With humor and style, "Big Willie Style" manages to keep it extremely real... based on Will's very specific reality, of course. With a megawatt sense of humor, the album points fun at the naysayers who will probably never acknowledge this super-sweet pop treat. With an underlying smile, Will knows that they know that he knows that he will sell millions; and their "hardcore" asses will never get the props or the papers he will receive from the masses, not just the homies. Besides, who needs homies when you're Will Smith and living with Jada Pinkett? And in a world that's all about "The Benjamins," Will is right where he needs to be.

    Will Smith remains honorable because he does what he does best -- pop hip hop that is not based on skill and lyrical tricks, just straight fun, dance ability and, most of all, accessibility. It's all here. The fictional character "Keith B Real" serves as the album's protagonist, the voice of the street who harasses Will throughout the album, questioning his ego, street cred and giving him a hard time about Jada. It's just the type of thing his fans in Idaho will enjoy, and Will is the only rapper that knows how they feel. Big Will takes Keith's jabs in stride and keeps delivering top 40 hits that are harmless and humorous.

    Being the Big Willie that he is, Will was able to enlist Cameo's Larry Blackmon to re-sing the classic, "Candy" for his track of the same name, as well as TLC's Left Eye on the hottest spot, "Big Willie Style." Other great moments are "Miami," "Y'all Know" and the gratuitous "Men In Black." Recycling Bill Withers' "Just The Two Of Us" seems a little lazy on the part of producer, Sauce, but it makes for a "nice" tribute to Will's son Trey, which, I guess, is what it was supposed to do. The song "It's All Good" is probably the most arresting track on the album; it's the tale of a completely happy millionaire rhymin' about how great life is. Seems odd to even be on a rap album, but it just makes it all the clearer who Will Smith really is: Big Willie indeed.

    "Big Willie Style's" only weakness is that Will just might be a little too self-conscious of how fabulous his life is -- then again, if the rest of the hip hop nation can drone on about how rough and raw their lives are,  why not?

-- kim green, the hub (AOL)