Will Smith’s Oscar slap saga just took another turn. After much damage control, the Bad Boys star is now hinting that his apology to Chris Rock wasn’t as genuine as it seemed. And the plot twist? He’s pulling the race card, claiming Hollywood’s reaction to his infamous slap had everything to do with his skin color.
His latest album, Based on a True Story, doesn’t shy away from the controversy. Right from the opening track, Int. Barbershop — Day, Smith throws himself into the conversation, addressing the backlash, public scrutiny, and the fallout from that one shocking night. With Smith still banned from the Academy Awards for a decade, this latest revelation adds another messy chapter to an already wild controversy.
Will Smith drops bars on the Oscars slap and he’s not holding back
Will Smith isn’t dodging the Oscars slap drama; he’s rapping about it. In his new album, Based on a True Story, the actor-rapper dives straight into the controversy, making it clear his apology to Chris Rock wasn’t all that real. And he’s got a theory on why Hollywood came down so hard (via Variety):
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.
That line comes from Int. Barbershop — Day, the album’s opening track. The song, featuring DJ Jazzy Jeff and B. Simone, plays out like a freestyle debate about Smith’s downfall.
Of course, Smith never actually lost his Oscar. But the Academy did hit him with a 10-year ban. He resigned from the organization, apologized, and tried to move on. Now, with his first solo album in 20 years, he’s rewriting the narrative.
Smith doesn’t stop at one track. In You Lookin’ for Me?, he raps about making a comeback despite the backlash: “Took a lot, I’m back on top.” His ban doesn’t affect Oscar eligibility, but he seems to know nominations aren’t likely.
Despite the scandal, Smith kept working. He starred in Emancipation soon after and returned to theaters last summer with Bad Boys: Ride or Die, which cashed in over $400 million worldwide.
Will Smith’s hometown glow-up: West Philly names a street after the Fresh Prince
On March 26, the Fresh Prince legend was honored with his very own road: “Will Smith Way” — formerly 59th Street in West Philly.
Rocking his Overbrook High School varsity jacket, Smith reflected on his roots. He admitted that his family laid the foundation of his success:
When I thought about the Will Smith Way, the Will Smith Way was encompassed in the lessons I got from my father, my mother and my grandmother…I think about them as a triangle that represents the Will Smith Way. I think about my father as the base of that triangle.
His dad? Discipline and hard work. His mom? Education. His grandmother? Faith and service. And, of course, a high school teacher’s “Prince Charming” nickname helped birth The Fresh Prince.
Now, the guy who made Philly famous in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air has his name cemented in its streets. Talk about a full-circle moment.
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