Will Smith channels his post-slap introspection into music

Will Smith could have let his infamous Oscar slap be his cinematic fade out with a career bruised, marriage dissected and reputation in a free fall. But instead of retreating, he turned inward for self-reflection. In the process, Smith rediscovered a long-neglected creative outlet in music, using the mic as a vessel to voice his thoughts after years of prioritizing his Hollywood dominance.

“I’ve taken the last couple of years to really do a deep dive on the parts of me that may or may not been in that level of certainty and asking those deep scary internal questions,” said Smith, an Oscar and Grammy winner, who will release his fifth studio album “Based on a True Story” on Friday. It’s his first music project in two decades since “Lost and Found.”

“It really is the result of my initial self-examination,” he said. “Every song is about some part of myself that I discovered or wanted to explore, something I wanted to share. It’s the most full musical offering that I’ve ever created.”

Smith’s new offering features guest appearances from Big Sean, Teyana Taylor, DJ Jazzy Jeff, his son Jaden Smith, Jac Ross and Kanye West’s Sunday Service Choir. His album weaves in gospel melodies and messages, but he doesn’t call it a full-blown gospel project, despite the success of “You Can Make It,” which soared to No. 1 on the Billboard Gospel Airplay chart.

Still, Smith let his renewed faith take the lead, steering his creative direction. He plans to release three albums this year, shaping each project into what he calls seasons. The first season, Rave in the Wasteland, plays out across the 14 tracks of “Based on True Story” and represents his willingness to learn from life’s lessons.

“I’ve come to some really beautiful answers for myself,” Smith said. “My perception of God and reality.”

Though Smith, 56, is still a bankable global star, rebuilding trust and momentum has been an uphill battle. He’s grappled with harsh realities while trying to move past the backlash from slapping Chris Rock at the Oscars in 2022 and his 10-year ban from the ceremony.

Several entertainers — including Zoë Kravitz, Wanda Sykes and Rob Reiner — criticized Smith’s actions. Jim Carrey was particularly vocal, stating that Smith had been “ living beyond the bandwidth “ and cracked under the pressure. When asked about Carrey’s “bandwidth” remark, Smith agreed but reiterated that he needed to step back to gain a deeper understanding of himself and move beyond his own limitations. “There’s a small self that — the small concept of myself — can get to the end of his bandwidth,” he said. “And then, if I back up, there’s like an infinite space, where my bandwidth is the bandwidth of life itself. It’s like trying to not get stuck in having to be only a narrow band of things, to give myself permission to be wider in the truth of who and what I actually am.”

Smith’s road to redemption grew tougher when Rock’s comedy special reignited the controversy and his wife Jada Pinkett Smith’s memoir “Worthy” put their marriage under fresh scrutiny, sparking headlines and endless social media memes. Smith said the adversity not only tested him but fueled his creativity. “There’s a certain psychological and emotional fortitude that you cultivate from, leaning into the difficulty, not trying to run away,” said Smith, who added he sought to build “spiritual confidence” inspired by the resilience of his late grandmother and Nelson Mandela. Along the way, he found Tibetan Buddhist Pema Chödrön’s teachings, embracing her mantra of “leaning into the sharp points.” These influences became pillars as Smith explored himself more deeply. The way his grandmother, Mandela and Chödrön approached life pushed him to channel his journey back into music. “It is essentially learning how to accept and celebrate my challenges, recognizing that my challenges and my obstacles and my difficulties are actually divine curriculum,” said Smith, a four-time Grammy winner, who is known for rap classics such as “ Summertime,” “ Men in Black,” “ Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It “ and “ Parents Just Don’t Understand.”

Associated Press