In West Philadelphia, where Will Smith grew up, there’s now a street called Will Smith Way.
Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker and local leaders celebrated the Oscar and Grammy winner by renaming a stretch of 59th Street, right next to Smith’s old high school.
At the ceremony, Will said, “Philly, I love you. I am yours. You are mine,” standing on the very street now dedicated to him.
He took a moment to reflect on his roots, recalling how his parents taught him the values of hard work and education long before his rise to fame. “Nobody gets an easy ride,” he shared. “That’s what these streets of Philly taught me — there’s nothing wrong with a hard day’s work.”
One of the people who came to support him was a former teacher, the first person to ever call him “Prince Charming,” a nickname that later inspired the title of his iconic TV show The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. “The name The Fresh Prince was born right in that building,” he said, pointing to Overbrook High School. “I just added ‘fresh’ because it was hip-hop slang.”
And in case you didn’t know, Will’s got something new on the way: his fifth studio album, Based on a True Story, drops this Friday. It’s his first music project in two decades, following Lost and Found.
He’s won Grammys for hits like “Summertime,” “Men In Black,” “Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It,” and “Parents Just Don’t Understand.” Plus, he’s starred in legendary films like Bad Boys, Men in Black, and King Richard.
