''Big Willie Style'' is the debut solo album by American rapper and actor

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 acting career starring as a fictionalized version of himself on the NBC sitcom '' The Fresh ...

. It was released on November 25, 1997, by

Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese conglomerate Sony. It was founded on January 15, 1889, evolving from the A ...

. The album was primarily produced by Poke & Tone, with other contributors including L.E.S. and Smith's former collaborator

DJ Jazzy Jeff Jeffrey Allen Townes (born January 22, 1965), known professionally as DJ Jazzy Jeff (or simply Jazz), is an American disc jockey (DJ) and music producer. He was a member of DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince with Will Smith. He is credited, alo ...

. The album was the first to be released by Smith since 1993's '' Code Red'', the last by the duo DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince. Five singles were released, including Smith's first US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 number one, "

Gettin' Jiggy wit It "Gettin' Jiggy wit It" is a song by American rapper and actor Will Smith, released as the third single from his debut solo album, ''Big Willie Style'' (1997). The verse is based around a sample of "He's the Greatest Dancer" by Sister Sledge, and ...

". After releasing five albums with DJ Jazzy Jeff, Smith turned his focus to acting and appeared in such films as '' Bad Boys'' and ''

Independence Day An independence day is an annual event commemorating the anniversary of a nation's independence or statehood, usually after ceasing to be a group or part of another nation or state, or more rarely after the end of a military occupation. Many ...

'' before returning to the studio in 1996. The following year he starred in ''

Men in Black In popular culture and UFO conspiracy theories, men in black (MIB) are purported men dressed in black suits who claim to be quasi- government agents, who harass, threaten, or sometimes even assassinate unidentified flying object (UFO) witnesses ...

'', for which he recorded the song of the same name and topped the singles charts in several countries. ''Big Willie Style'' was released later in the year, reaching the top ten of the US ''Billboard'' 200, the

UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts ...

and several other international charts.

Recording and production

Recording for ''Big Willie Style'' took place mainly in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

with producers Poke & Tone and L.E.S. – four tracks each were recorded at

The Hit Factory The Hit Factory is a recording studio in New York City owned and operated by Troy Germano. History On March 6, 1975, Edward Germano, a singer, record producer, and one of the principal owners of the Record Plant Studios New York, purchased the ...

("Y'all Know", "Chasing Forever", "

Miami Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a coastal metropolis and the county seat of Miami-Dade County in South Florida, United States. With a population of 442,241 at ...

" and " Just Cruisin'") and

Right Track Studios Sound on Sound Studios, formerly known as MSR Studios (Manhattan Sound Recordings) is a photography and movie producing company recording facility in Montclair, New Jersey. Its forebear, MSR Studios, was located in Manhattan, just outside Times Sq ...

", "Candy", "Yes Yes Y'all" and "Big Willie Style"). Three tracks ("Don't Say Nothin'", "I Loved You" and "It's All Good") were recorded at

's A Touch of Jazz Studios in Smith's hometown of

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Since ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

, and " Just the Two of Us" was recorded at

Pacifique Recording Studios Pacifique Recording Studios is a mixing and recording studio based in North Hollywood, California that was launched by Joe, Ken, and Vic Deranteriassian in 1984. In 1999, Pacifique installed its second SSL console, the 9000 J Series. In 2003, Pac ...

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

with producer Curtis "Sauce" Wilson. Other contributing producers were Keith Pelzer,

Ryan Toby City High was an American R&B/ hip hop trio consisting of rappers/singers Ryan Toby, Robbie Pardlo, and Claudette Ortiz. City High is best known for their song " What Would You Do?", which earned a Grammy nomination. Career In 2001, City Hig ...

(both on "Don't Say Nothin'" and "I Love You"), Andreao Heard ("Y'all Know") and Valvin Roane ("I Loved You"). The songs on the album are broken up by a number of interludes featuring exchanges between Smith and the fictional character Keith B-Real, a "hilarious" magazine editor and motivational-tape artist. B-Real is voiced by actor

Jamie Foxx Eric Marlon Bishop (born December 13, 1967), known professionally as Jamie Foxx, is an American actor, comedian, and singer. He became widely known for his portrayal of Ray Charles in the 2004 biographical film ''Ray'', for which he won the A ...

. All four of the "Keith B-Real" skits (including "Intro") were recorded by Jean-Claude Olivier – Poke of Poke & Tone – at The Hacienda in Los Angeles, California, and were co-produced by Smith.

Composition and lyrics

As with Smith's previous releases with DJ Jazzy Jeff, ''Big Willie Style'' showcases a radio-friendly

pop-rap Pop rap (also known as pop hip-hop, hip pop, melodic hip-hop or melodic rap) is a genre of music fusing the rhythm-based lyricism of hip hop music with pop music's preference for melodious vocals and catchy tunes. This genre gained mainstrea ...

sound with non-explicit lyrics. Speaking about the lyrics on ''Big Willie Style'', Jamie Hunter of ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...

'' identified themes including

multiculturalism The term multiculturalism has a range of meanings within the contexts of sociology, political philosophy, and colloquial use. In sociology and in everyday usage, it is a synonym for " ethnic pluralism", with the two terms often used interchang ...

and

monogamy Monogamy ( ) is a form of dyadic relationship in which an individual has only one partner during their lifetime. Alternately, only one partner at any one time ( serial monogamy) — as compared to the various forms of non-monogamy (e.g., pol ...

, commenting that Smith tells "the larger story of rap values tweaking the American dream, of how he's come to terms with the conflict between the neighborhood and the global cineplex". The musical production on ''Big Willie Style'' is focused largely around samples of

disco Disco is a genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the 1970s from the United States' urban nightlife scene. Its sound is typified by four-on-the-floor beats, syncopated basslines, string sections, brass and horns, electric p ...

and

soul music Soul music is a popular music genre that originated in the African American community throughout the United States in the late 1950s and early 1960s. It has its roots in African-American gospel music and rhythm and blues. Soul music became ...

acts from the 1980s. Artists sampled include

Sister Sledge Sister Sledge is an American musical vocal group from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Formed in 1971, the group consisted of sisters Debbie, Joni, Kim, and Kathy Sledge. The siblings achieved international success at the height of the disco era. I ...

(" He's the Greatest Dancer" on "Gettin' Jiggy wit It"),

Stevie Wonder Stevland Hardaway Morris ( Judkins; May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, who is credited as a pioneer and influence by musicians across a range of genres that include rhythm and blues, pop, s ...

Ribbon in the Sky "Ribbon in the Sky" is a song by American singer Stevie Wonder. The ballad was first featured on the 1982 greatest hits album, '' Stevie Wonder's Original Musiquarium I'', and charted at No. 54 pop, No. 21 Adult Contemporary, and No. 10 R&B in the ...

" on "Chasing Forever") and The Whispers (" And the Beat Goes On" on "Miami").

Promotion and release

The release of ''Big Willie Style'' was preceded by the release of the single "Men in Black" on June 3, 1997, originally released on '' Men in Black: The Album''. The title track to the film of the same name was a commercial success, topping singles charts in Australia, Belgium, France, Germany, New Zealand, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, where it remained atop the chart for four weeks. " Just Cruisin'" was released as the album's second single on November 25, 1997, charting at number 23 on the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

. However, the remix is only featured on the European reissue of the album. On January 26, 1998, "

" was released as the third single from the album to great commercial success – it became the first single by Smith to top the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 singles chart, and also reached the top ten in numerous other regions. " Just the Two of Us" and "

" were released as the final two singles from the album in July and November 1998, respectively, and both enjoyed mild commercial success in the US by reaching the top 20 of the ''Billboard'' Hot 100; the singles were more successful in the UK, however, where they reached number two and number three on the

, respectively.

Reception

Commercial

''Big Willie Style'' was a commercial success. Reaching a peak position of number eight on the US ''Billboard'' 200 chart, it remained on the chart for a total of 99 weeks. On the

, the record entered at number 63 in December 1997, remaining in the top 100 for 29 weeks; in July the following year the album returned to the top 100, and by January 1999 it had reached its peak position of number nine. In total, the album spent 87 weeks in the UK top 100, during three separate periods. Other regions in which the album peaked in the top ten include France (#5), Norway (#8) and the Netherlands (#9). In 1999, ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large adverti ...

'' reported that ''Big Willie Style'' had been the 39th best-selling

pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop!, a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Albums * ''Pop'' ( ...

album of the period between 1990 and 1999. By July 2000, ''Big Willie Style'' had been certified nine times platinum by the

Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/ ...

, indicating nine million shipped units in United States. According to Nielsen, US sales stand at six million sold copies, as of 2013. The album is also certified gold by the

Australian Recording Industry Association The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) is a trade association representing the Australian recording industry which was established in the 1970s by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replac ...

, indicating Australian sales of over 35,000 units, double platinum by the

British Phonographic Industry British Phonographic Industry (BPI) is the British recorded music industry's Trade association. It runs the BRIT Awards, the Classic BRIT Awards, National Album Day, is home to the Mercury Prize, and co-owns the Official Charts Company with ...

, indicating sales in the UK of over 600,000 units, and six times platinum by

Music Canada Music Canada (formerly Canadian Recording Industry Association (CRIA)) is a non-profit trade organization that was founded 9 April 1963 to represent the interests of companies that record, manufacture, produce, and distribute music in Canada. It ...

, indicating Canadian sales of over 600,000 units.

Critical

Media response to ''Big Willie Style'' was mixed. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of website

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Music ...

awarded the album four out of five stars, praising Smith's "trademark ... friendly, humorous pop-rap" style, which he pointed out had been modernised since his releases with DJ Jazzy Jeff. In particular, Erlewine highlighted the songs "Gettin' Jiggy wit It", "Candy", "I Loved You" and "Men in Black" as "among his best" songs. ''

'' writer James Hunter was similarly positive, describing the album as "wickedly well-conceived", praising the album's "delicious party jams" and noting "Gettin' Jiggy wit It" and "Yes Yes Y'All" as particular highlights. He concludes by praising the lyrical themes of the album, dubbing ''Big Willie Style'' "an exceptional megacelebrity album". ''

Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular ...

'' writer Jim Farber, however, slated the album, describing it as being full of "nonstop pop-rap clichés" and claiming that "The musical world suffered no great loss when Will Smith ditched rapping for acting". ''

Village Voice ''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture paper, known for being the country's first alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf, Ed Fancher, John Wilcock, and Norman Mailer, the ''Voice'' began as a platform for the cr ...

'' critic

Robert Christgau Robert Thomas Christgau ( ; born April 18, 1942) is an American music journalist and essayist. Among the most well-known and influential music critics, he began his career in the late 1960s as one of the earliest professional rock critics and ...

categorised the singles "Gettin' Jiggy wit It", "Just the Two of Us" and "Miami" as "good ongson an album that isn't worth your time or money". '' NME'' writer Andy Crysell also gave the album a negative review, calling Will Smith "the

Cliff Richard Sir Cliff Richard (born Harry Rodger Webb; 14 October 1940) is an Indian-born British musican, singer, producer, entrepreneur and philanthropist who holds both British and Barbadian citizenship. He has total sales of over 21.5 million ...

of rap", as well as saying that the album was "explicitly awful" with "nary a redeeming feature on show".

Accolades and awards

''Big Willie Style'' earned Smith recognition at a number of music industry awards ceremonies. At the 1997 MTV Video Music Awards, the

music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing devic ...

for "Men in Black" won the award for

Best Video from a Film The MTV Video Music Award for Best Video from a Film was first awarded in 1987, recognizing the best videos whose songs were a part of a movie soundtrack or featured in a film. As time went on, though, music videos taken from movie soundtracks beca ...

, and received nominations for Best Male Video,

Best Choreography The MTV Video Music Award for Best Choreography is a craft award given to the artist, the artist's manager, and choreographer of the music video. From 1984 to 2007, the full name of the award was Best Choreography in a Video. The biggest winner ...

and Best Special Effects. Smith won again at the 1998 MTV Video Music Awards, receiving awards for Best Male Video and Best Rap Video for "Just the Two of Us" and "Gettin' Jiggy wit It", respectively, as well as nominations for Video of the Year,

Best Dance Video The MTV Video Music Award for Best Dance Video was first awarded in 1989, and it was one of the original four genre categories that were added to the MTV Video Music Awards that year. With a revamp of the awards in 2007, the category was cut out ...

, Best Choreography and Viewer's Choice, all for "Gettin' Jiggy wit It". "Miami" won the award for Best Male Video and received nominations for Best Special Effects and Best Cinematography at the

1999 MTV Video Music Awards The 1999 MTV Video Music Awards (stylized as 9999 MTV Video Music Awards) aired live on September 9, 1999, honoring the best music videos from June 13, 1998, to June 11, 1999. The show was hosted by Chris Rock at the Metropolitan Opera House in N ...

. Smith won his third and fourth

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...

s for his work on ''Big Willie Style'' – "Men in Black" won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance at the

40th Grammy Awards The 40th Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 25, 1998, at Radio City Music Hall, New York City. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the previous year. Rock icon Bob Dylan, Alison Krauss & Union Station, and R. Kelly were ...

in February 1998, and Smith retained the award the following year at the 41st Grammy Awards, when he won for "Gettin' Jiggy wit It". At the 26th American Music Awards in January 1999, he was nominated in the categories of Favorite Pop/Rock Male Artist (which he lost to

Eric Clapton Eric Patrick Clapton (born 1945) is an English rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is often regarded as one of the most successful and influential guitarists in rock music. Clapton ranked second in ''Rolling Stone''s list o ...

) and Favorite Soul/R&B Male Artist (which he won), while the album was nominated for Favorite Pop/Rock Album and Favorite Soul/R&B Album, both of which it won. Also in 1999, Smith received three

NAACP Image Award The NAACP Image Awards is an annual awards ceremony presented by the U.S.-based National Association for the Advancement of Colored People ( NAACP) to honor outstanding performances in film, television, theatre, music, and literature. Similar to ...

s – Entertainer of the Year, Outstanding Music Video (for "Just the Two of Us") and Outstanding Rap Artist, and was named Favorite Singer at the 1999 Kids' Choice Awards. In 2000, music television network VH1 compiled their 100 Greatest Dance Songs list, including Smith's ''Big Willie Style'' single "Gettin' Jiggy wit It" at number 100.

Track listing

;Notes * signifies a co- producer *"Chasing Forever" features additional vocals by

Kenny Greene Kenny Greene (January 17, 1969 – October 1, 2001) was an American singer-songwriter who was also a member of the R&B group Intro. Career As a member of the R&B group Intro, Greene wrote and produced many of the group's tracks and was le ...

and

Trey Lorenz Trey Lorenz (born Lloyd Lorenz Smith; January 19, 1969) is an American R&B singer-songwriter and record producer. He was born in Florence, South Carolina and is a graduate of Wilson High School. Lorenz is best known for his duet with recording a ...

*"I Loved You" features additional vocals by

and Valvin Roane *"It's All Good" features additional vocals by Tia Mintze *"Just the Two of Us" features additional vocals by Jeff "Fuzzy" Young and Tricia Covington *"Men in Black" features additional vocals by Coko *"Just Cruisin'" features additional vocals by

Tichina Arnold Tichina Rolanda Arnold (; born June 28, 1969) is an American actress and singer. She began her career as a child actor, appearing in supporting roles in ''Little Shop of Horrors'' (1986) and '' How I Got into College'' (1989) before being cast a ...

;Sample credits *"Gettin' Jiggy wit It" contains a sample of " He's the Greatest Dancer", written by

Bernard Edwards Bernard Edwards (October 31, 1952 – April 18, 1996) was an American bass player and record producer, known primarily for his work in disco music with guitarist Nile Rodgers, with whom he co-founded Chic. In 2017, Edwards was selected as the 5 ...

and

Nile Rodgers Nile Gregory Rodgers Jr. (born September 19, 1952) is an American musician, record producer and composer. The co-founder of Chic, Rodgers has written, produced, and performed on records that have sold more than 500 million albums and 75 million ...

, and performed by

; a sample of "Sang and Dance", written by David Porter and performed by The Bar-Kays; and contains an interpolation of "Love Rap", written by Joe Robinson and performed by Spoonie Gee *"Candy" contains a sample of " the same name", written by

Larry Blackmon Larry Ernest Blackmon (born May 24, 1956) is an American vocalist and musician who gained acclaim as the lead singer and founder frontman of the funk and R&B band Cameo. Musical career Starting the band "East Coast", Blackmon formed the "N ...

and Tomi Jenkins, and performed by Cameo *"Chasing Forever" contains a sample of "

", written and performed by

*"Miami" contains a sample of " And the Beat Goes On", written by William Shelby, Stephen Shockley and

Leon Sylvers III Leon Frank Sylvers III (born March 7, 1953, Memphis, Tennessee) is an American singer, songwriter, disc-jockey, record producer and multi-instrumentalist. He was a member of the family group The Sylvers and became one of the most successful pr ...

, and performed by The Whispers *"Yes Yes Y'all" contains a sample of "Here We Go Again", written by

Ronald Isley Ronald Isley (; born May 21, 1941) is an American recording artist, songwriter, record producer, and occasional actor. Isley is the lead singer and founding member of the family music group The Isley Brothers. Early life Born in 1941 to Sally ...

Rudolph Isley Rudolph Bernard Isley (born April 1, 1939 in Cincinnati, Ohio) is an American singer-songwriter and is one of the founding members of The Isley Brothers. Life and career Born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, Rudy began singing in church at a youn ...

, O'Kelly Isley, Jr.,

Ernie Isley Ernest Isley (born March 7, 1952) is an American musician, best known as a member of the musical ensemble The Isley Brothers, and also the splinter group Isley-Jasper-Isley. Biography Ernie was born in Cincinnati, where his older brothers for ...

Marvin Isley Marvin Isley (August 18, 1953 – June 6, 2010)
– accessed June 2010 was the youngest member of the family music grou ...

and

Chris Jasper Christopher Howard Jasper (born December 30, 1951) Allmusic biography/ref> is an American singer, composer, and producer. Jasper is a former member of the Isley Brothers and Isley-Jasper-Isley and is responsible for writing and producing the ...

, and performed by

The Isley Brothers The Isley Brothers ( ) are an American musical group originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, that began as a vocal trio consisting of brothers O'Kelly Isley Jr., Rudolph Isley and Ronald Isley in the 1950s. With a career spanning over seven decade ...

; and contains an interpolation of " All Around the World", written by

Lisa Stansfield Lisa Jane Stansfield (born 11 April 1966) is an English singer, songwriter, and actress. Her career began in 1980 when she won the singing competition ''Search for a Star''. After appearances in various television shows and releasing her first ...

, Ian Devaney and Andy Morris, and performed by Stansfield; and "

Yearning for Your Love "Yearning for Your Love" is a 1980 ballad recorded and released by The Gap Band on Mercury Records. The single was the third release off the band's fifth album, '' The Gap Band III'' (1980). Four different singles, each with a different B-side, we ...

", written by Oliver Scott and Ronnie Wilson, and performed by

The Gap Band The Gap Band was an American R&B and funk band that rose to fame during the 1970s and 1980s. The band consisted of three brothers: Charlie, Ronnie, and Robert Wilson, along with other members; it was named after streets (Greenwood, Archer, and ...

; and "Love Rap", written by Joe Robinson and performed by Spoonie Gee *"I Loved You" contains a sample of "Upon This Rock", written and performed by

Joe Farrell Joseph Carl Firrantello (December 16, 1937 – January 10, 1986), known as Joe Farrell, was an American jazz multi-instrumentalist who primarily performed as a saxophonist and flutist. He is best known for a series of albums under his own name o ...

*"It's All Good" contains a sample of " Good Times", written by Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers, and performed by

Chic Chic (; ), meaning "stylish" or "smart", is an element of fashion. It was originally a French word. Pronounced Chick. Etymology '' Chic'' is a French word, established in English since at least the 1870s. Early references in English diction ...

; and contains an interpolation of " Celebration", written by

Robert "Kool" Bell Robert Earl "Kool" Bell (born October 8, 1950), also known by his Muslim name Muhammad Bayyan, is an American musician, singer & songwriter. He is one of the founding members of the American R&B, soul, funk and disco band Kool & the Gang. ...

, Ronald Bell,

James Taylor James Vernon Taylor (born March 12, 1948) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A six-time Grammy Award winner, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. He is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, havi ...

Claydes Charles Smith Claydes "Charles" Smith (real name ''Claydes Eugene Smith''; September 6, 1948 – June 20, 2006) was an American musician best known as co-founder and lead guitarist of the group Kool & the Gang. Biography Born in Jersey City, New Jersey, he ...

, George "Funky" Brown, Robert Mickens, Earl Toon, Dennis "D.T." Thomas and

Eumir Deodato Eumir Deodato de Almeida (; born 22 June 1942) is a Brazilian pianist, composer, arranger and record producer, primarily in jazz but who has been known for his eclectic melding of genres, such as pop, rock, disco, rhythm and blues, classical, ...

, and performed by

Kool & the Gang Kool & the Gang is an American R&B/soul/funk band formed in Jersey City, New Jersey, in 1964 by brothers Robert "Kool" Bell and Ronald Bell, with Dennis "Dee Tee" Thomas, Robert "Spike" Mickens, Charles Smith, George Brown, and Ricky West. ...

*"Big Willie Style" contains a sample of "Something Special", written by Maurice White, Wayne Vaughn and Wanda Vaughn, and performed by

Earth, Wind & Fire Earth, Wind & Fire (EW&F or EWF) is an American band whose music spans the genres of jazz, R&B, soul, funk, disco, pop, big band, Latin, and Afro pop. They are among the best-selling bands of all time, with sales of over 90 million reco ...

*"Men in Black" contains a sample of "

Forget Me Nots "Forget Me Nots" is a 1982 song co-written and performed by American R&B musician Patrice Rushen. It appears on her seventh album, '' Straight from the Heart''. Making a radical shift in her music, Rushen would continue to harness the particular ...

", written by

Patrice Rushen Patrice Louise Rushen (born September 30, 1954) is an American jazz pianist and R&B singer. She is also a composer, record producer, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and music director. Her 1982 single "Forget Me Nots" received a Grammy Awar ...

, Terry McFadden and Fred Washington, and performed by Rushen *"Just Cruisin'" contains a sample of " Don't Take It Personal", written by David Townsend, Derrick Culler and David Conley, and performed by

Jermaine Jackson Jermaine La Jaune Jackson (born December 11, 1954) is an American singer-songwriter and bassist. He is best known for being a member of the Jackson family. From 1964 to 1975, Jermaine was second vocalist after his brother Michael of The Jackso ...

Personnel

Personnel credits adapted from liner notes.

Chart positions

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

References

External links

* {{Authority control 1997 debut albums Will Smith albums Albums produced by L.E.S. (record producer) Albums produced by Trackmasters Columbia Records albums