Will Smith Reveals He Started Making Music Again Because of His Oscars Incident

Will Smith did a lot of soul-searching after his infamous Oscar slap several years ago, which resulted in him being banned from the Academy. He took a brief hiatus from the entertainment industry afterward. But if there’s any good that came out of the controversy, it’s that it reawakened Smith’s passion for music.

Will Smith turned to music after the Oscars

Smith went on a deep spiritual journey both figuratively and literally after he slapped comedian Chris Rock at the Oscars. People once claimed that the King Richard star went as far as India for answers he was searching for. But he might not have needed to travel too great of a distance to find the peace that his music offered. Just last year, he debuted his song, “You Can Make It,” a powerful record that revisited his faith. Not too long ago, he released another record with Big Sean titled “Beautiful Scars.” Speaking on Big Boy TV, he revealed how much of a catalyst the Oscars incident was for his new music.

“A couple of years ago, something exploded inside of me. I took some time after the Oscars and just went in, and found a crazy well of new ideas and creativity. Life has a way of showing you the mysteries and giving you the cheat codes. So, I’ve had more to say than I’ve evert had in my life,” Smith said.

Additionally, Smith shared that movies didn’t offer the same catharsis that music did. When he was crafting songs, Smith felt he was tapping into his own creative reserves rather than someone else’s.

“What happens with movies, when you play another character, of course there’s a part of that’s, like, exploring yourself. But you’re exploring the world, you’re exploring other minds, you’re exploring other people’s thoughts. But with music, it’s what I think. It’s what I feel. It’s like what comes out of me. And I just feel I’m a better poet than I’ve ever been, more confident than I’ve ever been. And I’m just excited to explore and share,” Smith said.

Will Smith isn’t trying to make hits with his music anymore

Smith has several hit records under his belt. Not only is he a multi-platinum selling artist, but his songs have won him some of the music industry’s highest accolades. Smith went from boycotting the Grammys to being a multi-time Grammy winner. He’s won for “Parents Just Don’t Understand,” “Summertime,” “Men in Black” and “Gettin’ Jiggy With It.” But Smith doesn’t seem to be interested in duplicating the success he’s experienced in the past. To Smith, the highest award for his musical efforts would be the connection he’ll make with listeners.

“I’m not even thinking about it in terms of hits. I’m thinking about it in terms of human connectivity. I want to say things,” Smith said during an event according to People.

His record, “You Can Make It,” is a prime example of what he hopes to accomplish in this chapter of his career. The song conveys a spiritual message that’s relatable on a universal scale.

“That’s almost like the nicest thing you can say to another human, right? Is like, ‘You can make it,’ ” Smith added. “As we sit in this audience, every single person is going through something, right? And you just tap in for a minute to the people around you, just feel into it a little bit.”

Will Smith plans to release three albums under the title ‘Based on a True Story’

Smith has put so much energy into the project that he has too much material for just one album. According to an interview Smith did with Billboard, he’ll be putting out three albums that he’d likened to three seasons of a television show. All of these albums will be a part of Smith’s new record, Based on a True Story, which will see the rapper at his most introspective.

“I’ve probably recorded 60 songs by now, so I was trying to come up with one name for the whole body of work,” he said. “I’m talking so many different tempos and energy: there’s a gospel record, then a hardcore hip-hop record. It was about just letting whatever come out in a really wild, colorful and varied way. What I decided to do is separate the material into seasons like a television show. So I’m releasing three seasons of this television musical show and calling the 10 tracks for each season “episodes” instead of songs.”

It’s unclear if Smith can be nominated for another Oscar after the slap. However, maybe he’ll be able to add another Grammy award to his shelf.