5 days ago
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On Emma Grede’s Aspire podcast, music executive Steve Stoute dug into one of the most surprising turning points in pop-culture history when a blockbuster film, a fading rap career, and a reluctant R&B group collided to create one of the most recognizable songs of the 1990s.
When Grede asked Stoute, “What was the infliction point, do you think, where culture and business really clicked for you?”, he didn’t hesitate.
“The easiest way to market would be Men in Black,” he explained. “And Men in Black was interesting from the standpoint that, you know, Will Smith’s career as a musician had come to a, you know, hit tough times.”
The Coldest Will Smith Ever Was
Today, the Will Smith of the late ‘90s is remembered as unstoppable: a global box-office draw, a family-friendly superstar, and a hit-making rapper. But Stoute reveals another reality entirely.
“I’d known Will for years because I worked with Kid N Play and Will Smith. And those are like the happy rappers, right? So, like, so Kid N’ Play and Will Smith were the happy rappers. They were successful. And the reason why they had television shows and movies is because they were safe.”
But “safe” wasn’t what the culture wanted anymore.
“When Will Smith had headwinds as an artist, there’s DMX and Biggie and Nas and Wu-Tang and all that shit. And now he wants to come back or put out music.”
Hip-hop had hardened. Credibility was currency—and Will didn’t have enough of it.
Rebuilding a Star with a Soundtrack
Stoute saw an opportunity.
“I knew his team. I knew him. And we made the soundtrack for Men in Black.”
But the real shock comes from what he reveals next—something few fans would ever guess.
“Will Smith was so ice cold at that time that on the hook for Men in Black is SWV. And they didn’t even want to be in the video.”
Emma Grede reacted the way anyone would: disbelief.
“No, that’s so crazy to think about because I feel like that was like the heyday of Will.”
Yet Stoute insists that was not the case.
“They didn’t want to even be in the music video. His happiness and their credibility—they didn’t want that to mix. So they wanted the check, but they didn’t want the video.”
When Culture and Commerce Finally Clicked
What Stoute describes is the exact moment when cultural perception, marketing, and business strategy collided. Will Smith’s “happy rapper” persona was out of sync with the new mood of hip-hop, forcing his team to rebuild his musical relevance through a film soundtrack—something that wasn’t yet the powerhouse marketing tool it would become.
But Men in Black worked. It didn’t just revive Will Smith’s music career—it reshaped how films, artists, and brands could collaborate. It was the beginning of the integrated culture-commerce ecosystem we now take for granted.
Watch full interview below:
English (US) ·