A couple weeks ago it was announced that Will Smith would be dropping his fifth studio album entitled Based On A True Story, in what felt like an unexpected return to the hip hop scene, as it had been 20 years since his last trip to the studio.
Upon dropping the album on March 28, it probably goes without saying that at least some fans were quickly wondering if Smith made any kind of reference toward what's famously become the "slap heard around the world" following the Chris Rock incident.
According to reports and eager listening ears, the 56-year-old Oscar winner absolutely went there.
My new album ‘Based On A True Story’ is out now!! pic.twitter.com/kdM0kShXhM
— Will Smith (@WillSmith2real) March 28, 2025
On the very first track of the new album, "Int. Barbershop - Day," the opening line of "Will Smith is cancelled" is followed by, "Oh, you can't cancel no icon."
But a pretty clear and direct reference soon follows a little bit later in the intro song, with the following words dropped:
"Him and Jada both crazy, girl, what you talkin’ bout? You better keep his wife’s name out of your mouth. 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."
While there are probably more than just a few interpretations drawn from the above lyrics, it's pretty clear the Oscars incident with Rock is the topic of note there, with "I ain't never gonna forgive him for that s---t he did, I mean Will Smith used to be cool!" putting a relatively obvious exclamation point on the controversial moment.
However, regardless of where anyone might currently stand in regard to Smith and that infamous moment, the official reaction to Based On A True Story so far seems to be extremely positive, praising both its "pull-in" type of energy and its very direct approach.
Related: Will Smith Gets Emotional on Stage During Las Vegas Performance
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