Smith released his first album in 20 years after a lengthy rollout and ahead of his first-ever headlining tour.
Will Smith’s first album in 20 years has arrived. On Based On A True Story, the superstar returns to his roots for 14 new tracks of uplifting, motivational, storytelling rap. A prime example: “Hard Times (Smile),” the sixth track on the list, which features Teyana Taylor.
In the song, producers Lexoskeleton and OmArr blend jazz, funk, and soul samples to give Smith a spiritual backdrop for rhymes detailing some of the “hard times” he’s made it through, as well as encouraging the listener to have resilience through their own.
