Wild Wild West (Will Smith song)

Infobox Single
Name = Wild Wild West


Artist = Will Smith featuring Dru Hill and Kool Moe Dee
from Album = Wild Wild West Original Motion Picture Soundtrack "and" Willennium
B-side = Big Willie Style
Released = June 1999
Format = CD single
Cassette single
Vinyl record
Recorded = Spring 1999
Genre = Pop rap, Funk
Length = 4:29 (album version)
4:07 (single version)
Label = Overbrook/Interscope/Columbia
Writer = Moe Dewese, Rob Fusari, Will Smith, and Stevie Wonder
Producer = Rob Fusari & Mark Wilson
Certification =
Chronology = Will Smith singles
Last single = "Miami"
(1999)
This single = "Wild Wild West"
(1999)
Next single = "Will 2K"
(1999)
Misc =Extra tracklisting
Album = Willenium
Type = studio
prev_track = "Uhh"
prev_no = 13
this_track = "Wild Wild West"
track_no = 14
next_track = "The Rain"
next_no = 15Extra tracklisting
Album = Greatest Hits
Type = compilation
prev_track = "Will 2k"
prev_no = 12
this_track = "Wild Wild West"
track_no = 13
next_track = "Nod Ya Head (The Remix)"
next_no = 14

"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.

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