Will Smith channels his post-slap introspection into music on ‘Based on
a True Story’
[March 25, 2025]
By JONATHAN LANDRUM Jr.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — 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.”
Embracing adversity to fuel creativity
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.”
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Will Smith poses for a portrait on Monday, March 17, 2025, in Los
Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
 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.”
Those tracks had a laid-back feel, but his new album strikes a more
serious tone.
“It’s what I’ve been given to learn the truth,” he continued.
"There’s a way that I’m learning to be with hard times when things
arise. It’s like ‘Good, yes, thank you.’ I'm willing to learn these
lessons.”
Will Smith: 'Greatest creative run’
Believe it or not, Smith is set to embark on his first-ever headline
tour this summer.
He is structuring the shows around different phases of his life and
career: One featuring Smith and DJ Jazzy Jeff, another highlighting
his film and TV journey and third act he calls the “new phase, new
energy,” where Jeff and others will return to the stage.
Smith will kick off his tour including festivals starting June 25 at
the Mawazine festival in Morocco and expected to wrap up early
September in Paris. He'll perform his past hits from “ Miami ” to
“Summertime” along with songs from the new album across England,
France and Germany.
As Smith gears up for his tour, he also has several films in
pre-production, including “Fast and Loose,” “Hancock 2,” “I Am
Legend 2” and “Planes, Trains and Automobiles," according to IMDb.
He's embracing this next phase of his career with renewed energy.
“This is about to be the greatest creative run of my entire career,”
he said. “The things that I’m about to do in music and cinema, and
just artistic expression and exploration. It’s like, I can’t sleep
at night. I’m so ready to go.”
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