Will Smith

Questlove Reveals that Will Smith Was Supposed to Make A Surprise Appearance At Grammys, but Had to Cancel Due to Bad Boys 4 Filming

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Grammys 50th Anniversary of Hip Hop Tribute

It’s been a while since Will Smith has been on a stage at an awards show, but allegedly, he was scheduled to make a surprise appearance at the Grammy’s this past Sunday night. However, his comeback performance was derailed due to conflicts with filming Bad Boys 4.

In the weeks leading up to the Grammy’s, host Trevor Noah had hinted that there would be surprise guest appearances, but had kept quiet about specifics. However, Questlove, who produced a 10-minute 50th anniversary of hip-hop tribute performance for the ceremony, let one no-show surprise guest name slip on the red carpet.

Questlove told a Variety reporter that he was going to give the spoiler alert away. “Will Smith was a part of the festivities tonight, but they started shooting Bad Boys 4 this week. There were a lot of preliminary shots that he had to do, so we had to lose Will.”

The show did, however, go on without Smith. Missy Elliott, Run-DMC, LL Cool J, The Roots, Big Boi, Busta Rhymes, GloRilla, Rakim, Ice-T, Lil Baby, GloRilla, Lil Uzi Vert, and more showcased their talents in a commemorative tribute to the genre.

Before the performance, Dr. Dre was honored with the inaugural Dr. Dre Global Impact Award. He spoke about the impact that hip-hop had on him while saying that he was happy to be influencing the next generation of artists. The full performance can be seen below.

Questlove said that pulling off the show took a lot of hard work, telling the New York Times that “it was a lot of mountains to move to make this happen,” noting that Will Smith was not the only celebrity who couldn’t make it. Future and Lil’ Wayne also had toco cancel due to other commitments.

It’s been almost a year since Will Smith slapped Chris Rock at the Oscars in March of 2022.

The post Questlove Reveals that Will Smith Was Supposed to Make A Surprise Appearance At Grammys, but Had to Cancel Due to Bad Boys 4 Filming appeared first on The Source.

Questlove Reveals Why Will Smith Skipped Grammys Hip Hop 50th Tribute

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We know your timelines must be overrun with Grammys highlights, and we’re offering another from Questlove. The Roots icon helped co-curate the ceremony’s tribute for Hip Hop’s 50th Anniversary, and it was a sight to behold. Generations of the culture shared the stage as pioneers revisited their classic hits. Younger artists like Lil Uzi Vert even did their famed TikTok dances. It’s just one of the many ways Hip Hop will be celebrated this year, but fans noticed there were hitmakers missing from the Grammy honor.

Understandably, not everyone could be included in the tribute. Some artists have already taken to social media to verbalize their disappointment after being excluded. According to Questlove, Will Smith was supposed to join the dozens of other Hip Hop pioneers on stage. However, his prior engagement kept him from the Grammys this year.

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“I’ll give the spoiler alert away. Will Smith was a part of the festivities tonight, but they started shooting ‘Bad Boys 4’ this week,” Quest told Variety while on the Grammys red carpet. “There were a lot of preliminary shots that he had to do, so we had to lose Will.” He also recognized that getting Smith was a “shot in the dark” because the actor consistently works on films. Additionally, others like LL Cool J, Ice-T, and Queen Latifah dipped out on filming their television shows to make the tribute.

When chatting with Essence, Questlove further shared that the original collaborative performance was slated for a longer running time. “It took about four weeks to put this together,” he said. “My first draft was closer to 20 minutes, and Jesse Collins wasn’t having that. He was like, ‘There’s not enough budget in the world to clear all these songs and all these flights.’”

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA FEBRUARY 5: 65th GRAMMY AWARDS An array of rappers perform a tribute to the 50th anniversary of hip hop at the 65th Grammy Awards, held at the Crytpo.com Arena on February 5, 2023. — (Photo by Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
Read More: Grammy Voters Didn’t Cast Ballots For Beyoncé Because She Wins Too Many Awards

Although he may not have received the time he wanted, he made it work. “Still, it’s 14 minutes and we’re starting from the beginning. From Grand Master Flash to Future — from Flash to the Future and everything in between. And I’m glad that I started out when Hip-Hop was taboo and now we not only have a seat at the table, we are the table.”

Smith’s appearance at the Grammys would have been his first live music performance since his infamous Oscars moment. Last year’s controversy set him in a negative light, but it seems that he has put it all behind him.

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Questlove Explained Why Will Smith Had To Back Out Of The 2023 Grammys’ All-Star Hip-Hop Tribute

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Questlove Grammys 2023
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We’re approaching the one-year anniversary of “The Slap.” Last March, Will Smith waltzed on stage during the 2022 Oscars and slapped Chris Rock after Rock made a distasteful joke about Jada Pinkett Smith. And though Rock declined to file charges, Smith is banned from attending the Oscars for the next decade.

Smith is not banned from attending the Grammys, though, and people noticed his absence on Sunday night, February 5. The 2023 Grammys featured a medley performance celebrating hip-hop’s 50th anniversary. The segment was directed and produced by Questlove, introduced by LL Cool J, and narrated by Black Thought.

DJ Jazzy Jeff was one of many legendary artists to perform, but where was Smith, aka/fka The Fresh Prince?

Questlove told Entertainment Tonight that Smith was “99.4 percent” committed to performing, “but they started shooting Bad Boys 4 this week, so he couldn’t make rehearsals.” Questlove added, “He wanted to do it.”

For those keeping score at home, Questlove apparently doesn’t hold grudges. Smith’s slap occurred as Rock was presenting the Oscar for Best Documentary. The award went to Questlove for Summer Of Soul, and Smith later apologized to Questlove for overshadowing his first Academy Award.

Smith posted a video last July apologizing not only to Questlove but to Rock, Rock’s mother, Rock’s entire family, his own family, and more.

“It really breaks my heart to have stolen and tarnished your moment,” Smith said to his “fellow nominees” in the video. “I can still see Questlove’s eyes. It happened on Questlove’s award, and you know, it’s like, ‘I’m sorry’ really isn’t sufficient.”

Watch the 50-year hip-hop anniversary tribute below.

Serena Williams Says Will Smith Deserves Forgiveness After Oscars Slap

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Will Smith faced the wrath of cancel culture firsthand during the Oscars last year. The viral moment where he slapped Chris Rock across the face has been immortalized on the Internet. Many people continue to denounce Smith because of his actions. Others went as far as saying that he left them traumatized.

Though the incident left Will Smith banned from attending the award show for the next 10 years, he also won the first Oscar of his career. Smith took home the award for Best Actor for his role as Serena and Venus Williams’ father in King Richard. The win was not only significant for Smith but for the entire Williams family. 

Serena Williams recently sat down with Gayle King for CBS Morning where she opened up about the moment. She explained that she thought the film was “incredible,” while also showing love to Summer Of Soul, which won Best Documentary immediately after Will Smith slapped Chris Rock. However, her attitude towards Smith didn’t mirror the majority. 

HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – NOVEMBER 14: (L-R) Serena Williams, Will Smith, and Venus Williams attend the 2021 AFI Fest – Closing Night Premiere of Warner Bros. “King Richard” at TCL Chinese Theatre on November 14, 2021 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)

Williams explained that she feels more people need to offer compassion. She said that she’s also been in a position where she faced immense pressure and made mistakes in the process. Ultimately, she said Will Smith deserves forgiveness in the aftermath of the incident.

“​​I also feel that I’ve been in a position where I’ve been under a lot of pressure and made a tremendous amount of mistakes,” Williams said. “I’m the kind of person that’s like, I’ve been there, I’ve made a mistake, it’s not the end of the world. We’re all imperfect and we’re all human, and let’s just be kind to each other. And I think that’s often forgotten a lot.”

Since the Oscars, Will Smith’s publicly apologized on numerous occasions for his actions. He shared a statement days after the incident. Then, he provided a more in-depth apology in a video released in July, while adding that he tried to reach out to Chris Rock to personally apologize.

“There is no part of me that thinks that was the right way to behave in that moment,”  Smith said. “There’s no part of me that thinks that’s the optimal way to handle a feeling of disrespect or insults.”

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Mike Lowry and Marcus Burnett Going for the 4-Peat: ‘Bad Boys 4’ Pre-Production Underway

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Mike Lowry and Marcus Burnett Going for the 4-Peat: 'Bad Boys 4' Pre-Production Underway

Bad Boys 4 is on the way! Will Smith hit social media and revealed he has linked back up with Martin Lawrence, and pre-production on their fourth film is underway.

The film is in pre-production at Sony Pictures, returning Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah to the director chair.

Bad Boys for Life hit theaters in a pre-pandemic world, bringing in over $400 million at the worldwide box office. According to Deadline, the film had a four-day opening of $73 million.

Back producing are Jerry Bruckheimer, Doug Belgrad, Smith for Westbrook, and Chad Oman; executive producing are Martin Lawrence, James Lassiter, Mike Stenson, Barry Waldman, and Jon Mone.

You can see the reconnecting moment below.

The post Mike Lowry and Marcus Burnett Going for the 4-Peat: ‘Bad Boys 4’ Pre-Production Underway appeared first on The Source.

Will Smith & Martin Lawrence Announce “Bad Boys 4” Is On the Way

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Bad Boys

Will Smith and Martin Lawrence recently announced the making of Bad Boys 4 is in the works. In a video, Smith is seen with a gimbal in hand, heading to Lawrence’s house to confirm the news officially. SOHH family, It’s official. Miami’s finest has another case on their hands. Mike Lowry and Marcus Burnett are […]

The post Will Smith & Martin Lawrence Announce “Bad Boys 4” Is On the Way appeared first on SOHH.com.

Will Smith & Martin Lawrence Announce “Bad Boys 4”

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Detectives Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett are returning to the screen for Bad Boys 4.

Will Smith and Martin Lawrence will return for a new installment in the buddy-cop film series. Sony Pictures confirmed Bad Boys 4 is currently in pre-production following recent speculation. Chris Bremner handled the script and Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah returned as the directors.

It doesn’t come as much of a surprise that the duo will return to their beloved roles. Bad Boys For Life debuted in 2020 and brought in $59M in its opening weekend at the box office. However, there have been several delays in the past three years, though the infamous Oscars moment wasn’t one of them. Sony chairman Tom Rothman revealed that the film wasn’t held up due to the controversial incident.

“No. That was inaccurate,” Rothman said. “That movie’s been in development and still is. There weren’t any brakes to pump because the car wasn’t moving. That was a very unfortunate thing that happened, and I don’t think it’s really my place to comment, except to say that I’ve known Will Smith for many years, and I know him to be a good person. That was an example of a very good person having a very bad moment, in front of the world. I believe his apology and regret is genuine, and I believe in forgiveness and redemption.”

HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 14: (L-R) Will Smith and Martin Lawrence attend the premiere of Columbia Pictures’ “Bad Boys For Life” at TCL Chinese Theatre on January 14, 2020 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

Martin Lawrence echoed a similar sentiment afterward, confirming that they “got one more at least.”

In addition to Bad Boys 4, a report from The Sun indicated that Smith will also return to his role as Genie in the next Aladdin movie.

Happy 55th Birthday Rakim! 5 Rappers That Made Careers Sounding Like The God MC

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Screen Shot 2023 01 28 at 6.12.33 PM

Born on this date in 1968, William Griffith Jr. aka Rakim Allah is considered the greatest emcee to ever touch the mic. His debut album along with DJ Eric B., Paid In Full, is a necessary piece of Hip-Hop’s creative history, used as an instructional tool to many up-and-coming emcees and deejays as a style and sound to emulate. There were a few emcees who cashed checks sounding like the “R”, so since it’s said that mockery is the best form of flattery, TheSource.com put together this list of Rakim soundalikes who owe the God some recognition for borrowing from his style.

King Sun
The 6’8″ emcee, whose raps were also saturated with Five Percent Nation vernacular, had a flow and vocal tone that was very similar to Rakim, and being that he came out after Ra, his music immediately drew many comparisons.

MC Rell
With all due respect, this guy was the epitome of what Hip-Hop considered a “biter.” Rell not only dressed exactly like Rakim on his Follow The Leader album cover but only true Rakim fans and Hip-Hop aficionados could tell the difference between this copycat and the 18th Letter. Needless to say, his career was very short-lived.

Antoinette
As the only female on this list, her voice couldn’t possibly sound like the God, but she tried extremely hard to mimic his flow in order to get recognition in the male-dominated field of emceeing. Needless to say, her nemesis and pioneer femcee MC Lyte, used that in her “Beat Biter” battle record, saying, “..you should win a prize as a Rakim soundalike..”

Will Smith on “Summertime”
In possibly one of his most celebrated singles, the lyrical funnyman borrowed Rakim’s slow flow and monotone voice instead of his regular, quirky octave that most fans of his TV sitcom, The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air, are familiar with.

Grand Daddy I.U.
The rapper known for his “Something New” fame dropped several albums with a voice, flow, and cadence that was identical to Rakim. I.U. passed away in December 2022. RIP

The post Happy 55th Birthday Rakim! 5 Rappers That Made Careers Sounding Like The God MC appeared first on The Source.

Nia Long Talks Will Smith’s “Burden” Of Representing “What Perfection Looks Like”

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Plenty of industry’s elite who called Will Smith a friend turned their backs on him following the Oscars incident, but not Nia Long. Smith has returned to work full force with the release of Emancipation, but it will be a long road for him to regain respect from his peers. The infamous moment when he slapped Chris Rock on the Oscars stage devastated the icon’s reputation, but those who know Smith well, like Long, are commending his strength to recover.

“I will always love him. He’s had an incredible career, and he’s carried a burden for many years to try — to represent what perfection looks like,” Long told Yahoo‘s Kevin Polowy. “Or what achievement looks like.”

Read More: Tyrese Defends Will Smith After Eddie Murphy Golden Globes Joke

The actress goes way back with the Fresh Prince star, as she portrayed his girlfriend on the hit 1990s sitcom.

“I don’t think that — at least when we were growing up — there was room to be human,” Long also said. “I think he’s now able to be human.”

She’s grateful that she’s amassed the success she has while still being able to lead a somewhat regular life. According to Long, she gets recognized in the street, but no one is chasing her down.

“We all have our moments in life where we need to reconcile things that we suppress,” she said. “And I think — it’s hard growing up in this business and being front and center every day, all day.”

Nia Long and Will Smith during “ATL” Los Angeles Premeire – Arrivals at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, California, United States. (Photo by Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic)
Read More: Will Smith Says “Emancipation” Has Helped Him Overcome Oscars Slap

Elsewhere, she discussed the rough few months she’s faced. While she didn’t name her ex Ime Udoka’s cheating scandal, viewers read between the lines. The pair split after 13 years together when news of his infidelities stormed the headlines.

“I’ve had some pretty devastating moments in my life over the last couple of months, and I’ve had to just say ‘It’s alright. You’ll pick yourself back up’ — oh, my God I’m about to cry,” Long said. “You pick yourself back up, and you keep it moving.”

Check out clips from her interview below.

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