Will Smith's daughter signs record deal

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.