Page 75 - Will Smith: A Biography of a Rapper Turned Movie Star

Tech Junkie Superstar
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his five-year-old son, Trey. Together, the two of them sang
Smith’s next hit single from Big Willie Style, “Gettin’ Jiggy Wit
It.” This song, too, became a number-one hit.
Smith spent much of early 1998 shooting his next film,
Enemy of the State. He plays Robert Clayton Dean, a
Washington, D.C., lawyer who is living a normal,
uneventful life until he accidentally receives key evidence
about a serious crime. Suddenly, Dean finds himself
caught in a dangerous web of politics and intrigue.
Smith was the sole lead in Enemy of the State. He did
not have a costar to fall back on, as he had in his three
previous films. In addition, although the movie included
some car chases and other action scenes, there were no
real special effects to carry the film. Themain responsibility
for the movie’s success was on Smith’s shoulders.
In February, Smith captured his third Grammy Award,
his first as a solo performer. It was for best rap solo
performance for the song “Men in Black.” On July 8 there
was more excitement in the Smith-Pinkett household
when Jada gave birth to Smith’s second child, a son they
named Jaden Christopher Syre Smith.
Enemy of the State was released in November 1998. It
was not a blockbuster like Independence Day and Men in
Black, but was still a success. Critics gave the movie mixed
reviews, but fans loved it. Six months after it was released,
Enemy of the State had made about $250 million. 12
In February 1999, Smith earned his fourth Grammy. It was
for best rap performance for his recording “Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It.”