Will Smith faced the most infamous moment of his career in March 2022 when, on what was meant to be his night of triumph at the Oscars, he ended up banned by the Academy for slapping Chris Rock . Three years later, he has used the notorious encounter for fuel on his new album Based on a True Story .

Among the topics mentioned on Smith's new album is his first Oscar win in 2022 and the now-infamous incident in which he slapped Chris Rock during that awards ceremony, leading to his 10-year ban from the event and rumors the award would be rescinded. In the end, Smith was not asked to return the award.