Willow and Jaden Smith Talk New Music, Their Parents and More With Billboard
Jaden and Willow Smith may be teenagers, but their respective experiences in entertainment — and life in general — are well beyond their years. Speaking with Billboard, the siblings opened up about everything from their famous parents' influences to surviving in nature.
While the Smith kids sometimes get a bad rap for their unorthodox style choices and philosophies, they do the same things that their peers do, like learning to drive. "My dad is awesome. I wouldn't be where I am right now if it wasn't for all of the things he's taught me," 16-year-old Jaden, who recently got his learner's permit, said. "He's taught me a lot about driving and just about life."
Jaden says that he takes musical inspiration from his father, always listening to his old songs and some of his new music. Though their dad, Will Smith, has not released new music in almost a decade, both Willow and Jaden have been carving out their own lanes.
Willow released EP 3 in October 2014 while Jaden dropped Cool Tape Vol. 2, Beast Mode, and This Is the Album between October 2014 and February 2015. Speaking on his unique recording style, Jaden revealed how he prepares before heading into the booth: "Everything that I talk about in my music is pretty much trying to evolve consciousness in the world and help everything become better and brighter," he told Billboard. "I've never written out my lyrics before. I just go in and freestyle and say what's on the top of my mind."
Willow, whose photo spread in CR Fashion Book has been making headlines, also has an uncommon approach to music and style. Dubbing her style aesthetic "high-fashion nomad," the young scion spoke on how fashion influences her music.
"I could literally climb a mountain and survive a couple nights in nature," she said. "That's a requirement for my clothes because one day I was on the freeway and I saw a mountain, so I literally just pulled over and climbed it. If you're an artist, the way you dress also gives people a vibe of how your music is and your personality."
They may be fairly new in the music business, but the famous siblings already have their personal musical inspirations. Though Jaden mentioned Jay Z and Kanye West among the artists he usually looks out for, he easily considers his own sister his favorite: "The music Willow listens to is really, really interesting." he said. "She's really amazing, probably my favorite artist, and we collaborate any time that we can."
Elsewhere in the interview, Jaden and Willow talked about the beauty of life, Einstein, touring with their mother and Batman and Robin. The full story appears in the March 14 issue of Billboard.
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(Photo: Larry Busacca/Getty Images For Roc Nation)
