Will Smith's 'Big Willie Style': All you need to know about the Fresh Prince's debut album

America's Fresh Prince aka Will Smith has been admirably balancing success as a musician and actor for more than two decades now. Will Smith rose to fame after being a part of two successful Hollywood blockbusters Bad Boys and Men in Black in the mid-90s'. And in late 1997, after ruling the box office with massive successes, Will Smith found time for a blockbuster in the genre of music. The Independence Day star made his debut studio solo album titled Big Willie Style on November 25, 1997, which includes his first-ever US Billboard Hot 100 number one song Gettin' Jiggy wit It. Scroll on to know more details about his debut him.

All about Will Smith's debut album Big Willie Style

Will Smith's Bigg Willie Style came the same year hip-hop artist Puff Daddy came into the music scene and started making hit songs out of old ones. During this time Will Smith's songs which were bulletproof and made from samples of old disco and soul tracks were like a breath of fresh air and his charisma became as unstoppable on record as on screen. Will Smith's Big Willie Style was released five years after his album Code Red which was the last duet by DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince. Five singles from the album were first released which includes Miami, Just Cruisin, Just the Two of Us, Gettin' Jiggy wit It and Men in Black. 

Awards won by Big Willie Style

The album was a commercial success and was number 8 on the US Billboard 200 chart. The album stayed on the chart for 99 weeks and by the year 2000 the album went on to become nine times platinum. The album went on to also gain several accolades including the 1997 MTV Video Music Awards under the Best Video from a Film for his music video for Men in Black and again in the 1998 MTV Video Music Awards under Best Male Video and Best Rap Video for Just the Two of Us and Gettin' Jiggy wit It respectively. He also won the Grammys for two years in a row in 1997 and 1998 under the Best Rap Solo Performance category for Men in Black and Gettin Jiggy wit It.

IMAGE: WILL SMITH'S INSTAGRAM