With his first album in 20 years, Will Smith blends rap, gospel & reflection in “Based on a True Story”.
Will Smith shares his story like never before in Based on a True Story, his first full-length album in 20 years. Released via RITW/SLANG Recordings, the 14-track project is rich in vulnerability and energy, featuring collaborations with DJ Jazzy Jeff, Teyana Taylor, and Jac Ross.
The album brings together songs like “First Love,” “Beautiful Scars,” “TANTRUM,” and “Work of Art,” culminating in the inspirational “You Can Make It”—a track that recently hit No.1 on the Billboard Gospel Airplay Chart, marking Smith’s first chart-topper since “Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It.”
Will introduced the song with a dramatic performance at the 2024 BET Awards, standing inside a real fire pit as flames surrounded him. The moment symbolized both pain and resilience—a theme that threads through the entire record. 
Alongside the release, Smith announced the Based on a True Story Summer Tour, his first solo headlining tour. Beginning in Hamburg on July 13, the tour includes stops at major European and North African festivals including Mawazine, POSITIV, Dreambeach, and BIG ART.
A symbolic milestone also arrived in his hometown this week as the street outside his former high school, Overbrook, was renamed Will Smith Way—marking a full-circle moment for the Philadelphia native.
With a GRAMMY tribute to Quincy Jones earlier this year and a renewed voice through music, Will Smith is embracing his past and future in equal measure. Based on a True Story is a reflection, a reckoning, and a reminder of his place in culture—still evolving, still creating.
