Will Smith exploded on the scene in the late ’80s with DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, a colorful Hip Hop duo that relied on comedy to set themselves apart.
With songs such as “Parents Just Don’t Understand” and “Nightmare On My Street,” they also made the decision to keep the lyrics squeaky clean. Consequently, Smith was often referred to as a “soft” rapper, which he admits he never liked.
Speaking to David Letterman on a recent episode of the Netflix series My Next Guest Needs No Introduction, Smith expounded on the topic and revealed he only kept his music curse-free out of respect for his grandmother.
“That was really our major distinguishing quality at the time,” he said. “It was comedy, it was punchlines, it was fun. We stood out in a really good way. We sort of had our own lane … it was always that I was soft. I hated that, being called soft.”
As Smith continued, he explained a letter he got from his grandmother changed everything. Smith said she told him how talented he was and didn’t need to curse to stand out. He added, “That was the reason I never cursed in any of my records.”
Will Smith Tells Letterman He Had A Drug-Induced Vision About His Life Being Destroyed
Smith covered an array of topics during his interview with Letterman, including an ayahuasca-induced vision in which he saw his whole life fall apart.
“I drank, and it usually takes about 45 minutes to kick in,” Smith told Letterman. “And I’m sitting there and you always feel like, ‘Maybe it won’t kick in this time.’ So I’m drinking and sitting there and then all of a sudden it’s like I start seeing all of my money flying away, and my house is flying away and my career is going away. Then slowly, I stopped caring about my money, I just wanted to get to Willow. I stopped caring about my house, I stopped caring about my career.”
Smith recently took another spiritual journey to India following the infamous Oscars slap in March. He’s since remained mostly out of the public eye as he works toward healing.
You need to drop a slim shady straight up gangster shocking album
Will Smith is a soft cuck
He made is his mistake he apologize. He is human never seen this man come out character. I’m sure his emotions got the best of him and he reacted. I’m sure the after thought embarrassed him just as much. Allow him to be human except the apology and move on. There are so many more bigger problems.
Fresh Prince > Will Smith
Will Smith don’t gotta cuss in his raps to sell records (Nope) Well, I do, so fuck him and fuck you too!
Will smith kept his integrity while making his music. So why you mad because you feel like you can’t do the same. Get out of here with that nonsense. You choose to curse. Why because like every other person it makes the record sell that’s nonsense too. Will Smith is not soft he hard for not caving into the stereotypical nonsense as someone else’s definition.
he’s a pussy for not releasing new music for ages.
He don’t need to release any new music. His music still good. He makes movies he has a new gig! Stay in your lane!
this is a stupid article that depends on readers lack of knowledge of anything. Will Smith is the biggest rapper of all time. He didn’t refuse to do anything. If you’re doing an interview and someone asks you a question you answer it. no one like being labelled “soft” but he wasn’t losing no sleep trust me. he wasn’t clutching on some bandana hoping to get jumped into gang. anyone who was around back then knows first will smith was famous off rap long before the first video or the first sitcom pilot. he doesn’t care about no damn eminem or ice cube. he was never trying to be that and he was worth tens of millions before anyone heard of Dr Dre