A young Will Smith once revealed why he was known a the Fresh Prince

A Young Will Smith Once Revealed the Story Behind His Rapper Name Fresh Prince

Will Smith, the actor, began his career as Fresh Prince the rapper. The life
before the actor’s A-list projects is not known to many today.  He is widely
popular for his roles in movies like I Am Legend and Pursuit of Happiness, but
these serious roles evolved with Will’s age and wisdom. A young Will was way
lighter and different, which is apparent not only from his previous roles but
also from old interview tapes.

[data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==]

So before appearing in a suit and tie as Agent J in Men in Black, he was a
crowned prince of tracksuits
[https://netflixjunkie.com/netflix-news-children-of-fresh-prince-actor-will-smith-make-fun-of-his-attire-in-the-sitcom-crop-top/].
The entertainer was into the rap scene of the ’90s. As evident from his role as
Will in the sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, his first major TV gig. The name
Will is a short form for William in the series, while in reality, it is short
for Willard. But how did the edgy tag Fresh Prince come up? In his own words, a
young Will once revealed the backstory.


WILL SMITH AS FRESH PRINCE: HOW IT ALL BEGAN

Will Smith’s [https://netflixjunkie.com/tag/will-smith/] personality may have
become more serious through time. But he was once known for being a happy chap,
which rightfully earned him the name Fresh Prince. Back in his teen years, the
wannabe rapper earned the name Prince as a result of his charming personality.
According to reports
[https://www.pinkvilla.com/photos/will-smith-birthday-6-things-you-probably-didnt-know-about-the-oscar-winner-1192098?amp],
the loving name was given to compliment his skills to get out of any sticky
situations with his silver tongue during high school.



During an interview with ET in 1988, Smith said that the word ‘Fresh’ was
trending through Deejays around 1986. This led the rapper to rename his stage
name, Fresh Prince. Smith released his first single, Girls Ain’t Nothing but
Trouble, along with Deejay Jeffery Townes.

ALSO READ: From Ben Thomas to Richard Williams: 7 Will Smith Characters to
Revisit on His 54th Birthday
[https://netflixjunkie.com/netflix-news-from-ben-thomas-to-richard-williams-7-will-smith-characters-to-revisit-on-his-54th-birthday/]

So when the Fresh Prince series came up, he was encouraged to use his rap name.
It was done with the hopes that it will stick for the actor’s lifelong career.
That did not happen, but the credit for the first half of his career widely goes
to his character in the hit sitcom. Now that Smith is troubled by the Slapgate
[https://netflixjunkie.com/netflix-news-humans-are-just-complex-willow-refuses-to-address-and-defends-will-smith-over-oscar-slapgate/]
incident, do you think reprising his name as a rapper could help gain back the
love? Share your thoughts with us in the comments.

Neha Subhash

Comment

A Young Will Smith Once Revealed the Story Behind His Rapper Name Fresh Prince - Netflix Junkie

Home

Netflix News

Netflix Junkie

https://image-cdn.netflixjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/nj_bg_transparent-1.png

Neha Ghag is a prime-time entertainment writer for Netflix Junkie, who has written nearly 1000 articles, immersing herself in pop culture. Writing was not her first choice, but she has now found solace in unraveling the fascinating stories of public figures' personal and professional lives. Neha is a fan of classic hip-hop and psycho thrillers, and she can talk endlessly about Kanye West. Her contribution to NJ's live coverage of big events such as Oscars 2023 has been invaluable. Neha firmly believes in the art of storytelling and aspires to become a renowned columnist. When she's not writing, she indulges in her love for travel and exploring new places.

https://netflixjunkie.com/netflix-news-a-young-will-smith-once-revealed-the-story-behind-his-rapper-name-fresh-prince

A Young Will Smith Once Revealed the Story Behind His Rapper Name Fresh Prince - netflix-junkie

Zoey Deutch's Net Worth in 2026: Age, Partner and Parents, and All About the
'Voicemail for Isabelle' Star

Netflix’s 'Bridgerton' Fame Nicola Coughlan Joins Cast of ‘Only Murders in the
Building’ 6 With Several Others

‘The Polygamist’ Cast: Meet the Characters of Netflix's Upcoming Drama Series

Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen, and More Snub Netflix’s 'Drive to Survive'
Season 8: What It Could Mean for Future Seasons

All 5 'Hunger Games' Movies Head to Netflix: Here’s When You Can Stream Them

3 Reasons 'Unsolved Mysteries' on Netflix Should Be Your Next Binge

‘Outlast: The Jungle’ Finale: Release Date, Time, Who Can Win It, and Everything
You Need to Know

When is 'Seinfeld' Leaving Netflix USA? Know Where to Watch Once Beloved Sitcom
Departs Streamer

Lewis Hamilton’s Barcelona Win Delivers a Perfect ‘Drive to Survive’ Season 9
Storyline

Will Smith, the actor, began his career as Fresh Prince the rapper. The life before the actor&#8217;s A-list projects is not known to many today.  He is widely popular for his roles in movies like I Am Legend and Pursuit of Happiness, but these serious roles evolved with Will&#8217;s age and wisdom. A young Will was way lighter and different, which is apparent not only from his previous roles but also from old interview tapes.
<img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-54847 lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" data-src="https://netflixjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/will-smith-fresh-prince-of-bel-air-759.jpg" alt="" width="1018" height="566" data-sizes="auto" data-srcset="https://www.staging.netflixjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/will-smith-fresh-prince-of-bel-air-759.jpg 759w, https://www.staging.netflixjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/will-smith-fresh-prince-of-bel-air-759-300x167.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 1018px) 100vw, 1018px" />
So before appearing in a suit and tie as Agent J in Men in Black, he was a <a href="https://netflixjunkie.com/netflix-news-children-of-fresh-prince-actor-will-smith-make-fun-of-his-attire-in-the-sitcom-crop-top/">crowned prince of tracksuits</a>. The entertainer was into the rap scene of the &#8217;90s. As evident from his role as Will in the sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, his first major TV gig. The name Will is a short form for William in the series, while in reality, it is short for Willard. But how did the edgy tag Fresh Prince come up? In his own words, a young Will once revealed the backstory.
<h2>Will Smith as Fresh Prince: How it all began</h2>
<a href="https://netflixjunkie.com/tag/will-smith/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Will Smith&#8217;s</a> personality may have become more serious through time. But he was once known for being a happy chap, which rightfully earned him the name Fresh Prince. Back in his teen years, the wannabe rapper earned the name Prince as a result of his charming personality. According to <a href="https://www.pinkvilla.com/photos/will-smith-birthday-6-things-you-probably-didnt-know-about-the-oscar-winner-1192098?amp" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reports</a>, the loving name was given to compliment his skills to get out of any sticky situations with his silver tongue during high school.
<div class="flex-video widescreen youtube"><iframe loading="lazy" title="FLASHBACK: Why Will Smith Chose His Rap Name &#039;Fresh Prince&#039;" width="1170" height="658" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/D97rZBRw8p0?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
During an interview with ET in 1988, Smith said that the word &#8216;Fresh&#8217; was trending through Deejays around 1986. This led the rapper to rename his stage name, Fresh Prince. Smith released his first single, Girls Ain&#8217;t Nothing but Trouble, along with Deejay Jeffery Townes.
ALSO READ: <a href="https://netflixjunkie.com/netflix-news-from-ben-thomas-to-richard-williams-7-will-smith-characters-to-revisit-on-his-54th-birthday/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">From Ben Thomas to Richard Williams: 7 Will Smith Characters to Revisit on His 54th Birthday</a>
So when the Fresh Prince series came up, he was encouraged to use his rap name. It was done with the hopes that it will stick for the actor&#8217;s lifelong career. That did not happen, but the credit for the first half of his career widely goes to his character in the hit sitcom. Now that Smith is troubled by the <a href="https://netflixjunkie.com/netflix-news-humans-are-just-complex-willow-refuses-to-address-and-defends-will-smith-over-oscar-slapgate/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Slapgate</a> incident, do you think reprising his name as a rapper could help gain back the love? Share your thoughts with us in the comments.

From Ben Thomas to Richard Williams: 7 Will Smith Characters to Revisit on His
54th Birthday

https://www.staging.netflixjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/netflixjunkie-logo-2.jpg

https://www.staging.netflixjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/3000.webp

A young Will Smith once revealed why he was known a the Fresh Prince, and the story behind how the name came up

https://image-cdn.netflixjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/Neha_Ghag_NJ.png

Neha Subhash Ghag

description

https://www.netflixjunkie.com/netflix-news-a-young-will-smith-once-revealed-the-story-behind-his-rapper-name-fresh-prince/

A Young Will Smith Once Revealed the Story Behind His Rapper Name Fresh Prince

SHARE THIS ARTICLE :

EDITORS' PICK

The World of NJ

Connect With Us

General

Legal