Will Smith is back to making music that “slaps” after dropping “Based on a True Story” on Friday, following a 20-year hiatus from releasing albums — and he immediately addresses his infamous Oscars incident with Chris Rock in 2022.
The album’s opening song, “Int. Barbershop — Day,” features DJ Jazzy Jeff, B. Simone and Smith as characters gossiping about Smith’s reputation.
“Will Smith is canceled,” the song opens with the barbershop chatter. “Who the f— Will Smith think he is? … I ain’t never gone forgive him for that stuff he did.”
Smith then talks in character about the moment that led him to be banned from the Oscars for a decade, when he slapped Rock during the live television broadcast of the Academy Awards ceremony.
“I heard he down bad / I heard he won the Oscar, but had to give it back / And you know they only made him do that s*** because he’s Black,” the song goes.
“You wish you had a Jada Pinkett next to you / Him and Jada both crazy, girl, what you talking ‘bout / You better keep his wife’s name out of your mouth.”
Smith resigned from the Academy on April 1, 2022 a week after the incident, forfeiting his voting privileges with the organization.
Smith is still eligible to receive nominations and wins despite his ten year ban from the Oscars ceremony. He was never asked to return his Oscar for best actor for his role in “King Richard” to the Academy.
On the second track, “You Lookin’ for Me?,” Smith leans into his comeback.
“Took a lot / I’m back on top / Y’all gon’ have to get acclimated / Won’t stop my s*** still hot even though I won’t get nominated.”
It has been three years since the moment dubbed the “slap heard around the world,” where Smith walked onstage during the 94th Academy Awards and slapped Rock for making a joke about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith.
While presenting the Oscar for best documentary feature, Rock said he was excited to watch Pinkett Smith — who was bald at the time — in “G.I. Jane 2.”
Smith marched onstage at the Dolby Theatre and hit Rock, appearing to shout the words, “Keep my wife’s name out of your f—ing mouth!”
Pinkett Smith opened up about her alopecia diagnosis in 2018. Ridley Scott’s “G.I. Jane” is a 1997 action film starring Demi Moore as a woman who joins the Navy and shaves her head during her military service.
