Willow Smith
Encyclopedia
Willow Camille Reign Smith (born October 31, 2000), often known simply as Willow, is an American child actress and singer. She is the daughter of Will Smith
and Jada Pinkett Smith
, and the younger sister of Jaden Smith
. Smith made her acting debut in 2007 in the film I Am Legend
and later appeared in Kit Kittredge: An American Girl
alongside Abigail Breslin
. She received a Young Artist Award
for her performance.
Apart from her acting she launched a music career in the fall of 2010 with the release of her singles "Whip My Hair
", "21st Century Girl
", and signing to her current mentor Jay-Z
's record label Roc Nation
. The single peaked at #11 on the Billboard Hot 100
. The video was nominated for Video of the Year at the BET Awards of 2011
.
and actress Jada Pinkett Smith
. She has an older half-brother, Trey Smith, and an older brother, Jaden Smith
; both are also child actors. Smith is African-American on her father's side, and of West Indian, Creole, and Portuguese-Jewish ancestry on her mother's side. Smith and her brothers are youth ambassadors for Project Zambia
, which provides assistance for Zambian children orphaned by AIDS
in conjunction with Hasbro
.
alongside her father. Her next film, Kit Kittredge: An American Girl
, was released on July 2, 2008.
On January 20, 2011, Will Smith announced he is planning to produce a remake of the famous comic strip Little Orphan Annie
starring Smith in the title role. Jay-Z
is also in talks to provide the music for the film and possibly create brand new songs.
that Smith would be releasing an album. Smith then released her first single, "Whip My Hair
", which went platinum in the US and peaked at number 11. Smith soon after announced her next single, "21st Century Girl
". After she performed the song on The Oprah Winfrey Show
, she released it the next day on February 3, 2011. The video was released March 9, 2011. On Oct 6th 2011, "Fireball", a collaboration between Smith and rapper Nicki Minaj
, was released. Smith's producer announced that they are almost finished working on her debut album, Willow, and it should be done soon. He also said it has a similar style to "Whip My Hair". He confirmed that the next single would be "Rock Star".
. It was released as the third single from her eponymous debut album, Willow:You Think You Know Me on October 6, 2011. The song features rapper Nicki Minaj
. "Fireball" was produced by the Stoopid Boots. The song premiered on October 4, 2011 on Hot 97's Angie Martinez
Show. It was released on iTunes
two days later. "Fireball" was released to U.S. urban radio on October 18. Willow performed the song on the U.S. edition of The X-Factor on November 10, 2011.
Will Smith
Willard Christopher "Will" Smith, Jr. , also known by his stage name The Fresh Prince, is an American actor, producer, and rapper. He has enjoyed success in television, film and music. In April 2007, Newsweek called him the most powerful actor in Hollywood...
and Jada Pinkett Smith
Jada Pinkett Smith
Jada Koren Pinkett Smith is an American actress, producer, director, author, singer-songwriter, and businesswoman. She began her career in 1990, when she made a guest appearance in the short-lived sitcom True Colors. She starred in A Different World, produced by Bill Cosby, and she featured...
, and the younger sister of Jaden Smith
Jaden Smith
Jaden Christopher Syre Smith is an American child actor, rapper, songwriter, dancer, and the son of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith. He is the elder brother of singer Willow Smith...
. Smith made her acting debut in 2007 in the film I Am Legend
I Am Legend (film)
I Am Legend is a 2007 post-apocalyptic science fiction film directed by Francis Lawrence and starring Will Smith. It is the third feature film adaptation of Richard Matheson's 1954 novel of the same name, following 1964's The Last Man on Earth and 1971's The Omega Man. Smith plays virologist Robert...
and later appeared in Kit Kittredge: An American Girl
Kit Kittredge: An American Girl
Kit Kittredge: An American Girl is a 2008 American comedy-drama film directed by Patricia Rozema. The screenplay by Ann Peacock focuses on the American Girl character Kit Kittredge, who lives in Cincinnati, Ohio during the Great Depression...
alongside Abigail Breslin
Abigail Breslin
Abigail Kathleen Breslin is an American teen actress. She is one of the youngest actresses ever to be nominated for an Academy Award....
. She received a Young Artist Award
Young Artist Award
The Young Artist Award is an accolade bestowed by the Young Artist Foundation, a non-profit organization founded in 1978 to recognize and award excellence of youth performers, and to provide scholarships for young artists who may be physically and/or financially challenged.The Young Artist...
for her performance.
Apart from her acting she launched a music career in the fall of 2010 with the release of her singles "Whip My Hair
Whip My Hair
"Whip My Hair" is a song sung by American recording artist Willow Smith. The song is the debut single from her eponymous debut album, Willow. The song was written by Janae Rockwell and Ronald "Jukebox" Jackson, with the latter producing the track...
", "21st Century Girl
21st Century Girl (song)
"21st Century Girl" is a song by American recording artist Willow. The song is the second single from her upcoming eponymous debut album, Willow.-Background:...
", and signing to her current mentor Jay-Z
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010...
's record label Roc Nation
Roc Nation
Roc Nation is an American management, music publishing and entertainment company founded by Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter.-History:In April 2008, Live Nation partnered with Jay-Z to create Roc Nation...
. The single peaked at #11 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
. The video was nominated for Video of the Year at the BET Awards of 2011
BET Awards of 2011
The 2011 BET Awards took place at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California on June 26, 2011. The awards recognized African-Americans and other minorities in music, acting, sports, and other fields of entertainment over the past year. Actor Kevin Hart hosted the event for the first time. ...
.
Personal life
Smith is the daughter of musician-actor Will SmithWill Smith
Willard Christopher "Will" Smith, Jr. , also known by his stage name The Fresh Prince, is an American actor, producer, and rapper. He has enjoyed success in television, film and music. In April 2007, Newsweek called him the most powerful actor in Hollywood...
and actress Jada Pinkett Smith
Jada Pinkett Smith
Jada Koren Pinkett Smith is an American actress, producer, director, author, singer-songwriter, and businesswoman. She began her career in 1990, when she made a guest appearance in the short-lived sitcom True Colors. She starred in A Different World, produced by Bill Cosby, and she featured...
. She has an older half-brother, Trey Smith, and an older brother, Jaden Smith
Jaden Smith
Jaden Christopher Syre Smith is an American child actor, rapper, songwriter, dancer, and the son of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith. He is the elder brother of singer Willow Smith...
; both are also child actors. Smith is African-American on her father's side, and of West Indian, Creole, and Portuguese-Jewish ancestry on her mother's side. Smith and her brothers are youth ambassadors for Project Zambia
Project Zambia
Project Zambia was initiated by St Marys CBGS Belfast, Northern Ireland, in 2002.It was a response by a school in Belfast to the cry of the poverty-stricken people of the compounds of Lusaka, Zambia. Since then the project has grown, spreading to communities throughout Belfast...
, which provides assistance for Zambian children orphaned by AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
in conjunction with Hasbro
Hasbro
Hasbro is a multinational toy and boardgame company from the United States of America. It is one of the largest toy makers in the world. The corporate headquarters is located in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, United States...
.
Acting career
Smith made her acting debut in I Am LegendI Am Legend (film)
I Am Legend is a 2007 post-apocalyptic science fiction film directed by Francis Lawrence and starring Will Smith. It is the third feature film adaptation of Richard Matheson's 1954 novel of the same name, following 1964's The Last Man on Earth and 1971's The Omega Man. Smith plays virologist Robert...
alongside her father. Her next film, Kit Kittredge: An American Girl
Kit Kittredge: An American Girl
Kit Kittredge: An American Girl is a 2008 American comedy-drama film directed by Patricia Rozema. The screenplay by Ann Peacock focuses on the American Girl character Kit Kittredge, who lives in Cincinnati, Ohio during the Great Depression...
, was released on July 2, 2008.
On January 20, 2011, Will Smith announced he is planning to produce a remake of the famous comic strip Little Orphan Annie
Little Orphan Annie
Little Orphan Annie was a daily American comic strip created by Harold Gray and syndicated by Tribune Media Services. The strip took its name from the 1885 poem "Little Orphant Annie" by James Whitcomb Riley, and made its debut on August 5, 1924 in the New York Daily News...
starring Smith in the title role. Jay-Z
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010...
is also in talks to provide the music for the film and possibly create brand new songs.
Music career
In June 2010, Smith's mother Jada Pinkett Smith announced in an interview on Lopez TonightLopez Tonight
Lopez Tonight was an American late-night television talk show hosted by comedian George Lopez. The hour-long program premiered on November 9, 2009, on cable network TBS. Lopez was the first Mexican American to host a late-night talk show on an English-language network in the United States. The...
that Smith would be releasing an album. Smith then released her first single, "Whip My Hair
Whip My Hair
"Whip My Hair" is a song sung by American recording artist Willow Smith. The song is the debut single from her eponymous debut album, Willow. The song was written by Janae Rockwell and Ronald "Jukebox" Jackson, with the latter producing the track...
", which went platinum in the US and peaked at number 11. Smith soon after announced her next single, "21st Century Girl
21st Century Girl (song)
"21st Century Girl" is a song by American recording artist Willow. The song is the second single from her upcoming eponymous debut album, Willow.-Background:...
". After she performed the song on The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show is an American syndicated talk show hosted and produced by its namesake Oprah Winfrey. It ran nationally for 25 seasons beginning in 1986, before concluding in 2011. It is the highest-rated talk show in American television history....
, she released it the next day on February 3, 2011. The video was released March 9, 2011. On Oct 6th 2011, "Fireball", a collaboration between Smith and rapper Nicki Minaj
Nicki Minaj
Onika Tanya Maraj , better known by her stage name Nicki Minaj; ), is a Trinidadian-born American recording artist...
, was released. Smith's producer announced that they are almost finished working on her debut album, Willow, and it should be done soon. He also said it has a similar style to "Whip My Hair". He confirmed that the next single would be "Rock Star".
Singles
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
US R&B Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,... |
AUS ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
AUT Ö3 Austria Top 40 Ö3 Austria Top 40 is the name of the official Austrian singles chart, as well as the radio show which presents it, aired Fridays on Hitradio Ö3. The show presents the Austrian singles, ringtones and downloads chart. It premiered on 26 November 1968 as Disc Parade and was presented by Ernst Grissemann... |
CAN Canadian Hot 100 The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007... |
DEN Tracklisten Tracklisten is a Danish top 40 record chart that is presented every Thursday midnight at .The weekly Danish Singles Chart also known as Track Top-40 combines the 40 best selling tracks from legal music downloads and the sales of music singles on either CD or vinyl... |
GER Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie... |
IRE Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured... |
NZ |
UK UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
||||
| "Whip My Hair Whip My Hair "Whip My Hair" is a song sung by American recording artist Willow Smith. The song is the debut single from her eponymous debut album, Willow. The song was written by Janae Rockwell and Ronald "Jukebox" Jackson, with the latter producing the track... " |
2010 | 11 | 5 | 18 | 69 | 18 | 9 | 44 | 11 | 36 | 2 |
|
Willow |
| "21st Century Girl 21st Century Girl (song) "21st Century Girl" is a song by American recording artist Willow. The song is the second single from her upcoming eponymous debut album, Willow.-Background:... " |
2011 | 99 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 36 |
— | 91 | ||
| "Fireball" (featuring Nicki Minaj Nicki Minaj Onika Tanya Maraj , better known by her stage name Nicki Minaj; ), is a Trinidadian-born American recording artist... ) |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "—" denotes a title that did not chart, or was not released in that territory. | |||||||||||||
"Fireball"
"Fireball" is a song by American recording artist WillowWillow Smith
Willow Camille Reign Smith , often known simply as Willow, is an American child actress and singer. She is the daughter of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith, and the younger sister of Jaden Smith. Smith made her acting debut in 2007 in the film I Am Legend and later appeared in Kit Kittredge: An...
. It was released as the third single from her eponymous debut album, Willow:You Think You Know Me on October 6, 2011. The song features rapper Nicki Minaj
Nicki Minaj
Onika Tanya Maraj , better known by her stage name Nicki Minaj; ), is a Trinidadian-born American recording artist...
. "Fireball" was produced by the Stoopid Boots. The song premiered on October 4, 2011 on Hot 97's Angie Martinez
Angie Martinez
Angela "Angie" Martinez is an American radio personality and occasional rapper.-Radio career:Angie Martinez got her first break in radio at the age of 16 answering hot lines at the urban radio station WQHT . There she met popular DJ Funkmaster Flex, and began working as his protégé...
Show. It was released on iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
two days later. "Fireball" was released to U.S. urban radio on October 18. Willow performed the song on the U.S. edition of The X-Factor on November 10, 2011.
Music videos
| Title | Year | Director(s) |
|---|---|---|
| "Whip My Hair" | 2010 | Ray Kay Ray Kay Ray Kay is a Norwegian director and photographer, based in Los Angeles.He is one of the most sought-after music video & commercial directors in the world now, and has directed the most watched video on YouTube, Justin Bieber's "Baby" . All in all, his videos have been viewed more than 1 billion... |
| "21st Century Girl" | 2011 | Rich Lee Rich lee Rich Lee is an American music video and commercial director signed to DNA in Hollywood, California and Flynn Productions in the United Kingdom. He has directed music videos for Eminem, The Black Eyed Peas, Norah Jones, Michael Bublé and The All-American Rejects. Rich Lee started his professional... |
| "Fireball" | 2011 | Roman Lee |
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | I Am Legend I Am Legend (film) I Am Legend is a 2007 post-apocalyptic science fiction film directed by Francis Lawrence and starring Will Smith. It is the third feature film adaptation of Richard Matheson's 1954 novel of the same name, following 1964's The Last Man on Earth and 1971's The Omega Man. Smith plays virologist Robert... |
Marley Neville | |
| 2008 | Kit Kittredge: An American Girl Kit Kittredge: An American Girl Kit Kittredge: An American Girl is a 2008 American comedy-drama film directed by Patricia Rozema. The screenplay by Ann Peacock focuses on the American Girl character Kit Kittredge, who lives in Cincinnati, Ohio during the Great Depression... |
Countee Garby | |
| Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa | Baby Gloria | Voice | |
| 2009 | Merry Madagascar Merry Madagascar Merry Madagascar is a Christmas special first broadcast on the NBC network on November 17, 2009, which starred the characters from the Madagascar film series. The story appears to take place sometime between the first and second film... |
Abby | Voice / TV Movie |
| 2009–2010 | True Jackson, VP True Jackson, VP True Jackson, VP is an American television sitcom that aired on Nickelodeon from November 8, 2008 to August 20, 2011. The series starred Keke Palmer, Ashley Argota, Matt Shively, Danielle Bisutti, Greg Proops, Robbie Amell and Ron Butler. The theme song was written by Toby Gad and Keke Palmer and... |
Young True | Nickelodeon Nickelodeon (TV channel) Nickelodeon, often simply called Nick and originally named Pinwheel, is an American children's channel owned by MTV Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom International. The channel is primarily aimed at children ages 7–17, with the exception of their weekday morning program block aimed at preschoolers... TV Series |
| 2012 | Annie | Annie | |
| Amulet Amulet (graphic novel series) Amulet is a comic series by Kazu Kibuishi published by Scholastic. Also, there will be 12 books in the series. -Plot:The series features a young girl named Emily and her younger brother named Navin. Their family moves to their 'dead' great grandfather's house, a few years after their father dies in... |
Emily |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Young Artist Awards | Best Performance in a Feature Film (Young Actress Age Ten or Younger) | Willow Smith for I Am Legend I Am Legend (film) I Am Legend is a 2007 post-apocalyptic science fiction film directed by Francis Lawrence and starring Will Smith. It is the third feature film adaptation of Richard Matheson's 1954 novel of the same name, following 1964's The Last Man on Earth and 1971's The Omega Man. Smith plays virologist Robert... |
|
| 2009 | Best Performance in a Feature Film (Young Ensemble Cast) | Willow Smith for Kit Kittredge: An American Girl Kit Kittredge: An American Girl Kit Kittredge: An American Girl is a 2008 American comedy-drama film directed by Patricia Rozema. The screenplay by Ann Peacock focuses on the American Girl character Kit Kittredge, who lives in Cincinnati, Ohio during the Great Depression... |
||
| 2011 | NAACP Image Award NAACP Image Award An NAACP Image Award is an accolade presented by the American National Association for the Advancement of Colored People to honor outstanding people of color in film, television, music, and literature.... |
Outstanding New Artist NAACP Image Award for Outstanding New Artist The NAACP Image Award winners for Outstanding New Artist:... |
Willow Smith | |
| Outstanding Music Video NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Music Video The NAACP Image Award winners for Outstanding Music Video:-Stats:As of the 2010 ceremony, Alicia Keys has the most wins with 3. Whitney Houston, R. Kelly & Will Smith have 2 wins.*Most Nominations**1. Alicia Keys - 8 nominations... |
"Whip My Hair" | |||
| BET Awards BET Awards The BET Awards were established in 2001 by the Black Entertainment Television network to celebrate African Americans and other minorities in music, acting, sports, and other fields of entertainment over the past year. The awards are presented annually and broadcast live on BET... |
YoungStar Award | Whip My Hair Whip My Hair "Whip My Hair" is a song sung by American recording artist Willow Smith. The song is the debut single from her eponymous debut album, Willow. The song was written by Janae Rockwell and Ronald "Jukebox" Jackson, with the latter producing the track... |
(Tied with Jaden Smith Jaden Smith Jaden Christopher Syre Smith is an American child actor, rapper, songwriter, dancer, and the son of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith. He is the elder brother of singer Willow Smith... ) |