WILL - THE JJ+FP FORUM BOOK REVIEWS

[JumpinJack AJ]

I figured it would be cool to have a post where those in this group leave their review of the book, explaining what they like about it and where they feel there was room for improvement.  What parts are you most entertained by? 

[Hero1]

Great idea. Here are a few things I’ve found. fascinating in the book.

- Jeff having cancer as a teenager - I never knew this.

- JL becoming their manager because he had a fax machine.

- Will’s version of why they got rid of Ready Rock C

- I loved the way Will described him becoming a battle rapper in Philly.

- his first girlfriend cheating on him. You can hear the pain as he recounts that part of his life.

 

[Big Willie]

I just finished the book yesterday - Wow!

From the off set you get this overwhelming impression that the guy you see on the screen or hear on a record is a character that masks a very vulnerable individual. The Fresh Prince is a cover up for weakness, it allowed Will to be something he didn’t think he was. I think his love affair with acting started long before his audition in Quincy Jones’ living room.

The thing that struck me most as a fan is, I ALWAYS perceived Will EXACTLY how he wanted us to perceive him. Confident, larger than life, charisma in abundance, but knowing the man behind the act, it kind of made me feel guilty as a fan for always wanting more. 

• Great movie, where’s the next album?
• Great album, where’s the FPOBA reunion?
• Make BB3 already. 
• 6 months off? Plenty of time for an album.
• Go on tour again with Jeff. 
• Stop worrying about the kids careers, focus on your own. 

These are all things we’ve discussed on this forum. After reading the book, I realised that yes, we are fans that keep the ball rolling, but did that demand contribute to the breakdown in his personal life? Ultimately it’s a stigma that stemmed from his upbringing, but we fuelled it in a way that he craved giving us more just as much as we craved getting more.  

I loved the in-depth stories of the come up in music, how JL became manager, Wills version of the Ready Rock separation, I never knew Jeff had cancer as a kid and developed a recluse mentality (you certainly wouldn’t say that now), I never knew Omarr had an operation as a kid. I loved hearing about the battle scene. I never knew the full status of the Word Up situation and how intense it got. I never realised how dark his past was and the kind of company he kept. The most gangster part of the book is when Mom-Mom made the split second decision to amputate her leg. I never knew this either. 

The most obvious thing for me was the combination of both parents that Will became. Hard headed like his father, compassionate like his mother, but confused about which side needed to appear in which situation. Willow saved Will from himself, that was glaringly obvious. How a 10 year old with a hit record can break down the biggest star in the world by shaving her head and saying her dads idea of a family wasn’t them, is just inspirational as a parent, to think that through what his failings where, he’d helped raise her into an intelligent young lady. 

Completely and utterly phenomenal. I couldn’t put it down.