On Friday, March 14, the multi-hyphenate announced that his first full-length album in 20 years, Based on a True Story will be arriving on Friday, March 28.
“It’s OFFICIAL!!” Smith captioned his Instagram post. “My new album Based On A True Story drops March 28. TWO WEEKS!! Hit that presave. Been working on this project for a minute and I’m itchin’ to get it out to y’all.”
The 14-track album will feature a variety of collaborators, including his day-one DJ Jazzy Jeff, Teyana Taylor, Jac Ross and even his own son Jaden.
The Fresh Prince’s last project, Lost and Found, was released in March 2005.
Smith Says the Album Will Feature the “Most Personal and Powerful Music” He’s Made
Last month, Will Smith told Billboard how the season of life he’s in lead him to express his feelings through art.
“A well opened up inside of me, a well of understanding of art and pain … all kinds of things that I didn’t even know were in there,” he said. “Dreams, visions; parts of my inner landscape that I had no awareness of prior to three years ago. And that opened up this bubbling to share what I’m seeing and experiencing, to explore.
He added: “You know, I’ve always had a wild imagination; that’s part of who I am. But there’s something new happening with me that’s demanding I explore musically.”
Smith has also hinted at plans for three albums under the Based on a True Story banner that he’d be releasing in “seasons.”
“So, I’m releasing it like a TV show,” Smith revealed. “I’m releasing season one at the end of March, and then I’m going to release season two at the end of July.”
He continued, “Season one is called Rave in the Wasteland. … The first stuff that I wrote, you know, I kind of disappeared and went inside.”
Will Smith also shared that his “big dream” was for the project to be launched on both flat and silver screens.
