Will Smith Admits To Copying Rakim’s Flow On “Summertime”
Will Smith is admitting that he bit fellow rap legend Rakim’s flow on his classic 1991 single “Summertime,” which was long speculated to have been ghostwritten by Ra himself.
The Fresh Prince made the revelation to The R while at the televised GRAMMY Salute To 50 Years Of Hip-Hop event on Sunday night (Dec. 10), giving closure to the long-running rumors concerning “Summertime”s creation. “I was absolutely trying to sound like you on ‘Summertime,’” Smith told Ra as the two crossed paths backstage.
According to Will, his decision to jack the Long Island, N.Y. native’s monotone vocal style was a byproduct of his inability to rap in his usual high-pitched tone due to nearly losing his voice the night prior. “‘Cause I had been screaming all night, and I couldn’t get my ‘happy-go-lucky’ high voice,” he recalled of the studio session. “And [the producer] just said, ‘Yo, just gimme that Rakim sh*t.”
The circumstances behind the making of “Summertime” have been subject to debate for more than three decades. Released in 1991, the track—which samples “Summer Madness” by Kool & the Gang—was a massive hit, peaking at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 at the time. It also garnered The Fresh Prince and DJ Jazzy Jeff their second Grammy Award win as a tandem, and “Summertime” took home the hardware for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group in 1992.
However, despite the popularity of the song, many deemed its sound as being eerily similar to that of Rakim’s, leading many to attribute the similarities and assume Ra wrote the track. In 2016, the theory was debunked by the lyrical icon; he denied being involved in the making of the song in any capacity.
“When they came out with it, a lot of people thought it was me because of the style he used,” Ra told HipHopDX at the time. “But it was one of those things where that was them. I didn’t write it. That was [all DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince].”
Will Smith and DJ Jazzy Jeff performed “Summertime” and “Brand New Funk,” as well as Smith’s solo efforts “Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It” and “Miami” during their performance at the GRAMMY’s salute to Hip-Hop culture. Produced by LL Cool J, Questlove, and Black Thought, additional performers included Public Enemy, DJ Quik, Warren G, De La Soul, Common, Queen Latifah, Uncle Luke, E-40, Cypress Hill, T.I., Rick Ross, Big Daddy Kane, Digable Planets, The Pharcyde, and more.
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