Philadelphia neighborhood dedicates a street to honor Will Smith, his birthplace and childhood home

PHILADELPHIA – In West Philadelphia where he was born and raised, now there’s a street called Will Smith Way.

The Mayor of Philadelphia, Cherelle Parker, along with city officials, paid tribute to the accomplished artist with an Oscar and Grammy to his name on Wednesday. They did this by renaming a street located near Smith’s former high school in his honor.

“Philly, I love you. I am yours. You are mine,” Smith said at a ceremony along a section of 59th Street that now bears his name.

He reminisced about learning the values of hard work and education from his mother and father before hitting it big as an actor and rapper.

In a statement, Smith shared, “Nobody has it easy. One of the crucial lessons I learned on the streets of Philadelphia is the value of hard work, and I realized that there is honor in putting in a solid day’s work.”

During the event, Smith was greeted by a former teacher who had fondly referred to him as “Prince Charming” in the past. This affectionate nickname was later slightly altered for Smith’s iconic character on the hit television series “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” during the 1990s. The show revolved around a teenager hailing from Philadelphia who moves to Los Angeles to live with his relatives.

“The name `The Fresh Prince’ was coined in that building,” Smith said, pointing back at Overbrook High School. “I added the ‘fresh’ because it was hip-hop slang.”

Smith will release his fifth studio album “Based on a True Story” on Friday. It’s his first music project in two decades since “Lost and Found.”

He won Grammys for “Summertime,” “Men In Black,” “Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It” and “Parents Just Don’t Understand.” He’s also starred in the movies “Bad Boys,” “Men in Black” and “King Richard.”