I think it's almost dead :( Nah man, I'm with AJ. It's a matter of time.

Yeah, I can't wait to see the first pictures of Jaden with his Kung-Fu suit!!