Studio Album · No. 1
Big Willie Style Songwriting Credits by Will Smith
Produced by Poke & Tone, L.E.S., Jeff Townes, Keith Pelzer, Ryan Toby, Valvin Roane, Curtis "Sauce" Wilson, Andreao Heard, Will Smith · Engineered by Ken "Duro" Ifill, Rich Travali, Rob Chiarelli
Columbia Records
Pop rapHip hop
100%
Authorship
Holds writing credit on 16 of 16 tracks
Authorship Breakdown 16 / 16 documented
Who wrote the songs?
Scored across the 16 tracks with documented writers, by whether Will Smith carries a lyricist or composer credit.
16 trackswritten by Will Smith
0 tracksoutside writers
Will Smith's roles on this album
Share of the 16 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.
Lyricist100%
Composer100%
Producer0%
Performer100%
By the Numbers
16
Tracks
51
Lyricists
9
Producers
1
No.1 Single
9 million
US Copies Sold
1997
Released
Awards & Recognition 2
Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance (1998)
Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance (1999)
Data Insight
Will Smith raps and co-writes every track, but Big Willie Style is built on samples, so the songwriting credits run deep with the original authors of the sampled records. "Gettin' Jiggy wit It" alone credits Smith alongside Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers for the Sister Sledge sample, and "Just the Two of Us" leans on Bill Withers and Ralph MacDonald. Smith owns the raps while Trackmasters (Poke and Tone) and the sampled writers supply the music, making his authorship real but shared.
Track Listing & Credits 16 tracks
Written by the artist
Written by outside writers
| # | Title | Lyricist(s) | Composer(s) | Producer(s) | Performers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Intro
|
Will Smith | Will Smith | Trackmasters | Will Smith (Rap) |
| 2 |
Y'all Know
|
Will SmithAndreao Heard | Will SmithAndreao Heard | Andreao Heard | Will Smith |
| 3 |
Gettin' Jiggy wit It
#1
|
Will SmithSamuel BarnesBernard EdwardsNile RodgersJoe RobinsonDavid Porter | Will SmithSamuel BarnesBernard EdwardsNile RodgersJoe RobinsonDavid Porter | Poke & ToneL.E.S. | Will Smith |
| 4 |
Candy
|
Will SmithRyan TobyLarry BlackmonTomi Jenkins | Will SmithRyan TobyLarry BlackmonTomi Jenkins | L.E.S.Poke & Tone | Will SmithLarry BlackmonCameo |
| 5 |
Chasing Forever
|
Will SmithNasir JonesKenny GreeneStevie Wonder | Will SmithNasir JonesKenny GreeneStevie Wonder | Poke & ToneL.E.S. | Will SmithKenny GreeneTrey Lorenz |
| 6 |
Keith B-Real I
|
Will Smith | Will Smith | Trackmasters | Will Smith (Rap) |
| 7 |
Don't Say Nothin'
|
Will SmithKeith PelzerRyan Toby | Will SmithKeith PelzerRyan Toby | Jeff TownesKeith PelzerRyan Toby | Will Smith |
| 8 |
Miami
|
Will SmithSamuel BarnesRyan TobyWilliam ShelbyStephen ShockleyLeon Sylvers III | Will SmithSamuel BarnesRyan TobyWilliam ShelbyStephen ShockleyLeon Sylvers III | L.E.S.Poke & Tone | Will Smith |
| 9 |
Yes Yes Y'all
|
Will SmithNasir JonesRonald IsleyRudolph IsleyO'Kelly Isley Jr.Ernie IsleyMarvin IsleyChris JasperOliver ScottRonnie WilsonJoe RobinsonLisa StansfieldIan DevaneyAndy Morris | Will SmithNasir JonesRonald IsleyRudolph IsleyO'Kelly Isley Jr.Ernie IsleyMarvin IsleyChris JasperOliver ScottRonnie WilsonJoe RobinsonLisa StansfieldIan DevaneyAndy Morris | Poke & ToneL.E.S. | Will SmithCamp Lo |
| 10 |
I Loved You
|
Will SmithKeith PelzerValvin RoaneRyan TobyJoe Farrell | Will SmithKeith PelzerValvin RoaneRyan TobyJoe Farrell | Jeff TownesKeith PelzerValvin RoaneRyan Toby | Will SmithRyan TobyValvin Roane |
| 11 |
Keith B-Real II
|
Will Smith | Will Smith | Trackmasters | Will Smith (Rap) |
| 12 |
It's All Good
|
Will SmithJeff TownesCarvin HagginsBernard EdwardsNile RodgersRobert BellRonald BellJames TaylorClaydes Charles SmithGeorge BrownRobert MickensEarl ToonDennis ThomasEumir Deodato | Will SmithJeff TownesCarvin HagginsBernard EdwardsNile RodgersRobert BellRonald BellJames TaylorClaydes Charles SmithGeorge BrownRobert MickensEarl ToonDennis ThomasEumir Deodato | Jeff Townes | Will Smith |
| 13 |
Just the Two of Us
|
Will SmithBill WithersWilliam SalterRalph MacDonald | Will SmithBill WithersWilliam SalterRalph MacDonald | Curtis "Sauce" Wilson | Will SmithJeff "Fuzzy" YoungTrisha Covington |
| 14 |
Keith B-Real III
|
Will Smith | Will Smith | Trackmasters | Will Smith (Rap) |
| 15 |
Big Willie Style
|
Will SmithNasir JonesTimothy RileyMaurice WhiteWayne VaughnWanda Vaughn | Will SmithNasir JonesTimothy RileyMaurice WhiteWayne VaughnWanda Vaughn | L.E.S.Poke & Tone | Will SmithLisa "Left Eye" Lopes |
| 16 |
Men in Black
|
Will SmithPatrice RushenTerry McFaddenFred Washington | Will SmithPatrice RushenTerry McFaddenFred Washington | Poke & Tone | Will SmithCoko |
Songwriter & Credit Spotlight 62 contributors
WS
Will Smith
Writer · Rap
RT
Ryan Toby
Writer · Producer
NJ
Nasir Jones
Writer
KP
Keith Pelzer
Writer · Producer
BE
Bernard Edwards
Writer
JR
Joe Robinson
Writer
NR
Nile Rodgers
Writer
SB
Samuel Barnes
Writer
JT
Jeff Townes
Writer · Producer
AH
Andreao Heard
Writer · Producer
VR
Valvin Roane
Writer · Producer
AM
Andy Morris
Writer
More from Will Smith
Frequently Asked Questions Big Willie Style
Did Will Smith write Big Willie Style himself?
Will Smith co-wrote and rapped every track, but the album is sample-heavy, so the credits also list the original writers of the sampled songs. He wrote the raps while producers like Trackmasters and the sampled composers shaped the music.
Who wrote Gettin' Jiggy wit It by Will Smith?
"Gettin' Jiggy wit It" is credited to Will Smith and Samuel Barnes along with Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers, whose Sister Sledge song "He's the Greatest Dancer" it samples. It was Smith's first No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
What song does Just the Two of Us by Will Smith sample?
"Just the Two of Us" reworks the Bill Withers and Grover Washington Jr. classic of the same name, so Withers and Ralph MacDonald share the writing credit. Smith turned it into a song about fatherhood.
Did Big Willie Style by Will Smith win a Grammy?
Smith won two Grammys for Best Rap Solo Performance in this era, for "Men in Black" in 1998 and "Gettin' Jiggy wit It" in 1999. Both are tied to the Big Willie Style period.
How many copies did Big Willie Style by Will Smith sell?
Big Willie Style was certified 9x Platinum by the RIAA, with about 6 million US units sold by 2013. It was one of the best-selling pop-rap albums of the late 1990s.
When was Big Willie Style by Will Smith released?
Big Willie Style was released on November 25, 1997, through Columbia Records. It was Smith's debut solo studio album after his work as the Fresh Prince.