Big Willie Style

Big Willie Style

Infobox Album
Name = Big Willie Style
Type = Album
Artist = Will Smith


Released = November 25, 1997
Recorded = 1997
Genre = Pop rap, Funk
Length = 54:20 (US / International)
58:17 (UK)
Label = Columbia
Producer = Andreao "Fanatic" Heard, L.E.S., Keith Pelzer, Poke, Valvin Roane, Sauce, Tone, Jeff Townes
Reviews =
*Allmusic Rating|4|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:s06gtq2zmu48 link]
*"Entertainment Weekly" (C-) [http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,63479,00.html link]
*Review-Christgau|cut|name=will+smith
*"Rolling Stone" Rating|3.5|5 [http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/willsmith/albums/album/89302/review/6068062/big_willie_style link]
Last album = "Code Red"
(1992)
This album = "Big Willie Style"
(1997)
Next album = "Willennium"
(1999)Singles
Name = Big Willie Style
Type = studio
single 1 = Men in Black
single 1 date = August 4 1997
single 2 = Just Cruisin'
single 2 date = December 1 1997
single 3 = Gettin' Jiggy wit It
single 3 date = January 26 1998
single 4 = Just the Two of Us
single 4 date = July 20 1998
single 5 = Miami
single 5 date = November 23 1998

"Big Willie Style" is the first solo studio album recorded by Will Smith, after spending most of his career as the latter half of DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince. The album, regarded by critics and fans as his signature album (and, by many, as one of the most innovative and consistent rap albums of all time), was released on Columbia Records in the United States on November 25, 1997 and featured a total of four hit singles (all of them reached the UK Top 3) – "Men In Black" (released earlier in the year on the soundtrack for the "movie of the same name"), "Gettin' Jiggy Wit It" (which redefined popular use of the word ), the retro-styled jam "Miami" and the meaningful message to fathers and sons of "Just the Two of Us".

The first single from the album, "Men in Black", was not released in the U.S. as a physical single, and was therefore unable to chart in Billboard. "Men In Black" enjoyed a worldwide release, and reached #1 in many countries. The song spent an entire month at the top of the UK singles charts, becoming the 6th biggest hit single there in 1997. The second single from the album, "Just Cruisin'" was also from the movie "Men in Black", and was a minor hit worldwide. The track was only included in the British edition of "Big Willie Style". The follow-up, "Gettin' Jiggy wit It" was a big hit, spending 2 weeks at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 from March 14, 1998 to March 28, 1998, Smith's first #1 hit in his homeland. The track became a Top 5 elsewhere. As a fourth single, "Just the Two of Us" was released in August 1998, and was another big hit, reaching #2 in the UK and making the U.S. Top 20. The final single was "Miami", accompanied with an expensive, ambitious music video, and released in November 1998. The track also made an impressive performance in the charts, reaching #3 in the UK and #17 in the U.S.

In the U.S. the album debuted at #31 and then began to lose position until "Gettin' Jiggy With it" was released, rising to #10. Then the album began to fall again, but, in the wake of the release of the very well-received "Just the Two of Us", the album reached a new peak position of #8, where spent 3 weeks. In the U.S. spent a total of 7 weeks on the Top 10, 69 weeks on the Top 40 and 99 weeks on the whole Billboard 200. The album was eventually certified 9x platinum by RIAA on July 20, 2000, denoting 9 million shipments in the U.S alone.

Meanwhile, the album debuted in the UK charts at #63 and then fell positions very quickly, but it gained new chart power with the release of "Gettin' Jiggy With it", reaching #11 in March 1998. Then the album began to fall again on the list, but stayed constant gainings through the entire 1998 following the subsequent single releases. Then, on late January 1999, in the wake of the release of the final single "Miami", the album finally reached its peak position of #9, and then began its final fall on the charts. This unusual chart run from the album materialized on just one week on the Top 10, 38 weeks on the Top 40 but a total of an impressive 108 weeks inside the whole UK albums charts, making 3 re-entries on it.

Worldwide sales are over 14 million, making it one of the best-selling rap albums of all time.

Smith won 2 Grammy Awards in the Best Rap Solo Performance category for the songs "Men In Black", in 1997, and "Gettin' Jiggy Wit It", in 1998, making of Smith the only artist in history to receive two Grammies from this category for two songs from the same album.

Nas was also a co-writer on this album with Will Smith. He is credited under his real name, Nasir Jones and worked on 3 songs on the album including the #1 hit "Getting Jiggy Wit It".

Track listing

# "Intro" – 1:51
# "Y'All Know" (Andreao Heard, Will Smith) – 3:57
# "Gettin' Jiggy Wit It" (Will Smith, Samuel J. Barnes, Bernard Edwards, Nile Rodgers, J. Robinson, Nasir Jones) – 3:47
#*"Contains a sample of "He's the Greatest Dance" (Bernard Edwards, Nile Rodgers)
# "Candy" (featuring Larry Blackmon and Cameo) (Will Smith, Ryan Toby, L. Blackmon, T. Jenkins) – 3:56
#*"Contains a sample of "Candy" (L. Blackmon, T. Jenkins)
# "Chasing Forever" (Will Smith, Nasir Jones, Kenny Greene, Stevie Wonder) – 4:16
#*"Contains a sample of "Ribbon in the Sky" (Stevie Wonder)
# "Keith B-Real I (Interlude)" – 1:07
# "Don't Say Nothin'" (Will Smith, Ryan Toby, Keith Pelzer) – 4:22
# "Miami" (Will Smith, Ryan Toby, Samuel J. Barnes, W. Shelby, S. Shockley, L. Sylvers III) – 3:17
#*"Contains a sample of "And the Beat Goes On" (W. Shelby, S. Shockley, L. Sylvers III)
# "Yes Yes Y'All" (featuring Camp Lo) (Will Smith, Nasir Jones, The Isley Brothers, C. Jasper, O. Scott, R. Wilson, J. Robinson) – 4:23
#*"Contains a sample of "Here We Go Again" (The Isley Brothers, C. Jasper), a replay of "All Around the World" (L. Stansfield, I. Devaney, Morris), a replay of "Yearning for Your Love" (O. Scott, R. Wilson), and a replay of "Love Rap" (J. Robison)
# "I Loved You" (Will Smith, Ryan Toby, Valvin Roane, Keith Pelzer, Joe Farrell) – 4:12
#*"Contains a sample of "Upon This Rock" (J. Farrell)
# "Keith B-Real II (Interlude)" – 0:30
# "It's All Good" (Will Smith, Jeff Townes, Carvin Haggins, B. Edwards, N. Rodgers) – 4:04
#*"Contains a sample of "Good Times" (B. Edwards, N. Rodgers) and a replay of "Celebration" (Kool & The Gang)
# "Just the Two of Us" (Will Smith, Bill Withers, W. Salter, R. MacDonald) – 5:15
# "Keith B-Real III (Interlude)" – 1:54
# "Big Willie Style" (featuring Left Eye) (Will Smith, Timothy Riley, M. White, W. L. Vaughn, W. Vaughn) – 3:35
#*"Contains a sample of "Something Special" (M. White, W. L. Vaughn, W. Vaughn)
# "Men In Black (featuring Coko)" (Will Smith, Patrice Rushen, Terry McFadden, Fred Washington) – 3:47
#*"Contains a sample of "Forget Me Nots" (Patrice Rushen, Terry McFadden, Fred Washington)
# "Just Cruisin'" (UK bonus track) Nasir Jones/Will Smith/Kenny Stover – 3:59

Liner notes

The following are the lines written by Smith available on the booklet from the album.

Charts

Album

Singles


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