On Wednesday (Sept. 20), Jada Pinkett Smith shared a fond memory from high school on her Instagram account. The 52-year-old singer, songwriter, actress, talk show host and author spent two years at the prestigious Baltimore School for the Arts (BSA). Pinkett Smith’s post featured a throwback video of her with the late rapper Tupac Shakur lip-syncing the ever-popular “Parents Just Don’t Understand,” originally performed by DJ Jazzy Jeff and her now-husband, Will Smith aka the Fresh Prince.
Pinkett Smith met Shakur on the first day of school. They became close friends during their time at the BSA. The performance revealed some of the positive traits that benefited both artists in their careers, including their natural charisma and vibrancy. It also highlighted their close ties. Pinkett Smith eventually appeared in several of Shakur’s videos, and he was a guest in a 1993 episode of “A Different World.”
In additional posts, Pinkett Smith talked about how the video connects to her book “Worthy,” due Oct. 17, via an excerpt from the memoir: “Not in a million years would I have dreamed that the Fresh Prince and I would become, um, very acquainted. Not in a million years did I imagine three lives, their fates, would be so intertwined.”
“And… I never would have imagined that this video would become a tangible memory of the last time Pac and I were simply kids together. Pac and I lip syncing ‘Parents Just Don’t Understand’ by Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince during our junior year in high school. Who would have thought?”
In an interview with People magazine, Pinkett Smith explained, “So many people feel because of my talk show, ‘Red Table Talk,’ that they know my journey. And they really don’t. There’s been so much about my journey that I haven’t really been able to share on a format like ‘RTT.’”
Peep the viral throwback clip here.