‘Bel-Air’ Star Jabari Signs to Epic Records
Jabari is taking his talents to Epic Records.
The multi-hyphenate, best known as the star of Peacock’s Bel-Air, is looking to showcase his skills on the mic as the label’s newest signee. On Friday (Dec. 1), he’ll embark on his musical journey with the release of his label debut, “Something Else.”
More from Billboard
Publishing Briefs: Pitbull Extends With BMG, Dido Signs With Warner Chappell
Signed: Brazilian DJ Vintage Culture Links Up With WME; Charlie Worsham Pacts With UTA
Grupo Frontera Signs Management Deal With Noah Assad's Habibi Firm
“With the creation of ‘Something Else,’ I wanted to give life to the grey areas of infatuation,” Jabari tells Billboard. “I wanted to share where I was in that time, and along with my team, we executed that well. Also very excited be to be taking this first step with Epic Records. Shout to Sylvia Rhone and Zeke Lewis for being headlights for the vision. I have a lot more to give. Thanks for being here on this journey.”
“Jabari is a multi-hyphenate young superstar in the making. Artists like him represent the future of entertainment and we could not resist the opportunity to join and assist with his upward movement,” adds Ezekiel Lewis, president of Epic Records.
On Bel-Air, Jabari plays the lead role of Will Smith (named after the star of the original series, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air). The show has given momentum to his acting career, though he has previously noted that avid fans of the original ’90s sitcom were initially skeptical about the show’s modern-day twist.
“It just really came from a pure place. And honestly, it’s incredible, because we’re standing on the shoulders of giants,” Jabari told Variety last year. “The wingspan of this show is incredible, because it reaches for so many generations, and everybody knows it. And it’s such a beloved TV series, it’s a quintessential ’90s sitcom. And so it’s so it’s everyone’s baby, and they’re like, ‘We don’t touch that we don’t touch this.’ But I was definitely confident, I was like, ‘Just wait and watch because we got some great things cooking up.'”
Jabari will look to follow in the steps of his co-star, Coco Jones, who recently reeled in five Grammy nominations, most notably in the best new artist category. When asked how he will balance his music and TV responsibilities simultaneously, Jabari says: “Because God is good.”
Best of Billboard
Four Decades of 'Madonna': A Look Back at the Queen of Pop's Debut Album on the Charts
Chart Rewind: In 1990, Madonna Was in 'Vogue' Atop the Hot 100
