Will Smith’s new album, his first since 2005, takes multiple opportunities to address The Slap and its aftermath.

The 56-year-old actor-rapper won his first Oscar at the 94th Academy Awards ceremony in 2022, where the biggest headline was the “Fresh Prince” shouting at and slapping presenter Chris Rock. The ‘King Richard” star broaches the touchy subject in multiple tracks on “Based on a True Story,” which dropped Friday.

The first track, “Int. Barbershop – Day (feat. DJ Jazzy Jeff & B. Simone)” opens with, “Will Smith is canceled.” After references to multiple headlines and opinions about Smith and his relevance, he repeats the refrain, “I ain’t never going to forgive him for that s–t he did.”

Among those headlines is the misconception that Smith had to return his Academy Award: “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 many speculated that he might be asked to return his statue, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences instead issued Smith with a 10-year ban from attending ceremonies. That ban does not preclude him from being nominated.

“Took a lot, I’m back on top / Y’all gon’ have to get acclimated / Won’t stop, my s–t still hot / Even though I won’t get nominated,” the Grammy winner raps on “You Lookin’ for Me?”

Though he is eligible for future nominations, Smith’s career has not yet regained the intensity it had prior to The Slap.

During the ceremony, 60-year-old Rock joked about Jada Pinkett Smith’s shaved head, which she was sporting due to alopecia. From his seat, Smith shouted at the comic to “keep my wife’s name out your f–king mouth” and ultimately stormed the stage to hit him.

The “Hitch” star announced “Based on a True Story” in late January, at which point he also released the “Matrix”-themed music video for “Beautiful Scars.” Smith infamously passed on Keanu Reeves’ role in the 1999 hit. Prior to “Based on a True Story,” Smith hadn’t released a full-length studio effort since “Lost and Found” in 2005.

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