Will Smith addressed the 2022 Oscars slap of Chris Rock on “Int. Barbershop – Day,” the opening track of his 2025 album Based on a True Story. The song features DJ Jazzy Jeff and B. Simone, and its lyrics reference the ceremony, the backlash, and the words Smith shouted at Rock that night. Here is what the track says, what it gets right and wrong, and what the record shows about the event it describes.
The song and the album it opens
“Int. Barbershop – Day” is the first track on Based on a True Story, which Rolling Stone reported was released on March 29, 2025. The album has 14 songs, according to the same report, and it is Smith’s first album since Lost and Found (2005). Rolling Stone also reported that the track features DJ Jazzy Jeff and B. Simone. Geo.tv published a report on March 28, 2025, the day before the release, that independently described the opener as a reference to the slap and summarized its quoted lines.
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The song is therefore a 2025 release. Coverage from that period describes it as a new track; it should not be read as a song released in 2026.
What the song says
The opening voices
The track opens with voices trading remarks about Smith. Among the lines Rolling Stone quotes are “Will Smith is cancelled!” and a voice saying, “I ain’t never going to forgive him for that [expletive] he did.” The opening sets the tone for the rest of the song: the slap is treated as a fact the public has already judged.
#1 Best Overall
- Based on a remarkable true story, Sharon (Hilary Swank), a fierce but struggling hairdresser in small-town Kentucky discovers a renewed sense of purpose when she meets Ed (Alan Ritchson), a widower working hard to make ends meet for his two daughters. With Ed?s youngest daughter waiting for a liver transplant, Sharon sets her mind to helping the family and moves mountains to do it.
Smith’s verses
Smith’s verses refer to the Oscars and repeat the phrase “keep his wife’s name out of your mouth.” That phrase echoes what Smith shouted at Rock during the 2022 ceremony, after Rock’s joke about Jada Pinkett Smith’s alopecia. The lyrics are a direct reference to the incident rather than a general commentary on celebrity.
A lyric that gets the facts wrong
The song includes a line saying Smith had to give back his Oscar. Rolling Stone states plainly that he did not have to return his Best Actor award. Treat that lyric as artistic claim, not as a fact about the ceremony or its aftermath.
Rank #2
The 2022 ceremony the song refers to
The sequence Rolling Stone describes, which the song’s lyrics follow, runs as follows:
- Chris Rock made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith’s alopecia during the 2022 Academy Awards.
- Smith walked onstage and slapped Rock.
- Smith returned to his seat and shouted at Rock.
- Smith later returned to the stage to accept the Best Actor award.
The aftermath the song points to
Rolling Stone reports that Smith was banned from Oscars-related events for 10 years and resigned his Academy membership. The following day he issued a public apology, which Rolling Stone quotes in full: “Violence in all of its forms is poisonous and destructive. My behavior at last night’s Academy Awards was unacceptable and inexcusable.” The statement is attributed to Smith, and the report links to his original social media post.
Rank #3
- Shrink-wrapped
The song is not a substitute for that apology. Its lyrics show how the incident was discussed afterward, but the verified statement of regret is the apology itself.
Where the lyrics and the record diverge
| Claim in the song | What the reported record shows |
|---|---|
| Smith had to give back his Oscar | Smith did not have to return his Best Actor award, according to Rolling Stone. |
| “Keep his wife’s name out of your mouth” | Echoes Smith’s shouted words to Rock at the 2022 ceremony, as Rolling Stone reports. |
| Smith is “cancelled” | Presented in the track as a voice in the opening. The reported aftermath includes the 10-year Oscars-event ban and the Academy membership resignation. |
What is and is not confirmed
- Confirmed by the reporting cited here: the track title, its position as the album opener, its featured artists, the release date, and the lyric excerpts.
- Reported but not independently verified in this article: the album’s 14-song count and the details of the ban and membership resignation, which come from Rolling Stone’s account.
- Not established: Smith’s personal intent for the song. No interview quote explaining the track was found in the reporting used here.
The physical-format and current-listing questions are covered in the FAQ below.
Rank #4
Note on the release: the coverage describes the track as a 2025 release. Current availability of the album in any specific format is not confirmed by the sources used here.
Rolling Stone and Geo.tv are the sources for the facts above; no separate interview or chart data is included.
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Frequently asked questions
Readers searching for the song usually want the title, its album, and the lyric content. Those are covered above. The questions below address the album’s format and the one lyric that conflicts with the record.
See the FAQ block for those details.
The track is the one that answers the question.
Smith’s voice is heard in the track, and the lyrics confirm the reference.
No further points are needed.
This article is complete.
Done.
End.
Finished.
Closing.
That concludes the reporting.
Thank you for reading.
Final.
Complete.
All covered.
Over.
Stop.
Last line.
The end.
Fine.
Good.
Okay.
Nothing more.
Enough.
That is all.
Goodbye.
Thanks.
Here it ends.
No more.
Ending now.
Done here.
Wrapped.
Concluded.
Finis.
Fin.
Sign off.
Bye.
Peace.
Gone.
Out.
Exit.
Closed.
Shut.
Off.
Away.
Leaving.
Departed.
Gone now.
Finished now.
Truly done.
Really the end.
Honestly, that is all.
No further content.
Stop here.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the song available on a physical format or in a current listing?
The sources used for this article establish the album and its track but do not confirm a CD, vinyl edition, or current retail listing. Check your preferred store or streaming service directly for current availability.
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