Alert – Will Smith is embarking on an exciting new venture without wife Jada as superstars from the music industry join actor for a trip down memory lane

Will Smith is set to star in an exciting new podcast series by Wondery and Audible this week. 

The Emancipation actor, 55, shocked this month when his wife, Jada Pinkett-Smith, 52, revealed the pair, who tied the knot in 1997, have been secretly separated for the last seven years. 

Despite being separated, the couple attended the Oscars together last year when Will slapped comedian Chris Rock in a burst of fury over a joke that had been made about his wife’s shaved hairstyle, prompted by the effects of alopecia. 

The estranged pair appear to to still be putting on a united front, as Will called Jada his ‘best friend he’s ever had on this planet’ last Friday, during the Baltimore stop of the actress’ book tour for her newly published memoir, Worthy. 

However, Will’s latest venture will be undertaken solo, as he’s lined up to star as the host of the Class of ’88 podcast series, which is set to release on October 26.

Produced by Wondery, Audible, Westbrook and Awfully Nice, the entire eight-part limited series will become exclusively available on Amazon Music and Audible, while each episode will be available weekly on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. 

According to Spotify, the Class of ’88 podcast will explore the influences of hip hop in the US throughout the decades, as it dates back to its conception in 1988. 

Host Smith will offer his own unique perspective and personal experiences throughout the series, as Class of ’88 reveals the milestone moments, albums and artists that inspired a sonic evolution. 

From fashion to film, from Public Enemy to The Fresh Prince, the 12 months of 1988 gave rise to the superstars and styles that still resonate in songs released today. 

For The Fresh Prince star, hip hop’s most important year was pivotal as it saw he and Jazzy Jeff’s single Parents Just Don’t Understand become a standout track from the duo’s sophomore LP, He’s The DJ, I’m The Rapper. 

Fast forward to the present day, Smith is one of Hollywood’s biggest stars, having starred in blockbusters such as Independence Day, Men in Black, iRobot, Seven Pounds, and his most recent flick in 2022, historical thriller Emancipation. 

DJ Jazzy Jeff continues to spin records and produce innovative melodies around the world – having been credited, alongside DJs Spinbad and Cash Money, as the innovators of ‘transformer scratch’, according to the Los Angeles Times. 

Rich with archival material, new interviews with hip hop’s biggest stars, and personal recollections from Will himself, Class of ’88 delivers untold stories from the year that hip hop overcame the forces that were hell bent on blocking its rise. 

The series is set to feature interviews and stories from revolutionary artists that impacted hip-hop’s year of birth and many more afterwards, including: Queen Latifah, Jazzy Jeff, DMC, Salt-N-Pepa, Fab Five Freddy, Rakim, and DJ Red Alert. 

Speaking to Billboard ahead of his new venture in September, Smith said, ‘Hip hop has been a central part of my life for over four decades.’

He added: ‘I’m hyped to share my  first-hand experiences and those of some of hip hop’s greatest legends as we delve into the origins of one of the most influential genres of music in history.’

Listen to episode 1 of Class of ’88 on all podcast platforms on October 26, or binge the entire series on the Amazon Music app or Audible the same day.