Wild Wild West (Will Smith song)
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| “Wild Wild West” | |||||
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| Single by Will Smith featuring Dru Hill and Kool Moe Dee from the album Wild Wild West Original Motion Picture Soundtrack |
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| B-side | Big Willie Style | ||||
| Released | June 1999 | ||||
| Format | CD single Cassette single Vinyl record |
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| Recorded | Spring 1999 | ||||
| Genre | Pop rap | ||||
| Length | 4:29 (album version) 4:07 (single version) |
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| Label | Overbrook/Interscope/Columbia | ||||
| Writer(s) | Moe Dewese, Rob Fusari, Will Smith, and Stevie Wonder | ||||
| Producer | Rob Fusari & Mark Wilson | ||||
| Will Smith featuring Dru Hill and Kool Moe Dee singles chronology | |||||
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| Willenium track listing | |||||
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| Greatest Hits track listing | |||||
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"Wild Wild West" is the title of a hip hop song written by Will Smith as the theme song for Smith's film Wild Wild West.
Will Smith's 1999 release was recorded specifically for Smith's planned summer blockbuster movie, Wild Wild West. Smith's song became a number-one pop hit on the Billboard Hot 100, and its extended music video, directed by Paul Hunter, was a hit on MTV.
Will Smith's "Wild Wild West" single samples Stevie Wonder's song "I Wish", with parts of the chorus from Kool Moe Dee's song as well. Kool Moe Dee re-performs that chorus for the song, with additional guest vocals from R&B group Dru Hill. The song also features, as an introduction, a brief spoken word conversation between Will Smith and his son Jaden Smith in which Will asks his son what song he should perform next, and Jaden suggests this one.
The high-profile music video for the single, running seven minutes and including several dialog sequences, featured Smith, Kool Moe Dee, Dru Hill, and guest appearances from Stevie Wonder, and, as their Wild Wild West characters Kevin Kline, Salma Hayek and Kenneth Branagh. Fellow popstar Enrique Iglesias also appeared in the video playing a Prince. Moreoever, "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" co-star and tap dancer Alfonso Ribeiro appeared in the music video as one of the dancers. Other cameos include actor Larenz Tate, Shari Headley, singer/writer/producer Babyface, and female rapper MC Lyte.
The "Wild Wild West" video notably was a star-making vehicle for Dru Hill lead singer Sisqó, while relegating the other three members of the quartet to the background. Dru Hill member James "Woody" Green quit the group on the set of the video, feeling a need to return to his gospel music roots.
Despite its pop success, the song was criticized for both sampling Wonder's song and for its incongruity with the western for which it serves as the theme. It won the Golden Raspberry Award for Worst "Original" Song of 1999. In an episode of South Park, Eric Cartman sings a parody of "Wild Wild West".
An "unreleased" remix of this song, said to be remixed by Jason Nevins, is available through file-sharing programs.
[edit] Credits
- Written by Kool Moe Dee, Rob Fusari, Will Smith, and Stevie Wonder
- Contains a sample of "I Wish", written and performed by Stevie Wonder
- Also contains an interpolation of "Wild Wild West", written and performed by Kool Moe Dee
- Produced by Rob Fusari & Mark Wilson
- Lead vocals by Will Smith, Mark "Sisqó" Andrews, and Kool Moe Dee
- Ad-lib vocals by Larry "Jazz" Anthony
- Background vocals by Larry "Jazz" Anthony, Mark "Sisqó" Andrews, Tamir "Nokio" Ruffin, and James "Woody" Green
- Record scratching by DJ Jazzy Jeff
| Preceded by "Bills, Bills, Bills" by Destiny's Child |
Billboard Hot 100 number one single July 24, 1999 |
Succeeded by "Genie in a Bottle" by Christina Aguilera |
| Preceded by "I Want It That Way" by Backstreet Boys |
United World Chart number one single July 24, 1999 – August 7, 1999 |
Succeeded by "If You Had My Love" by Jennifer Lopez |
