Even a superstar like Will Smith gets starstruck.
During a recent interview on Sway In The Morning, the Bad Boys actor was surprised by one of his biggest rap inspirations, Grandmaster Caz. The hip-hop pioneer crashed the interview just as Smith was praising him for laying the blueprint for Smith's Fresh Prince persona.
"Before Melle Mel, it was Grandmaster Caz," Smith shared. "My entire style is based on Grandmaster Caz. The Fresh Prince, the character, everything was centered on Grandmaster Caz’s verse on ‘Yvette.’ I was like, ‘I want to rap like that.'"
Moments later, as Smith began rapping Caz’s second verse from the 1985 song, the legend himself crashed the interview.
“Ladies and gentlemen, the full, complete and total inspiration for the Fresh Prince, Grandmaster Caz,” Smith said before embracing his idol.
Of course, it isn't the first time Will has expressed his appreciation for Grandmaster Caz. During a conversation with Spike Lee in November 2021, Smith shouted out Caz for inspiring his hip-hop career.
"Grandmaster Caz was singlehandedly, undeniably the greatest influence of my hip-hop life. He was the prototype of the Fresh Prince," Smith explained. "He was one of hip-hop's first storytellers. Caz was witty, he was clever. His verses took you on a journey. You'd be on the edge of your seat listening to him rap, always wondering what was gonna happen next. Most of all, my dude knew how to land a punchline. I wanted to be just like Caz."
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