Page 20 - Will Smith: A Biography of a Rapper Turned Movie Star

Will Smith
20
When he was fourteen and had finished eighth grade,
Will graduated from Our Lady of Lourdes school. He
entered ninth grade at a public school, Overbrook High.
Unlike the students at Our Lady of Lourdes, Overbrook’s
student body was mostly African-American. Thanks to his
charm and his willingness to play the class clown, Will had
no trouble making new friends. He paid enough attention to
his studies to get good but not great grades. Math and
science were still the subjects he found easiest, though he
also did well in English. He was still writing poetry and took
a special liking to the works of Edgar Allan Poe. Outside
school, Will continued to entertain friends with his creative
turns at rap music.
Will teamed up with a school friend, Clarence Holmes,
and they performed as a rap duo at local functions. Clarence,
known by the nickname Clate, chose the rap name Ready
Rock-C. Will did the writing and the rapping, and Clate
created rhythmic sound effects. The two thought they were
as good as the rap artists they heard on the radio, so one day
they paid a visit to the Philadelphia-based rap record
company Word Up.
The music business is tough. Every day, record producers
encounter inexperienced garage bands and street rappers
who are not nearly as good as they think they are. Will and
Clate were the exceptions. Word Up’s owner and producer,
Dana Goodman, agreed that the duo had talent. They just did
not have enough songs. Goodman sent them away but
encouraged them to come back when they had more material.