“Men in Black” is a song by Will Smith, released on June 3, 1997, as the lead single from the Men in Black movie soundtrack and his debut solo album, Big Willie Style. Written by Patrice Rushen, Terri McFadden, Freddie Washington and Will Smith, the song was a massive hit, topping the charts in multiple countries, including the UK, Australia, and Germany.
The track heavily samples “Forget Me Nots” by Patrice Rushen, with the chorus reworked to fit the film’s theme—changing “To help you to remember” to “They won’t let you remember”, referencing the memory-erasing neuralyzer used by the Men in Black.
Lyrically, Smith raps about the secretive agents who protect Earth from extraterrestrial threats, embodying his character Agent J from the film. The song features Coko from SWV on background vocals.
The music video, directed by Robert Caruso, showcases Smith dancing alongside an alien, reinforcing the film’s playful sci-fi theme. The song won Best Rap Solo Performance at the 1998 Grammy Awards.