Def Jam recording artist Armani White is one of the top rising rap acts at the moment. The Road To Casablanco EP creator hails from the same city as The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air star Will Smith.
Throughout his career as a rapper, Will Smith faced criticism for being too commercial. Armani White spoke to Audacy to promote his new project. He also discussed Smith’s impact on their hometown.
“What I’m doing with happy hood music, that was Will Smith being from Philly but changing the narrative, changing the sound, changing the style,” Armani White told Audacy host Mike Adam.
White added, “Even just on the male side, a lot of the style and everything, all of that came from Philly. It came from Will Smith with Fresh Prince. We grew up watching that, we grew up inspired by that.”
The 26-year-old East Coaster said he has not gotten the chance to meet Will Smith yet. However, Armani White recalled spending time with the other half of the DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince duo.
“Me and Jazzy Jeff, we stayed up all night in Abu Dhabi, just talking about being from Philly,” stated White. Meeting Will Smith is still on the beaded-haired rhymer’s professional bucket list.
Armani White’s Road To Casablanco features Denzel Curry, A$AP Ferg, Fivio Foreign, and Fridayy. Plus, veteran Hip Hop stars Ludacris, Busta Rhymes, and N.O.R.E. appear on “Billie Eilish Legends Mix.”
The original “Billie Eilish” peaked at No. 58 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. White’s breakout single earned a Gold plaque from the RIAA. Additionally, MTV named him as the Global Push Artist for February 2023.