Just the Two of Us (Will Smith song)
"Just the Two of Us" is a song by American rapper Will Smith. It was released as the fourth single from his debut solo studio album, Big Willie Style (1997), on July 20, 1998. The song was inspired by Bill Withers' and Grover Washington, Jr.'s love song of the same title; Smith's version samples and incorporates lyrics from the original. Instead of love between a couple, "Just the Two of Us" focuses on the relationship between a father and son. The song features Fuzzy and Sauce from the R&B group Somethin' for the People with Fuzzy providing the chorus and ad-libs, while Sauce is a credited as a producer on the track.
"Just the Two of Us"
July 20, 1998[1]
- 5:15 (album version)
- 4:19 (radio edit)
- Will Smith
- Grover Washington, Jr.
- Bill Withers
- Ralph MacDonald
- William Salter
Sauce
The song reached number 20 on the US Billboard Hot 100. It was also a top-five hit in the UK, reaching number two, and entered the top 20 in Iceland, Ireland, and New Zealand. The accompanying music video features Smith playing with his son, Trey, as well as numerous clips of several other famous men with their children. The song was parodied by Eminem in his track "'97 Bonnie & Clyde"[2] and by Dr. Evil in the 1999 film Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me. It was also sampled in "Pretty Girl Rock" by Keri Hilson.
Music video[edit]
The music video, directed by Bob Giraldi, begins with Smith playing with his son, Trey.[3] Before the song starts, Trey says, "Now, dad, this is a very sensitive subject." The remainder of the video features clips of fathers with their children, including Smith playing with Trey, and other celebrity fathers, including Babyface, Montell Jordan, James Lassiter, Keenen Wayans, Brian McKnight, Magic Johnson, and Muhammad Ali (whom Smith later played in the 2001 biopic Ali). The video also features Smith's wife Jada Pinkett Smith pregnant with the couple's first child Jaden; and includes Will's father, younger brother, and two sisters.