Will Smith reveals the person who coined the name ‘Fresh Prince’

There is now officially a street named after Will Smith in West Philadelphia. Next to Smith’s high school, Overbrook High School, the 2000 block of North 59th Street is now known as “Will Smith Way”.

On Wednesday, Smith attended the ceremony where the naming became official, along with several city officials and the mayor of Philadelphia. He reminisced about his younger days in Philly and even revealed the origins of the “Fresh Prince” name.

Will Smith reveals inspiration behind “Fresh Prince”

During the ceremony, Smith gave a special shoutout to his first 10th grade teacher, Mrs. Brenda Brown, who he credited for the name “Fresh Prince”.

“Mrs. Brown was the teacher who started calling me Prince Charming,” Smith explained. “The name ‘The Fresh Prince’ was coined in that building,” he said, pointing to Overbrook. “She called me ‘Prince,’ and I added the ‘Fresh’ because it was hip-hop slang. So the Fresh Prince. So thank you for that, Mrs. Brown.”

The moniker would later become the title of his hit sitcom, “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” - now, a classic.

Smith wore an Overbrook varsity jacket to the ceremony and said he’d be back on July 4 to perform a concert in his hometown, inviting other iconic Philly artists to join him.

On Friday, Smith released his fifth album, titled “Based on a True Story” - his first in 20 years.

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