Big Willie Style is the debut solo album by American rapper and actor Will Smith. It was released on November 25, 1997, by Columbia Records. The album was primarily produced by Poke & Tone, with other contributors including L.E.S. and Smith's former collaborator DJ Jazzy Jeff. The album was the first to be released by Smith since 1993's Code Red, the last by the duo DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince. Five singles were released, including Smith's first US Billboard Hot 100 number one, "Gettin' Jiggy wit It". After releasing five albums with DJ Jazzy Jeff, Smith turned his focus to acting and appeared in such films as Bad Boys and Independence Day before returning to the studio in 1996. The following year he starred in Men in Black, for which he recorded the song of the same name and topped the singles charts in several countries. Big Willie Style was released later in the year, reaching the top ten of the US Billboard 200, the UK Albums Chart and several other international charts. Recording and production Recording for Big Willie Style took place mainly in New York City with producers Poke & Tone and L.E.S. – four tracks each were recorded at The Hit Factory ("Y'all Know", "Chasing Forever", "Miami" and "Just Cruisin'") and Right Track Studios ("Gettin' Jiggy wit It", "Candy", "Yes Yes Y'all" and "Big Willie Style"). Three tracks ("Don't Say Nothin'", "I Loved You" and "It's All Good") were recorded at DJ Jazzy Jeff's A Touch of Jazz Studios in Smith's hometown of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and "Just the Two of Us" was recorded at Pacifique Recording Studios in Los Angeles, California with producer Curtis "Sauce" Wilson. Other contributing producers were Keith Pelzer, Ryan Toby (both on "Don't Say Nothin'" and "I Love You"), Andreao Heard ("Y'all Know") and Valvin Roane ("I Loved You"). The songs on the album are broken up by a number of interludes featuring exchanges between Smith and the fictional character Keith B-Real, a "hilarious" magazine editor and motivational-tape artist. B-Real is voiced by actor Jamie Foxx. All four of the "Keith B-Real" skits (including "Intro") were recorded by Jean-Claude Olivier – Poke of Poke & Tone – at The Hacienda in Los Angeles, California, and were co-produced by Smith. Composition and lyrics As with Smith's previous releases with DJ Jazzy Jeff, Big Willie Style showcases a radio-friendly pop-rap sound with non-explicit