Will Smith addresses Chris Rock on the Oscar and cancellation in music

Will Smith turned one of the most talked about episodes in the Oscar history – and his career – in “Int. Barbershop Day” verses. The song brings together criticism and comments about the slap the artist gave in Chris Rock at the Oscar awards ceremony in 2022.

“I will never forgive him for that shit he did / I heard he’s bad, I heard that he won the Oscar / but had to return / And you know they just made him do it because he’s black,” excerpts say.

The artist turned the episode and the events that followed him into songs into “Based on a True Story”, his first solo album in 20 years. In production, the rapper explores topics such as cancellation, fame, racism, relationship, among other aspects of his life used to criticize him after the incident in 2022.

In the track, which suggests portraying one day in the barber shop, voices echo simulate ballroom conversations. There are comments on the artist’s public fall after the Oscar aggression, questions to his ability to be a good father and comments about his marriage to Jada Smith.

The song alternates contrary speeches and in favor of the artist, such as “Will Smith is canceled” and “Oh, you can’t cancel an icon”, and put it to your artistic relevance, from cinema to music.

Will Smith won in 2022 the best actor Oscar for “King Richard: Creating Champions”, in which he plays the father and coach of tennis players Venus and Serena Williams. The actor’s first statuette, however, was overshadowed by the slap in Chris Rock after the comedian made a joke about Jada’s alopecia.

“You better keep his wife’s name out of his mouth,” says the verse of the song alluding to the actor’s speech at the time.

Banned for ten years of the ceremony, he even apologized publicly. Will talked about the episode a few times and recorded videos expressing regret, but had a discreet profile since then. Rock, in turn, addressed the theme in his stand-up special in 2023 more aggressively.