Will Smith has revealed that he has recorded 30 new tracks.
Speaking to Zane Lowe for Beats 1 Radio, the rapper and actor said that this fresh run of creativity has come in between shoots for the forthcoming Suicide Squad movie, and has thus far produced “six or seven [songs] that I really like”.
“I have so many things I want to say, and I’m struggling to say them in a way that fit the flavor of music I tend to like,” added Smith. “I’m from the era where it’s 16 bars and hook, 16 bars and hook, bridge, hook, and out.” Click below to watch the interview in full.
When asked about the recent success of elder statesmen in rap like Dr Dre and Run The Jewels, Smith said: “This is like the first real generation of hip-hop artists that are turning 40 and 50 and want to keep spitting. I guess 40 is the new 30 at least. 50 might be the new 30 right now!”
Last week saw the release of Smith’s first new track in a decade. The song, a remix of the Bomba Estéreo’s ‘Fiesta’, sees the Men In Black star rapping in English and Spanish. Listen to the ‘Fiesta’ remix below.
“When I was told that Will Smith wanted to collaborate on a remix with Bomba, I couldn’t believe it,” Bomba Estéreo member Simon Mejia said in a statement. “This opportunity to work with Will was beyond anything we have dreamed of… It’s just magic.”
Smith has previously stated that he’s recorded “seven or eight” songs with Kanye West. He was rumoured to be working with West after they had been photographed together in a studio in Brazil during 2013. Smith then went on record as saying that he had been “messing around with Kanye”.
He later added: “You know I’ve recorded a lot. I’ve recorded a lot. I don’t have anything I like yet, but I’ve probably recorded seven or eight [songs]. It’s not for certain, it’s just explorative.”
Suicide Squad is due out August 2016. Smith will play Deadshot, an expert marksman and assassin.
