Will Smith’s new album, Based on a True Story, has struggled commercially despite a significant press run and notable features from artists like Big Sean, DJ Jazzy Jeff, and his son Jaden Smith. The album failed to chart on the Billboard 200 and had a disappointing debut in the UK, selling only 268 copies in its first week, with just 36 downloads, according to The Sun. This marks a significant drop from his earlier solo albums, such as Big Willie Style and Lost and Found, which had successful chart performances.
In the midst of this, comedian Tony Rock, the brother of Chris Rock, shared his candid thoughts with TMZ Hip Hop. While he admitted he hadn’t heard the album, he didn’t hold back from criticizing it. He described it as a “sh***y album” and expressed dismay that Will Smith included references to the infamous 2022 Oscars slap in the album’s content. Tony Rock suggested that if Smith is still using The Slap to promote his music, it indicates that he might be lacking fresh material. He went on to call it “raps laced in doo-doo,” implying that Will’s music was not up to par.
The album includes tracks like Beautiful Scars featuring Big Sean, Work of Art with Jaden Smith, and Hard Times featuring Teyana Taylor. Despite the album’s weak commercial performance, Will Smith is still planning a headline tour across the UK and Europe, which will be his first solo tour. The tour will feature both new material and old hits like Miami and Summertime. However, fans have noticed that the venues are relatively small, with most holding under 5,000 seats, and the tour doesn’t include major cities like Birmingham and Glasgow.
While Smith’s music may not be resonating as hoped, his upcoming tour shows he’s still committed to performing for his fans, though the commercial success may not match his past musical achievements.
