Will Smith's daughter signs record deal

Smith family Willow Smith with brother Jaden and parents Will and Jada

Will Smith's nine-year-old daughter, Willow, has signed a record deal with rapper Jay-Z's label Roc Nation.

Her first single, Whip My Hair, has already been viewed nearly a million times on YouTube since its release in the US this week.

Jay-Z told US radio host Ryan Seacrest he thought she would be a "superstar".

"I heard the record first before I knew it was recorded by a nine-year-old and I was like, 'man that record's a smash'."

The rapper, who compared Willow with a young Michael Jackson, said: "She has a child's innocence but she has a clear vision of who she is and who she wants to be."

However the rapper - who signed R&B artist Rihanna when she was a teenager - brushed aside suggestions that the nine-year-old may be too young to launch a music career.

"When you have that sort of talent, there is no such thing as too young," he said.

In a statement, Roc Nation said Willow had "an energy and enthusiasm about her music that is truly infectious" adding it was "rare to find an artist with such innate talent and creativity at such a young age".

It is not Willow's first foray into show business - she appeared in 2007's I Am Legend with her father.

She also voiced a character in animated film Madagascar 2.

Her 12-year-old brother, Jaden, starred in the remake of The Karate Kid earlier this year.

More on This Story

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external Internet sites

Features & Analysis

  • Handwritten letterAway with words

    Moving towards a world without handwritten letters


  • (File photo 2007) A man holds human skull he uses in black magic rituals, on Siquijor island in the PhilippinesSun, sand and spells

    Searching for witches on a tropical island


  • pink ribbonPink army

    The anti-Komen revolt was made in the foundation's own image


  • Panorama of KandaharIn pictures

    City of hope in the heart of the Taliban's spiritual homeland


Elsewhere on the BBC

  • Mayan templeWhat lies beneath

    Tourists flock to Mayan temples, but underneath their feet is an ancient underworld

Programmes

  • Richard Taylor in disguiseClick Watch

    How the latest malware uses clever disguises to hide from your computer's security software

bbc.co.uk navigation

BBC © 2012 The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read more.

This page is best viewed in an up-to-date web browser with style sheets (CSS) enabled. While you will be able to view the content of this page in your current browser, you will not be able to get the full visual experience. Please consider upgrading your browser software or enabling style sheets (CSS) if you are able to do so.