Jay-Z and Will Smith partner for Movie Venture

By The Film Critic
JR Staff Writer

The connection between Jay-Z and Will Smith goes back further than most people know. In 1998, Jay-Z penned Will Smith's smash hit, "Gettin Jiggy Wit It." It would be one of Smith's last rap hits and was written before Jay-Z's career took off.

Ever since his departure from Def Jam, Jay-Z has been inching closer and closer to Hollywood. From the beginning, Jay-Z had plans of being a corporate giant, as opposed to being a rapper. He continued to pump out music until he made it.

Last year, Jay-Z made waves when he signed Willow Smith, the daughter of Will Smith, to his Roc Nation label. Not long after the signing, her single, "Whip My Hair," became a hit. Once the song became a hit, Jay-Z realized he had a true star on his hands and he started talking business with Will Smith, who was already grooming his daughter into a star.

Will Smith arranged for Willow Smith to star in an upcoming remake of Annie. Jay-Z owes much of his success to Annie, as his breakthrough hit, "Hard Knock Life," sampled heavily from the movie. He wasted no time offering a partnership to Will Smith's Overbrook Entertainment for a new film venture to produce major films over the next few years. It appears as though Jay-Z and Will Smith will be in business together for many years to come, as they own stakes in many of the same companies, other than the new venture.