The fresh prince of rap, none other than Will Smith, is back after a 20-year hiatus with a brand new album.
The project, which is titled Based On A True Story, is a 14-track collection that draws inspiration from Will’s life — much as the title suggests. What isn’t as apparent though, is the fact that Will Smith actually linked up with Kendrick Lamar and Jay-Z to speak about the way in which he should work on his album.
The advice? “Don’t fake your story.” That’s what Jay told Will on a phone call. In fact, Will revealed that this conversation directly translated to the naming of his album. Kendrick, on the other hand, asked Will to be authentic and to “say what you’ve always been scared to say.” Well, props to Will for actually incorporating these pearls of wisdom in his work.
On the collaboration front, Will has worked with artists like DJ Jazzy Jeff, Teyana Taylor, & Jac Ross on the album, which is out now via RITW/SLANG Recordings. In case you’re wondering what the tracklist looks like, here it is!
Tracklist
Int. Barbershop Day ft. DJ Jazzy Jeff & Simone
You Lookin’ for Me?
The Reverend (Rave Sermon)
Rave in the Wasteland
Bulletproof ft. Jac Ross
Hard Times (Smile) ft. Teyana Taylor
Beautiful Scars ft. Big Sean and OBanga
Tantrum ft. Joyner Lucas
First Love ft. India Martinez and Marcin
Make It Look Easy
The Reverend (YCMI Sermon)
You Can Make it ft. Fridayy and Sunday Service
Work of Art ft. Russ and Jaden
The Reverend (WOA Sermon)
In addition to the album release, Will also announced the Based on a True Story Summer Tour, which is supposed to kick off on 25th June, 2025. Where you ask? Well, look below!
Based on a True Story Summer Tour Dates
| SHOW DATE | CITY, COUNTRY | VENUE |
| 6/25 | Rabat, MA | Mawazine |
| 6/28 | Le Barcarès, FR | Les Déferlantes Festival |
| 7/3 | Gran Canaria, ES | Granca Live Fest |
| 7/12 | Wolfsburg, DE | Sommerfestival der Autostadt |
| 7/13 | Hamburg, DE | Stadtpark Open Air* |
| 7/15 | Hannover, DE | Gilde Parkbühne* |
| 7/18 | Frankfurt, DE | Festhalle* |
| 7/19 | Berne, CH | Gurtenfestival |
| 7/23 | Nyon, CH | Paléo Festival |
| 7/25 | Massa, IT | BIG ART Festival |
| 7/26 | Marbella, ES | Starlite Occident |
| 7/31 | Orange, FR | POSITIV Festival |
| 8/01 | Orange, FR | POSITIV Festival |
| 8/02 | Monte Carlo | Salle des Étoiles |
| 8/05 | Braine -le-Comte, BE | Ronquières Festival |
| 8/07 | Skanderborg, DK | Smukfest |
| 8/09 | Almeria, ES | Dreambeach Festival |
| 8/15 | St. Pölten, AT | Frequency Festival |
| 8/17 | Charleville-Mézières, FR | Cabaret Vert |
| 8/22 | Drammen, NO | Ypsilon Festival |
| 8/24 | Scarborough, UK | Scarborough Open Air Theatre* |
| 8/25 | Cardiff, UK | Bute Park* |
| 8/27 | Manchester, UK | Victoria Warehouse* |
| 8/28 | London, UK | Brixton Academy* |
| 8/30 | Wolverhampton, UK | The Halls* |
| 9/02 | Paris, FR | Zénith* |
*Indicates headline shows
Check out the album below!
