Willow Smith, the nine-year-old daughter of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith, recently spoke with Ryan Seacrest on his morning radio show about the release of her debut single “Whip My Hair”
and signing to Jay-Z’s Roc Nation. She said that the publicity she’s been receiving has been an overwhelming experience, especially given her age.
“It’s very, very amazing and it’s very overwhelming,” she said. “All of the red carpet and the [cameras] flash[ing] and all the people wanting to meet you, it’s very, very, very overwhelming for a nine-year-old…I never really get to go to school because I’m always on tour or with my father or [my brother] Jayden is doing something.” (RapRadar.com)
Smith also explained the meaning behind her single “Whip My Hair.” According to her, the song is about maintaining one’s individuality by any means necessary. She told Seacrest that her mother actress Jada Pinkett Smith instilled these values in her at a very young age.
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“[‘Whip My Hair’] means just be an individual,” she explained. “You can’t be afraid to be yourself…and you can’t let anybody tell you that’s wrong…my mom and me are very strong individuals and i just know that [being yourself is important] because lots of people don’t act like themselves, so they’re not happy.” (RapRadar.com)
During the interview, Jay-Z called in to discuss the details of signing Smith to his Roc Nation imprint. According to Hov, he recognize the hit potential of “Whip My Hair” even before he realized that Willow was only nine. After a chance meeting with her in Japan, Jay explained that he knew instantly that Smith would become a super star.
“I heard the record first before I knew that it was recorded a nine-year-old, and I was like ‘Man, that record’s a smash,'” he said. “[I was told that she was] nine and I was like ‘Whoa,’ [but then I found out she was Will Smith’s] daughter and I was like ‘Whoa, whoa!’ It just went from there. So then I went to Japan to do some stuff, and [the Smith family] was out there in Japan, and I met Willow and the first thing she said was, ‘I’m really nervous.’ I thought that maturity to explain exactly how she’s feeling as she walked in the room, I knew right then that she was a star. I believe in big records on super stars, and i think she’s got both.” (RapRadar.com)
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