Referenced Resources

Here are the resources mentioned in the interview, categorized by type:

People

• Will Smith - The main guest of the interview, a Grammy winner, Academy Award winner, and movie star.
• Speedy - The host of the show “360 with Speedy.”
• Denzel - Mentioned as a comparison to Will Smith’s accolades.
• Marty Ma - Mentioned as someone Will Smith worked with in Miami in the early 90s. Later revealed to be DJ Jazzy Jeff.
• Dana Goodman - Mentioned as the person who discovered The Fresh Prince.
• Big Willie - Will Smith’s former nickname.
• Lil’ Will - Will Smith’s former nickname.
• Jazzy Jeff - Will Smith’s former music partner, with whom he won a Grammy.
• Jay-Z - Mentioned as receiving a Grammy lifetime achievement award and referencing Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince.
• Benny Medina - Mentioned as the “real live Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” who pitched the show to Will Smith.
• Quincy Jones - Hosted a party at his house where Will Smith auditioned for The Fresh Prince. Mentioned for his understanding of “magic.”
• Brandon Tartikoff - Head of NBC, mentioned in the context of the audition for The Fresh Prince.
• Warren Littlefield - Brandon Tartikoff’s right-hand person, mentioned in the context of the audition for The Fresh Prince.
• Oprah Winfrey - Mentioned in reference to a poster in Quincy Jones’s library.
• Michael Jackson - Mentioned in reference to a poster in Quincy Jones’s library.
• LeBron - Mentioned as an example of a master basketball player.
• Kobe - Mentioned as an example of a master basketball player.
• Tom Brady - Mentioned as an example of someone who knows how to stay steady and wait for magic.
• Soldier Boy - Mentioned as an artist who might not like his biggest song, “Crank Dat.”
• Kanye West - Mentioned as an artist who might not like his songs because he’s sick of hearing them.
• Willow - Will Smith’s daughter, mentioned as not wanting to sing “Whip My Hair.”
• Jada - Will Smith’s wife, mentioned in the context of her book tour.
• Jim Carrey - Mentioned as an example of a drastic public transformation around the age of 50.
• Martin - Later revealed to be Martin Lawrence, a co-star and “brother” to Will Smith in the Bad Boys franchise.
• DJ Khaled - Appeared in a cameo in Bad Boys for Life, described as doing “full method acting.”

Organizations

• Grammys - Mentioned in the context of winning an award and boycotting the ceremony.
• Columbia - Mentioned in the context of receiving a script.
• NBC - The television network for The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
• DMV - Department of Motor Vehicles, where Will Smith had to go.

Documents

• The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air - The television show for which Will Smith is famous. Mentioned multiple times in various contexts.
• Bad Boys - The film franchise starring Will Smith and Martin Lawrence.
• Bad Boys 3 - Specifically mentioned in the context of box office performance.
• Bad Boys for Life - Specifically mentioned in the context of DJ Khaled’s cameo.
• Bad Boys 2 - Mentioned in comparison to Bad Boys 3 box office.
• Independence Day - A movie starring Will Smith that contributed to his movie stardom.
• Men in Black - A movie starring Will Smith that contributed to his movie stardom.
• Soul Train Music Awards - An event Will Smith attended before meeting Quincy Jones.

Tools

• Microphone - Used by Will Smith on stage.

Technologies

• Radio - Mentioned as where Will Smith’s first song was played.
• Box Office Mojo - A website Will Smith used to track box office numbers.

Other

• Suzuki Katana 600 - A motorcycle Will Smith owned in his youth.
• Poisoned honey - A metaphor used to describe the addictive nature of box office success.
• Firewood - A metaphor used by Will Smith to describe his life and experiences serving as fuel for others’ dreams.