Will Smith needs no introduction for the world out there. But the same cannot be said for everything associated with him. Smith has always been famous as the textbook definition of a jack of all trades, having seen equal measures of success in the film and music industries. However, the Bad Boys actor was not exactly born into the spotlight, so it should not come as a surprise that there are shadowed territories the limelight fails to reach. One such aspect is his lesser-known link with JBM, Junior Black Mafia.

Though many may have stumbled upon the speculations, considering this is not the Stone Age, let us see whether it is all fiction or hard-hitting facts. 

Will Smith earned his place in the pop culture consciousness as early as the mid-1980s when DJ Jazzy Jeff joined forces with him to sell records and make a living. However, Smith is said to have linked up with Leroy “Bucky” Davis—a person far from the world of showbiz—near the same timeline. Davis was reportedly the leader of the Southwest faction of JBM, a Philadelphia-based organized crime syndicate infamous for operating a high-scale narcotics trade. Smith was never really a mobster, nor tied to Davis by blood.

Leroy "Bucky" Davis lived in buildings that many celebrities inhabited and frequented the A-list hotspots, but Will Smith and his bond were formed because of their shared roots in Philadelphia. According to Membersonly on YouTube, Smith and Davis would play pool together and divulge conversations. Then, the actor was nothing less than a newcomer in the world of glitz and glamor. So, he reportedly shared his dreams, plans, and visions while Davis would go around picking his brain.

It is reported that when someone entered the neighborhood as a man with a plan, JBM would place their bets on them. Moreover, Davis’ connection to high-profile businessmen in the music industry served as the safest means to whitewash their dirty money. 

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Will Smith dropped the single ‘Parents Just Don’t Understand’ in 1988, which earned him a Grammy in 1989. Many assume Smith’s career took flight and was only up and onwards from there, but that is untrue. The Hancock star recounted in 2021 in a sit-down interview with Idris Elba at the Savoy Theatre in London during the celebration of his autobiography’s release that he struggled financially and underpaid income taxes (via Metro).

The Internal Revenue Service Assessor noted a 2.8 million tax debt, causing him to give up on many possessions, and being forced to sell nearly everything. During his interview with Idris Elba, Will Smith revealed he turned to a friend who was a pharmaceutical diverter. “So, I borrowed $10,000 from a friend of mine who was a purveyor of neighborhood pharmaceuticals,” he said. As is largely speculated, the friend was none other than Leroy Bucky Davis. Smith let him in on his situation, sharing his dreams of moving to LA to get started with acting.

At the time, Will Smith was not looking for a haven in music alone. Consequently, the JBM leader of the Southwest did what he could, and helped the actor take the first step towards his Hollywood dreams. As per Membersonly, Leroy “Bucky” Davis amassed more fortune than most rappers in the mid-1980s, making the $10,000 look like a chump change. 

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Leroy Bucky Davis was taken out on May 14, 1989, during an attempt to enter a house on Creighton Street in West Philadelphia. He reportedly got aired out before he could pull out his gun from the iconic ostrich-skinned boots. Meanwhile, Will Smith found the most unconventional way to pay back the IRS, but the very next year became a highlight for his acting career. In his conversation with Idris Elba in London, Smith shared what went down after he moved to LA. The actor was trying to “drum up some cash” with a show in Detroit.

There, Will Smith chanced upon Benny Medina, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’s celebrated producer. Medina invited the then-not-so-famous Smith to work on the sitcom with him, but he did not take it seriously. It was not until Quincy Jones’ birthday invitation that they seriously discussed the project. Smith recalled Medina pushing him for an audition in front of the star-studded guest. It was all blurry, especially the challenge of fitting in within minutes, but the father of three remembered walking out of the room to a standing ovation.

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air was a game-changer-a sitcom that still ranks at the top-but the IRS took 70% of his earnings in the first three years. However, what followed was Smith’s career taking center stage in Hollywood. Though the untold threads and speculations between him and JBM are constrained to Leroy “Bucky” Davis, it turns out Davis had quite a big part in making the Bad Boys actor the Will Smith the world knows today. As of 2025, his projects have grossed over $9.5 billion globally, and his net worth stood at a towering $350 million last year. Thus, it is no wonder he is crowned as one of the most bankable stars of Hollywood.

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