Will Smith quickly addresses the infamous Oscars slap involving Chris Rock on his new album “Based on a True Story”, released on Friday. The album’s opening track, “Int. Barbershop — Day,” begins with the line: “Will Smith is canceled.”
The song, featuring Smith’s Fresh Prince collaborator DJ Jazzy Jeff and B. Simone, presents voices with different pitches exchanging rumors and opinions about the actor and rapper in a freestyle format. One voice asks, “Who the fuck Will Smith think he is?” while another responds, “I ain’t never going to forgive him for that shit he did.”
Smith became the center of controversy after slapping comedian Chris Rock onstage at the 2022 Oscars. Rock made a joke about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, prompting Will to walk up and slap him across the face. Returning to his seat, Smith shouted, “Keep my wife’s name out of your fucking mouth!” Later in the ceremony, he went on to win the Oscar for Best Actor for his role in King Richard.
“Int. Barbershop — Day” delves into the Oscars incident, mentioning: “I heard he won the Oscar but he had to give it back/ And you know they only made him do that shit because he’s Black.” In reality, Smith was not asked to return his Oscar but was banned from attending Academy events for ten years. He also resigned from the Academy and issued an apology, expressing deep remorse for his actions.
The track also alludes to Smith’s reaction to Rock’s joke with the line: “Him and Jada both crazy girl, what you talkin’ bout?/ You better keep his wife’s name out of your mouth.”
The second track, “You Lookin’ for Me?” also alludes to the controversy, with Smith rapping: “Took a lot, I’m back on top/ Y’all gon’ have to get acclimated/ Won’t stop, my shit still hot/ Even though I won’t get nominated.” While Smith’s ban from Academy events doesn’t impact his eligibility for future Oscar nominations, his chances now seem slim.
Based on a True Story is Smith’s first full-length solo album in 20 years, following his 2005 release Lost and Found. However, it’s not his first major project since the Oscars incident. After the slap, Smith went on a limited promotional cycle for the Apple TV+ drama Emancipation. Last summer, he starred alongside Martin Lawrence in Bad Boys: Ride or Die, which became a major box office success, grossing over $400 million worldwide.
