Will Smith gets a street named in the Philadelphia neighborhood where he was born and raised

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — In West Philadelphia where he was born and raised, now there’s a street called Will Smith Way.

Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker and city leaders honored the Oscar and Grammy winner on Wednesday, renaming a street next to Smith's old high school.

“Philly, I love you. I am yours. You are mine,” Smith said at a ceremony along a section of 59th Street that now bears his name.

He reminisced about learning the values of hard work and education from his mother and father before hitting it big as an actor and rapper.

“Nobody gets an easy ride,” he said. “That was one of the things these streets of Philadelphia taught me: that there's nothing wrong with a hard day's work.”

Among those who came out to see him was a former teacher who was the first to call him “Prince Charming” — a nickname he changed up a bit for the 1990s TV show “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” in which Smith played a teenager from Philadelphia who goes to live with relatives in Los Angeles.

“The name `The Fresh Prince' was coined in that building," Smith said, pointing back at Overbrook High School. “I added the ‘fresh’ because it was hip-hop slang."

Smith will release his fifth studio album “Based on a True Story” on Friday. It’s his first music project in two decades since “Lost and Found.”

He won Grammys for “Summertime,” “Men In Black,” “Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It” and “Parents Just Don’t Understand.” He's also starred in the movies “Bad Boys,” “Men in Black” and “King Richard.”

At right is Julian L. Graham, Principal Overbrook high school presents actor and rapper Will Smith with school jacket during a ceremony to name a street after him in West Philadelphia on Wednesday, March 26, 2025. (Alejandro A Alvarez /The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP)

Will Smith acknowledges fans as he prepares to leave after a ceremony naming a street after him in West Philadelphia on Wednesday, March 26, 2025. (Alejandro A Alvarez /The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP)

Will Smith with mother Caroline Bright attends a ceremony to name a street after him in West Philadelphia on Wednesday, March 26, 2025. (Alejandro A Alvarez/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP)

Philadelphia Actor and rapper Will Smith stands with Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker during a ceremony to name a street after him in West Philadelphia on Wednesday, March 26, 2025. (Alejandro A Alvarez /The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP)

Will Smith holds up a street sign during a ceremony to name a street after him in West Philadelphia on Wednesday, March 26, 2025. (Alejandro A Alvarez /The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP)

A sign at the intersection of North 59th Street and Lancaster Avenue in West Philadelphia has been renamed after Will Smith on Wednesday, March 26, 2025. (WPVI-TV via AP)

Will Smith poses for a portrait on Monday, March 17, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

ISLAMABAD (AP) — A gas cylinder explosion early Sunday after a wedding reception at a home in Pakistan’s capital killed at least eight people, including the bride and groom, police and officials said.

The blast occurred as guests who had gathered to celebrate the couple were sleeping at the house, causing part of the house to collapse, according to the Islamabad police. Seven people were injured.

In a statement, police said the explosion occurred in a residential area in the heart of the city. A government administrator, Sahibzada Yousaf, said authorities were alerted about the blast early Sunday and officers are still investigating. He said some nearby homes were also damaged.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed grief over the loss of lives and offered condolences to the victims’ families, according to a statement from his office. He directed health authorities to ensure the injured receive the best possible treatment and ordered a full investigation.

Many Pakistani households rely on liquefied petroleum gas cylinders because of low natural gas pressure, and such cylinders have been linked to deadly accidents caused by gas leaks. Police said investigations were ongoing.

Government officials survey the damage of a home caused by a gas cylinder explosion hours after a wedding reception, in Islamabad, Pakistan, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ehsan Shahzad)