The track will appear on the rapper’s forthcoming LP and follows his recent single “You Can Make It”
Will Smith has dropped a new single, “Work of Art.” The fast-talking song features his son Jaden Smith and New Jersey rapper Russ, and will appear on Smith’s forthcoming LP.
The song and accompanying music video see Smith recounting the various sides of his persona. He seemingly references the infamous Oscars slap moment as he raps, “I am a saint, but if you touch, I am a savage.”
Throughout the music video Smith and Russ intersperse the song with a conversation in an art museum, during which the rapper reveals that he’s recorded over 20 songs for his new project. “‘Work of Art’ was the song where I found my voice,” Smith says as the clip opens. “It was like ‘Ah! That’s what I want to talk about.’”
The two Smith men and Russ previously performed “Work of Art” at La Velada Del Año 4 at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in Madrid earlier this month. The song marks Smith and Jaden’s first official music collab, although Smith popped on a Reggaeton remix of Jaden’s 2018 single “Icon” with Nicky Jam. The father and son appeared onscreen together in 2006’s The Pursuit of Happyness and 2013’s After Earth.
Russ teased the song earlier this week, writing on Instagram, “Insane life lmao I’m on a new Will Smith song. When he reached out and he told me the concept of the song/album I was amped because of how much of what he’s talkin bout resonated with what I was going through too. I got to get back into my SANTIAGO bag on this one.”
Smith, who recently starred in Bad Boys: Ride or Die, stopped by the BET Awards to perform another new song, “You Can Make It,” in June. The record features Fridayy and Sunday Service Choir, and found Smith coming out of his unofficial rap retirement to coach listeners through overcoming hardships and adversity.
“Through some of my darkest moments, music has always been there for me — to lift me and help me grow,” Smith wrote on Instagram ahead of the song’s release. “It’s my humble wish that it can do the same for you and bring you all the joy and light you deserve.”
