← 11 Successful Artist Brands Beyond Music

Will-Smith-620×480

By Anslem Samuel | Published June 30, 2011 | Full size is 620 × 480 pixels

WILL SMITH Initially known as the Fresh Prince, Smith was just another late ’80s rap phenom that made history (alongside partner DJ Jazzy Jeff) as the first rap group to score a Grammy for 1989’s “Parents Just Don’t Understand.” That success earned him his own hit sitcom, The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, which sparked the beginnings of a profitable second career. By 1996, Smith was breaking box office sales with Independence Day, which earned a staggering $306 million. The proven Hollywood star currently ranks as one of Forbes’ Top Earning Black Actors (with a net worth of $188 million) and has his own production company (Overbrook Entertainment) in talks with Jay-Z to team up for an Annie remake.

WILL SMITH Initially known as the Fresh Prince, Smith was just another late…

(Image: Getty)