The notorious slap made headlines after the 2022 Oscars that noticed Will Smith storm the stage dwell and slap presenter Chris Rock throughout the face over a joke about his spouse Jada Pinkett-Smith.
Though many would possibly assume Will Smith would need to attempt to transfer the narrative needle away from the notorious 2022 Oscars slap that shocked the nation nearly as a lot because it did Chris Rock, he appeared to revisit the second in a latest freestyle rap.
The Unhealthy Boys star just lately dropped by British DJ Charlie Sloth’s Hearth within the Sales space — a showcase for rappers to point out off their lyrical creativity by dropping improvised freestyle raps — and he positively went there.
It got here when he hit the second verse, with Smith rapping, “I’m not the kind of man to maneuver in malicious methods / and I’m too grown to play infantile video games / In case you speaking loopy out your face up on the stage and disrespect me on the stage, anticipate me on the stage.”
He went on so as to add, “Jokers dish it out, cry foul when it’s time to take it / Metropolis stuffed with actual ones, wasn’t raised to faux it.”
Whereas Smith did not particularly say Rock’s identify or element what got here to be often called “the slap” within the decidedly NSFW clip, it definitely appears to be a reference to the second that not less than briefly derailed the main man’s profession, resulting in an apology, an Oscars ban, and him stepping again briefly.
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It is also not the primary time Smith has alluded to the stunning occasion in latest months. His March 2025 album launch Primarily based on a True Story, additionally options traces that seem to reference it, together with the opening monitor the place Smith raps, “Him and Jada each loopy, woman, what you talkin’ bout? / You higher preserve his spouse’s identify out of your mouth.”
The triggering second got here in the course of the 2022 ceremony with Smith sitting near the entrance of the stage after his efficiency within the 2021 movie King Richard. Smith’s spouse, Jada Pinkett-Smith, was by his facet as Rock was introducing the Greatest Documentary class.
Throughout his introductory moments, Rock appeared to make a fast apart when he noticed Pinkett-Smith within the viewers. “Jada, I really like you,” he mentioned. “G.I. Jane 2, cannot wait to see ya.”
G.I. Jane was a 1997 movie starring Demi Moore, along with her shaved head considered one of its most talked about components on the time. Pinkett-Smith was confidently bald-headed on the 2022 Oscars, 4 years after she had opened up about dwelling with alopecia.
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Following the joke, Smith obtained out of his seat and walked as much as the stage, the place he abruptly slapped Rock arduous throughout the face earlier than returning to his seat and shouting repeatedly, “Preserve my spouse’s identify out your f–king mouth!”
“Will Smith simply smacked the s–t out of me,” Rock declared, leaving shocked followers unsure if this was some sort of comedy bit. It wasn’t.
Within the weeks that adopted, Smith made a public apology for his actions with out mentioning Rock, whereas the standup comedian talked in regards to the incident in his exhibits. Pinkett-Smith mentioned she felt there could possibly be a connection to her 2016 boycott of the Oscars amid the #OscarsSoWhite controversy, when Rock was internet hosting the ceremony.
In the end, Smith resigned from the Academy and was hit with a 10-year ban, that means he can’t attend any Academy-related occasions, nearly or in real-life, for the length. His work can nonetheless be nominated.
