Men in Black (song)

"Men in Black" is a song by American rapper and actor Will Smith from the 1997 film Men in Black, in which he also starred. The song was released on June 16, 1997 as the lead single from both the Men in Black soundtrack and Smith's debut solo album Big Willie Style (1997), and was his first solo single following his work with DJ Jazzy Jeff. The song plays during the film's closing credits and samples "Forget Me Nots" by Patrice Rushen. It features Smith rapping about how the Men in Black "Walk in shadow, move in silence" and play the role of "first, last and only line of defense, against the worst scum of the universe", while SWV singer Coko provides background vocals. "Men in Black" reached number one in several countries and won Smith a Grammy Award in 1998 for the Best Rap Solo Performance.

"Men in Black"
Single by Will Smith
from the album Men in Black: The Album and Big Willie Style
B-side"Remix"
ReleasedJune 16, 1997 (1997-06-16)
Recorded1996-1997
Genre
Length3:48
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Poke and Tone Raul RAZ Zeballos
Will Smith singles chronology
"Men in Black"
(1997)		 "Just Cruisin'"
(1997)
Music video
"Men In Black" on YouTube

Release and success

"Men in Black" features a sample of, and a re-sung chorus from, "Forget Me Nots" by Patrice Rushen. In a twist, the line "To help you to remember" is changed to "They won't let you remember", in reference to the memory-erasing "neuralyzer" devices used in the Men in Black movie.

Aside from appearing on the movie's soundtrack, the song also appears on Smith's Columbia Records album Big Willie Style and reached number one on charts in Australia, Belgium, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, New Zealand, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. The song did not chart on the Billboard Hot 100 because it was not released as a commercial single in the US; at the time, only songs that were commercially released as singles were eligible, but it did top the airplay chart. The music video for the song also appears on the DVD The Will Smith Collection. It was also included in the album All Time Greatest Movie Songs, released by Sony in 1999. It was also featured after the end credits of the VHS release of "Men in Black". It was also covered by Forever the Sickest Kids for the compilation album Punk Goes Crunk & by Alvin and the Chipmunks for the album The A-Files: Alien Songs. An instrumental and short version of the song plays over the closing credits in Men in Black: The Series.

Critical reception

Larry Flick from Billboard wrote, "Remember when Will Smith was better known as a rapper? That seems like a lifetime ago, doesn't it? Well, he returns to music in excellent form on this lighthearted theme song from the soundtrack to his new movie of the same name. Smith has never been a hardcore lyricist, but he also never been anything less than clever, charming, and shrewdly aware of what the masses will dig. There's no doubt that this jam, which nicks its hook from Patrice Rushen's "Forget Me Nots", will be an outta-da-box smasheroo."[1] Music & Media said that Smith builds his raps on the song by Rushen "in an instantly appealing way."[2]

Music video

Robert Caruso directed the music video for the song. It starts with a dark hallway lighting up. Tommy Lee Jones enters from around the corner and begins to explain in a voiceover the purpose of the Men in Black. Will Smith enters with the line: "And we dress in black." There is then a cut to what appears to be an alleyway, a steel box which looks a bit like a commercial refrigerator in the middle. The surface begins to deform and show a glowing light from within. The video then cuts to several scenes of Agents experimenting on alien organisms and technology, with Smith rapping into further detail of the operations of the Men in Black. It soon has him surrounded by MIB agents in a warehouse. In the middle of the dance routine, an alien (Mikey from the film) comes in and screams at Smith. Smith then leads the agents and the alien to do a modified Electric Slide, where the alien slips out in the middle.

After dancing along with the agents, he goes after the alien. The same glowing light from the beginning of the video is then seen in the drivers seat of an SUV, the two female Agents who were with Smith in the vehicle, which speeds off just as Smith reaches it. Disappointed, he puts on his glasses and takes out a Neuralyzer, pointing it at the camera.

Two versions of the video were made alternating the flash. In one version of the video, the flash takes the viewer back to the empty hallway from the opening scene, effectively erasing the video's contents entirely as if ensuring the viewer doesn't remember what they saw in the video, while in the other, the flash produces a white screen. Just before the flash in both, Smith says, somewhat regretfully, "Sorry".

Track listings

These are the formats and track listings of major single releases of "Men in Black".[3]

Personnel
  • Patrice Rushen, Terry McFadden, Will Smith – writers, composers
  • Coko – backing vocals
  • Matthew Wishart – clarinet, trombone
  • Poke and Tone – drum programming, producer
  • Commissioner Gordon, Tony Maserati – mixing
  • John Shriver – recording
  • Paul Griffin – animation director for "Mikey" (video)
  • Rob Chiarelli - recording engineer & remixer

Charts

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[50] 2× Platinum 140,000^
Austria (IFPI Austria)[51] Gold 25,000*
Belgium (BEA)[52] Platinum 50,000*
France (SNEP)[53] Diamond 750,000*
Germany (BVMI)[54] 3× Gold 750,000^
Netherlands (NVPI)[55] Gold 50,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[56] Platinum 10,000*
Norway (IFPI Norway)[57] Platinum  
Sweden (GLF)[58] Platinum 30,000^
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[59] Gold 25,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[60] Platinum 961,805[61]

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References
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  2. "Airborne" (PDF). Music & Media. July 26, 1997. p. 17. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
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  55. "Dutch single certifications – Will Smith – Men in Black" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers. Retrieved November 20, 2019. Enter Men in Black in the "Artiest of titel" box.
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