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Will Smith Is Planning A World Tour With DJ Jazzy Jeff For Next Summer

By Dustin Wicksell
Published on: 10:45 PST, Oct 6, 2015

Will Smith shocked his fans with his recent return to the world of music, and now the hip hop star turned actor has revealed that he plans to tour next year, with none other than DJ Jazzy Jeff along for the ride.

Smith revealed his plans on Zane Lowe’s Beats One radio show, saying that 2016 will likely see him undertake his first-ever world tour. If Smith does head out on the road next summer, he claimed that DJ Jazzy Jeff, his longtime partner-in-crime and sidekick, will be joining him. Although Smith has been absent from the music scene for years, he revealed that he’s in the studio nearly every day recently, and that he has roughly 30 new songs recorded. Out of those, Smith says that he likes “six or seven,” and that he’s seeking out other artists to collaborate with.

Surprisingly, Will Smith and DJ Jazzy Jeff (real name Jeff Townes) have never done a joint tour before. As Smith points out, he was always busy with either a film or The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, preventing the duo from ever hitting the road together.

As CBS News reports, Smith’s announcement comes just a week after he confirmed his return to the music industry with a guest spot on Bomba Estereo’s single “Fiesta.” Speaking with Lowe, Smith said that his contribution to the track was an attempt to get back in the music game, “shaking the rust off, knocking the dust off.”

Though Smith’s fans might think that a return to the music scene would be easier for the 47-year-old star given his past success, he sees things somewhat differently. During the interview, Smith pointed out that his past achievements make it difficult to live up to expectations. When an artist is successful, Smith says that it feels like you “lose the ability to lose. You’re not allowed to lose anymore.” For this reason, he admits that his return to music, a decade after he last released an album, has him slightly “terrified,” as E! Online reports.

Smith also cited fear as a “killer of creativity,” and credited his children with teaching him to regain a sense of “reckless abandon” that he feels is crucial to his artistic life. Smith pointed out that they lack the fear that comes with living up to a legacy or protecting one. He went on to say that failing often is a key component for achieving success, and that he has to “fail forward” while attempting to get comfortable with failing.

Fans should note that Will Smith’s return to the music scene apparently won’t hinder his career as a movie star, however. According to Smith, the third Bad Boys film will appear sometime within the next year to 16 months, with both Martin Lawrence and Smith on board.

Pointing out that he still has something to say, Smith said that he’s also still searching for his voice. Despite struggling to deliver his message in a way that works with his chosen art form, Smith says that he hopes to continue pushing the envelope into his 70s or 80s. With any luck, a tour in the summer of 2016 next to DJ Jazzy Jeff will be the next step on the path that leads Will Smith to that point.

[Photo by Kevin Winter / Getty Images]

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