American actor and singer Will Smith announced on Monday that he is making a musical comeback, and has plans to release a new album. He also hinted that he will embark on a world tour with former bandmate DJ Jazzy Jeff next year.
Speaking to Beats 1 Radio DJ Zane Lowe, Smith said that he has already recorded more than 30 new songs, with "six or seven that I really, really like, that I'm trying to get the ideas to come out right. I'm shaking the rust off, knocking the dust off."
The Grammy Award-winning rapper told Lowe that he is "terrified" about making his first album since 2005's Lost and Found, and revealed that he is "pretty certain" he and former bandmate DJ Jazzy Jeff will embark upon the largest tour of their career together in 2016.
"When you've had a certain amount of success, it seems like it should breed confidence," Smith said. "But it actually doesn't. When you win a lot, you lose the ability to lose. You're not allowed to lose anymore."
Smith, who first found fame acting in the popular 90s TV show The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, released a triple platinum album with DJ Jazzy Jeff—titled He's the DJ, I'm the Rapper—in 1988. If the tour goes ahead, it will be their first full world tour together. "Jeff and I actually have never done a full tour. I'm terrified," Smith admitted. "We've had a week run here, two weeks there. I'm really ready man."
Smith recently appeared on a remix of Colombian band Bomba Estereo's song titled "Fiesta" after discovering the band on a recent trip to Colombia, according to celebrity website The Hollywood Reporter. The collaboration, which was released last week, features Smith rapping in Spanish and English and marks his first return to music since 2005.
Smith told Lowe he intends to continue working until old age. "I'm from the era of 16 bars, hook, 16 bars, hook, bridge, hook, out. I'm definitely interested in pushing the envelope of spitting—how far can you go? I'll keep giving it a shot up until I'm 70 or 80 years old.
"I'm just trying to still find that voice; I have so many things that I wanna say. I'm struggling with saying them in a way that fits the flavor of music that I tend to like."
The actor also revealed he will return as fictional character, Detective Mike Lowrey in the third Bad Boys film. Smith said he expects the movie will be released in the next 12 to 16 months.
This is Smith's first interview about music in 10 years, according to The Guardian newspaper.
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