With it being over two decades since his last album ‘Lost and Found’ was released, Will Smith has made his highly-anticipated return to music – and it seems that during that time, he’s become quite reflective.
While Smith is arguably best known for his stellar Hollywood career – with Men in Black, Bad Boys, and I, Robot to name a few – the 56-year-old also had a number of musical hits under his belt, too.
The actor wrote the iconic theme for Men in Black movies, as well as dominating the charts with ‘Just Crusin’ and ‘Get Jiggy wit It’, and now, he has returned to the music scene with his single ‘Beautiful Scars’, having teamed up with Big Sean for the new hit.
Will Smith has made his return to music after two decades (Jason Merritt/Getty Images)
The video for the new single is of particular interest as it references the sci-fi classic The Matrix, with Smith playing Keanu Reeves‘ character Neo.
The 1999 film, which was directed by Lana and Lilly Wachowski, follows Neo (Reeves) as he is approached by strangers Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) and Trinity (Carrie-Ann Moss) to break humans free from the ‘Matrix’ simulation.
In an alternative universe, we could have had Smith in the role of Neo instead, however, he chose to turn down the project in favour of Wild Wild West, which ended up being a commercial and critical failure.
Prior to the video’s release, he released a video on Instagram on January 6, where a computer details why he turned it down.
“In 1997, the Wachowskis offered Will Smith the role of Neo in The Matrix. Smith turned it down. He chose Wild Wild West, believing it was a better fit for him at the time.” it says.
“But the question remains: What would The Matrix have been like with Will Smith as Neo?”
It then ends with text saying ‘Wake up, Will…’ and ‘The Matrix has you…’
While in another Instagram teaser, with Big Sean dressed as Fishburne’s character, the two parody the ‘blue pill or red pill’ scene, where Sean says Smith has made ‘awesome career choices’, however, there’s one he ‘truly regrets’.
Smith has previously addressed his decision to turn down the role before, revealing in a 2019 video on his YouTube channel, that despite the Wachowski’s ‘genius’ pitch, the film didn’t appeal to him – even after the sisters tried to convince him by describing an action sequence.
He said he ‘wasn’t proud’ of turning it down, but he had come to terms with it, adding: “Keanu was perfect. Laurence Fishburne was perfect. If I had done it, because I’m Black, [Fishburne’s character] Morpheus wouldn’t have been Black because they were looking at Val Kilmer [for] Morpheus. So I probably would have messed The Matrix up. I would have ruined it. I did y’all a favor.”
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Featured Image Credit: YouTube/WillSmith
Topics: Will Smith, Music, Celebrity
Callum Jones
Will Smith debuts new gospel tune in first award show appearance since infamous Chris Rock Oscars slap
Two years on from THAT slap, Will Smith has taken to the stage to debut his new single
It’s been a while since we’ve seen Will Smith on stage, so was the wait worth it? Yeah it was.
Two years ago, the Fresh Prince’s world went spiralling out of control after he stormed the stage during Chris Rock‘s presentation at the Oscars in 2022 and slapped him across the face.
It happened at the awards ceremony just before Smith picked up an illusive Academy Award – which he had only been nominated for twice before – for Best Actor for his part in King Richard.
A while has passed since it happened, so let’s go over it again – the then 53-year-old was sat in the audience with wife Jada Pinkett Smith when host Rock made a joke about her being bald.
Pinkett Smith suffers from alopecia areata, an autoimmune condition that causes hair to fall out.
Rock joked during his monologue: “Jada, I love you, GI Jane two, can’t wait to see it!” – which referenced the 1997 film GI Jane, where the lead actress shaved off her hair to join the military.
Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at the Oscars has gone down as one of the most talked-about moments in television history. (Neilson Barnard/Getty Images)
The line drew some laughs from the crowd, including Smith himself, before he realized his wife did not find it funny and in turn, marched on stage to slap Rock before yelling: “Keep my wife’s name out of your f**king mouth.”
It wouldn’t be until a few months later when Smith would issue a public apology to Rock via a YouTube video, with him saying: “I will say to you, Chris, I apologize to you. My behaviour was unacceptable and I’m here whenever you’re ready to talk.”
As a consequence for his actions, the Men in Black actor was banned from attending the Oscars for the next 10 years.
However, Smith has gotten ‘jiggy wit it’ once more after he was invited on stage at the recent BET Awards, an American award show created by the Black Entertainment Television network.
Smith on stage at the BET Awards performing his new single ‘Can I Make It’, featuring Fridayy and the Sunday Service Choir. (Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
The awards celebrate Black entertainers and other minorities in music, film, sports and philanthropy.
He wowed the crowd on Sunday night (30 June) as he performed his new single ‘You Can Make It’ alongside the Sunday Service Choir and Haitian-American singer Fridayy.
Smith, who in 1989 won the first hip-hop Grammy with DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince for Best Rap Performance with their 1988 hit single ‘Parents Just Don’t Understand’, rapped about being ‘broken and tired’.
In his first lines, he sang: “You are in the smoke and the fire, tight rope on the wire; I see you’re broken and tired, and all your hope is expired; you’re just done with the change and the games and the shame.”
The emotion poured out from Smith, who could have been mistaken for a preacher – fitting with the Sunday Service Choir behind him.
He continued in his second verse to rap about how ‘they tried to bleed Will Smith’ and how he endured ‘the darkest of nights’, before adding ‘every storm runs out of rain, hold on’.
The powerful hit single brings a raw Smith to the table, and while the onus on forgiving Smith must come from Rock, you can definitely see he understands what he did was wrong.
‘You Can Make It’ can be streamed on Apple Music and Spotify now.
Featured Image Credit: ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images/MICHAEL TRAN/AFP via Getty Images
Topics: Will Smith, Chris Rock, Oscars, Music, Entertainment
Joe Yates
Will Smith refers to estranged wife Jada Pinkett Smith as one of his ‘ride-or-dies’ despite seven-year separation
Pinkett Smith shocked fans when she revealed she and Smith have been separated since 2016
Will Smith has made clear that he still feels a strong connection to his ‘ride or die’ Jada Pinkett Smith despite their separation.
Though they appeared to the world for years as a loving couple, Pinkett Smith revealed in October 2023 that she and Smith had actually been separated for seven years.
She said at the time the pair were ‘still figuring it out’, but throughout their separation they continued to attend events together.
One such occasion was the 2022 Oscars, where Smith shocked the world by slapping Chris Rock after he made a joke about Pinkett Smith.
The display was enough to prove that Smith still feels protective of his wife, and in a new chat with Entertainment Tonight he discussed the strength of the connection he still feels to her.
The movie star made his comment while promoting his upcoming movie Bad Boys: Ride or Die, when he was asked who he’d consider to be his real-life ‘ride or dies’.
Will and Jada continued to make public appearances. (Lionel Hahn/Getty Images)
As well as listing friends like DJ Jazzy Jeff and Alfonso Ribiero, Smith said Pinkett Smith was up there as one of his confidantes.
“It’s funny, I was just talking about this, I have always been blessed that there has never been a time in my life when I didn’t look to the side and have a ride or die right there,” he said.
“Jada is one of the most gangsta ride-or-die’s I’ve ever had.”
Pinkett Smith has previously spoken of her own ongoing connection to Smith, admitting in 2023 that his actions at the 2022 Oscars helped save the relationship they have.
Will made clear he still has a connection with Jada. (Mike Coppola/Getty Images)
Speaking to the Daily Mail’s YOU Magazine, Pinkett Smith said: “I nearly didn’t even attend the Oscars that year, but I’m glad I did. I call it the ‘holy slap’ now because so many positive things came after it.”
“That moment of the sh*t hitting the fan is when you see where you really are,” Pinkett Smith continued.
“After all those years trying to figure out if I would leave Will’s side, it took that slap for me to see I will never leave him. Who knows where our relationship would be if that hadn’t happened?”
Though the pair tend to keep the inner workings of their relationship private now – just occasionally sharing images together online – both of their comments indicate that they’ll always be there for one another in some at least some capacity.
Featured Image Credit: Jason Merritt/Getty Images/Mike Coppola/Getty Images
Topics: Will Smith, Jada Pinkett Smith, Oscars, Sex and Relationships, Film and TV
Emily Brown
Director of Men in Black reveals one wild act from Will Smith on set forced a ‘three-hour cast and crew evacuation’
Will Smith was said to have been very apologetic after the ordeal
Barry Sonnenfeld has recalled an unfortunate filming faux pas involving Will Smith that occurred on the set of Men in Black.
The first Men in Black film was released in 1997 and three more instalments of the franchise have since followed suit.
Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones headed three of the movies, all of which were directed by Sonnenfeld.
With his years in the industry in mind, Sonnenfeld has recently published a new book titled Best Possible Place, Worst Possible Time: True Stories from a Career in Hollywood Barry Sonnenfeld where the 71-year-old shares some insight into his decades-long career.
Promoting his new book, Sonnenfeld sat down with Kelly Ripa for a new episode of her SiriusXM podcast Let’s Talk Off Camera.
Recalling a time that he was getting ready to shoot with Lee Jones and Smith, Sonnenfeld shared: “We were getting ready to shoot Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones, and Tommy does not suffer fools, I’ll tell you that.”
Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones, Barry Sonnenfeld and Josh Brolin pictured in 2012 (Steve Granitz/WireImage)
He went on: “They have to be put in this device, which is [a car] that transforms into a hyper car, and [they’re] going to go through the Midtown tunnel upside down. We have to bring a ladder over on wheels like it’s like the old days when you would get on airplanes from the tarmac.
“We get them up there and we put them in the thing and we turn it upside down and we’re ready to shoot.”
The two actors had to be ‘hermetically sealed’ into the car when Smith reportedly made a grave error.
Sonnenfeld went on: “I hear Will Smith go, ‘Oh, Jesus, so sorry. Tommy, so sorry. Baz, get the ladder.’ And you hear Tommy saying, ‘That’s fine, Will. No worries, Will. Don’t worry, Will.'”
The Men in Black scene Sonnenfeld was referring to (Columbia Pictures)
Panicked, the team rushed to get the two Hollywood stars out of the plane as Sonnenfeld came to learn what happened.
“What happened was, Will Smith is a farter,” he continued to tell Ripa.
“It’s just some people are, and you really don’t want to be inside a very small hermetically sealed space with a Will Smith fart. You don’t even want to be sitting next to him at the Disney ranch.”
Sonnenfeld added: “We evacuated the stage for about three hours, and that’s incredible. He’s a lovely guy, just he farts. Some do, some don’t.”
It happens to the best of us, Barry!
Other notable films Sonnenfeld has worked on over his career includes The Addams Family, Big, Wild Wild West, and When Harry Met Sally.
UNILAD has contacted representatives for Will Smith for comment.
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Featured Image Credit: Jim Spellman/Getty Images/Columbia Pictures
Topics: Celebrity, Film and TV, Hollywood, Will Smith
Niamh Shackleton
Jaden Smith explains his ‘weird’ behavior over the years and why ‘it’s not exactly going to plan’
The son of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith has opened up about feeling misunderstood
Jaden Smith has opened up about ‘trying to fit in’ but appearing ‘weird’ and what he’s realized in the process.
As the son of Aladdin actor Will Smith and Red Table Talk host Jada Pinkett Smith, the 26-year-old rapper has had to grow up while also navigating life in the spotlight – so it’s no wonder normality may be a bit of a strange concept to him.
An interview between Complex and Smith recently came out, with the interviewer noting the meeting was ‘somehow even weirder than expected’.
The article described Smith as being in a ‘daze,’ responding with ‘completely unrelated answers’ and ‘mostly’ quoting from Twilight – yes, the Jacob, Bella, Edward love triangle movie – even reaching for quotes he had written down and allegedly kept in his pocket. The interviewer resolved: “I’m happy to report that he’s weirder than ever.”
When asked why it’s ‘important’ to him to ‘be weird,’ Smith is said to have responded noting he’s often wanted to be considered ‘normal’, but it’s ended up backfiring so he’s just settled – and is ultimately happier – being considered strange.
And Smith has since opened up further about all the weirdness.
Growing up in such a famous family, it’s not hard to see why Jaden Smith has struggled with the idea of what’s ‘normal’ (Lionel Hahn/Getty Images)
In a post to Twitter on Saturday (October 19), Smith said: “All The Weird S**t You’ve Ever Seen Me Do Was Me Thinking I Was Totally Normal, So Now Sometimes I Try To Act Weird On Purpose So Yall Think It’s On Purpose,
“But At The End Of The Day I’ve Been Trying To Fit In This Whole Time And I Guess It’s Not Exactly Going To Plan.”
Breaking it down further to Complex, he said ‘because [he] went through a lot of [his] life trying to be normal’, it was ‘a really big deal’ for him ‘for a long time’ that people thought he was ‘normal’ too.
However, it began ‘bothering’ him ‘after a while’ and feeling like ‘people didn’t really understand’ him or ‘see’ him, he resolved to just embrace who he was.
“Sometimes it’s so frustrating to watch people try to follow the ‘normal’ thing to do when that’s not what they really want to do in their art and everything. It’s very frustrating. And then you see people fall into it and generations of people fall into it. So I actively try to be myself,” he resolved.
And it’s not taken long for fans of the star to take to his social media post in support of the star.
Jaden Smith has spoken out about trying to ‘fit in’ (Getty Images/ James Devaney/GC Images)
One Twitter user said: “Just do you Jaden fr ,, MISFITS.”
And a second wrote: “be your self and the world will love and accept you for who you are , it is okay not to fit in or love by all , the few who appreciate you will love and accept you .
at the long run it all about you and doing things that will make you happy.”
