Contrary to the popular belief that Will Smith's father was a deadbeat, Willard Carroll Smith Sr. was very much present in his son's life.
"He kept me in line. He'd get this look that said, "˜One more step, Will, and it'll get ugly.' He was an independent businessman-he set up refrigeration in supermarkets-and he always provided for us. He's a steady and positive figure in my life," Will told Essence Magazine a few years ago.
Will's father encouraged him to follow his dreams, and contributed greatly to his success.
"We agreed that I would take a year making music, and if it did not work out, I would go to college," Will said in another interview with Reader's Digest. "That year we won the first Grammy given to a rap artist."
Now, Will is showing his children the same support he received from his own father all those decades ago.
He's often expressed how proud he is of his kids, Trey, 25, Jaden, 19, and Willow, 17, and everything they have achieved so far in life. These days, thanks to social media, Will is able to share his pride with the world.
The former Fresh Prince of Bel-Air actor just joined Instagram last December, but he's already shaping up to become one of the most popular celebrities on the photo and video sharing platform. His popularity can be attributed to his delightfully funny content and the occasional wisdom he imparts on his followers.
More recently, he recreated his son Jaden's "Icon" music video, and the hilarious parody has gone viral.
Last November, Jaden released his debut studio album titled Syre, and as of this month, it has received over 100 million streams on Spotify. To mark this special achievement, Will decided to recreate Jaden's music video for the first single off the album,"Icon."
After all, they say imitation is the best form of flattery.
Here's what the original video looks like:
Now, here's Smith's hilarious parody. Note how all the details, from his outfit to his the car, are on point:
The cool dad shared the video with his 7.9 million followers along with the caption: "Congrats on 100,000,000 @Spotify streams, Jaden! @c.syresmith. It is a Delicious Gift to a Parent to Admire his children. Keep Doin' You!"
Fans quickly took to twitter to react to the video and hailed Will as the best dad - and we definitely agree with them.
Ok, Will Smith might really be the best thing to happen to the internet in a long time.
— brandon / jinx (@Jersey_Jinx) February 7, 2018
Guys, Will Smith just recreated Jaden Smith's "Icon" music video & it's the best thing I've ever seen. He officially wins dad of the year ðŸ˜
— #Inspiration (@iamtheonlyTam) February 7, 2018
Will Smith really a icon living. Please follow this man on Instagram. Jaden Smith you got the best father bro. pic.twitter.com/ZnLAEwhQjM
— D. (@9orian) February 7, 2018
He has our vote too for the "Dad of the Year" Award. What about you?
