Will Smith

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Lore & Background

The production of "Men in Black" began when Steve Stoute and Tommy Mottola approached producers Samuel Barnes and Jean-Claude Olivier to work with Smith. Initially reluctant due to questions about Smith's musical relevance, the duo changed their perspective after a direct phone call and meeting, forming a close working relationship that extended to Big Willie Style. Interestingly, Barnes and Olivier admitted they did not fully understand the film's concept or the song's specific lyrics regarding Agent J's duties until watching the movie in full. Lyrically, Smith adopts the persona of Agent J to discuss the Men in Black's function, while Coko provides the backing vocals. The accompanying music video, directed by Robert Caruso, features Smith dancing with an alien named Mikey and includes a modified Electric Slide routine where the alien eventually slips away.

In Their Own Story

The narrative of the song places Smith directly into the role of Agent J, detailing the organization's operations against a backdrop of sci-fi imagery. The music video opens in a dark hallway that lights up as Tommy Lee Jones explains the Men in Black's purpose before Smith enters with the line: "And we dress in black." Scenes shift to an alleyway where a steel box deforms to reveal a glowing light, followed by footage of agents experimenting on alien organisms. In the middle of a dance routine surrounded by MIB agents, Mikey screams at Smith, leading to a chase that ends with two female agents speeding off in an SUV. Disappointed, Smith dons sunglasses and points a Neuralyzer at the camera, apologizing before a flash resets the scene to an empty hallway or white screen, ensuring the viewer forgets what they saw.

Reader's Guide

Critics praised the track for its clever charm rather than hardcore lyricism. Larry Flick of Billboard noted it would be an "outta-da-box smasheroo," while Music & Media highlighted how Smith built his raps on Rushen's hook in an "instantly appealing way." Although it did not chart on the Billboard Hot 100 due to a lack of commercial single release in the US, it topped airplay charts and reached number one in Australia, Belgium, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, New Zealand, Switzerland, and the UK. The song was also included in the 1999 album All Time Greatest Movie Songs by Sony and featured after the end credits of the VHS release. It has since been covered by Forever the Sickest Kids for Punk Goes Crunk & and by Alvin and the Chipmunks on The A-Files: Alien Songs.

Did You Know?

• The song won Will Smith a Grammy Award in 1998 for Best Rap Solo Performance.
• Producers Poke and Tone admitted they did not understand the movie's plot or the song's lyrics until after watching the full film.
• In the music video, an alien named Mikey joins a dance routine before slipping out during a modified Electric Slide.
• "Men in Black" reached number one in nine countries but did not chart on the US Billboard Hot 100 because it was not released as a commercial single there.