Will Smith got his start in the music business in the mid-80s, eventually becoming not only a star of the
rap world, but of the television and motion picture industries as well. Born September 25, 1968, in Philadelphia,
Smith was 16 when he joined forces with aspiring DJ Jeff Townes and became"
The Fresh Prince Smith gave up a scholarship to MIT to continue pursue his music career and the two released their debut album,
Rock the
House, in 1987, scoring a hit with the single "Girls Ain't Nothing but Trouble." The pair's music was quirky, cheery and squeaky clean, a far cry from the new Gangsta Rap that was beginning to rear its foul-mouthed head, and mainstream success was near-immediate, making Smith a millionaire at age 18.