kailah span's List: Philadelphians

Smith was troubled by the escalating violence associated with hip-hop and the tragic deaths of Tupac and Biggie. Frankly he was unsure of his role. "That was a large part of why I didn't make a record," Smith explains. "It was like I don't even wanna rhyme. I made records in my crib. I thought that if this is what the world is going to, then I don't think there's any place in there for me." On his very first solo album, Big Willie Style, Smith boldly takes a seat at the table.