Music: Fresh Prince's Cool is Hereditary

I guess being the offspring of mega-star Will Smith and equally acclaimed actress Jada Pinket-Smith validates that one can surely conquer all feats in just about any area of interest.  

Such is evidently true for former Karate Kid Jaden Smith, who has since taken his talents to his personal recording studio.  “All my failures crush your success.”  The rapper/actor/philosopher/stoner/philanthropist makes good on such claims on his recently released project entitled “Cool Tape Vol. 2.” 

But this isn’t your average Jojo Simmons, spawn of multi-talented/multi-millionaire parents who have the capabilities of funding every single “hobby” a celebrity child can fathom.  

No, the curly haired youngster, for whom many of us secretly (or openly) shed a few (or a monsoon) of tears as we watched him play the son of a homeless salesman, Will Smith, in the Academy award nominated film “Pursuit of Happiness,” has grown into a 16-year-old self-proclaimed “misfit,” who can actually out-rap a good majority of your favorite rappers. 

Yes, even the sensational American Music Award winning rapper Iggy Azalea–whose job description is more like “Here, we wrote you a few raps.  Can you read them kinda like B-Rad Gluckman from ‘Malibu’s Most Wanted’?“  

The 8-track mixtape captures the escapades, triumphs, and tribulations of an individual who clearly spends a lot of time deep in thought. 

He lisps over production from Chicago-native Christian Rich as his equally talented and controversially oblivious sister, Willow Smith, provides background vocals.  Together, this sibling duo sounds as seasoned as artists who have been making music longer than Jaden and Willow have been alive. 

Seldom do you come across lyrics from the Prince of the Fresh Prince that lack a mouthful of content and meaning; no empty bars, just a flurry of stanzas that outline Jaden’s rather adolescent consciousness in the world.  It almost comes off as sophomoric, but thoughts like these coming from a 16-year-old are few and far between. 

It’s so awkward, it’s cool.  I wouldn’t even be able to make a case to say that his pen received a helping hand from his father because, let’s be honest, Will Smith didn’t make himself a household name from his rapping abilities. 

“I (eye) am an eye-witness at love at first sight, but this is just different than anything I’ve been in, ‘cause it feels infinite.” 

Say what you will of his antics, his bizarre everyday apparel, and his Twitter quotables, but this kid can rap.  Maybe not in the same lane as to pen a memorable sitcom intro as his father did for “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air,” but the boy is surely onto something. 

The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.  “Cool Tape Vol. 2” can be downloaded on HotNewHipHop.com.