Will Smith is finally speaking out through music about the shocking moment he slapped Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars. The actor and musician just dropped his first album in nearly 20 years, Based on a True Story, and he doesn’t hold back.
Right from the start, the album’s opening track, Int. Barbershop – Day, dives into the controversy. The song begins with a blunt statement: “Will Smith is cancelled.” It then features different voices gossiping about him, with some questioning his actions and others refusing to forgive him.
The slap, which happened after Chris Rock made a joke about Will’s estranged wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, shook Hollywood. Will stormed the stage, slapped the comedian, and yelled, “Keep my wife’s name out your f**king mouth!”
In Int. Barbershop – Day, Will reflects on the backlash with lyrics like: “I heard he won the Oscar but he had to give it back / And you know they only made him do that s**t because he’s Black.”
(For the record, Will never had to return his King Richard Oscar, but he was banned from the ceremony for 10 years.)
The second track, You Lookin’ for Me?, continues the theme of his comeback: “Took a lot, I’m back on top / Y’all gon’ have to get acclimated / Won’t stop, my s**t still hot / Even though I won’t get nominated.”
With Based on a True Story, Will Smith is making it clear—he’s heard what people are saying, and he’s ready to speak his truth.