Nobody wants that from him

Photo: Christopher Polk/Billboard/Getty Images

Will Smith’s image rehabilitation tour picked up speed over the weekend with the release of “You Can Make It,” a whirlwind gospel-rap song featuring Philadelphia singer-songwriter Fridayy (DJ Khaled’s “God Did,” Lil Baby’s “Forever”) and Ye’s Sunday Service. Just weeks after Bad Boys: Ride or Die unveiled the dancehall and breakbeats collaboration “LIGHT EM UP” with Sean Paul, “You Can Make It” signals Smith’s interest in releasing a new album sometime on the horizon, his first since 2005 Lost and found. A live performance of the single provided the obligatory gospel pop at last night’s BET Awards, where Smith rapped on scorched earth surrounded by flames about overcoming nebulous trials and tribulations: “The harder the fall, the higher you soar / God opens a window when the devil closes the door / Believe me, they tried to bleed Will Smith dry / In the rearview mirror, I see the adversity was the gift.” The choir leaned over, offering words of motivation, and rain doused the flames as Kirk Franklin marched onto a stage, pushing back the smoke with an orange glow, like sunlight dissolving a blanket of clouds.

The mood echoed the opening pair of spiritual themes in “LIGHT EM UP”: “Back in this bitch like I never left / The devil came to get me, should have been wearing a vest.” It really does sound like Smith has been working on a gospel project about how he got over the disdain of beating the fire out of Chris Rock at the 2022 Academy Awards before winning his first Best Actor trophy. It’s a confusing development, as hitting on heavyweights in your field at public events is largely considered a massive mistake unless Their job is that of a boxer or a rapper. Smith, who returned to the business as the latter, could Sell ​​a collection of international club tracks, pretend nothing unfortunate has happened, and ride the success of Bad BoysHemmers and Hawers be damned. But in a decade in which his juicy 2021 memoir will and Jada Pinkett Smith’s Red Table Discussion The show gave insight into the inner workings of the now-separated couple’s married life, a time of over-sharing of information where the urge to showcase spiritual and psychological growth and combine art, wellness and commerce continues.

“You Can Make It” is insistently motivational but also indistinct, a test drive of an old-fashioned song structure: martial drums and mournful strings bolster soaring vocals while downcast, determined verses lead to rousing choruses. It’s the kind of song people call John Legend for, the kind of song Eminem drops the equal-rights-offender gag for. The flows are groomed enough to command attention; the first half plods out a sluggish rendition of Em’s “The Way I Am,” while the second half sways like on the BET Awards takes on a Jay-Z-esque touch. (With all due respect, it’s still great fun to theorize about Smith’s ghostwriter.) The message is delivered in the form of sayings from the personal trainer – “We all have a cross to bear / But there’s wisdom in the fire / And every moment is an opportunity / Embrace the journey” – which, above all, reminds listeners that Big Willie is gone Ali at Pookie and must now exude calm and credibility to potential business partners who may have gotten cold feet in the wake of the Oscar rush.

The wave hasn’t subsided. In a recent podcast episode, sports reporter Stephen A. Smith expressed his continued outrage: “At some point he needs to sit down and talk to the black community.” Rob Schneider called the incident a “deep, dark thing” on Australian radio. “You Can Make It” addresses the wave in Smith’s public perception, where longtime fans are happy to continue to support him, but some still feel he needs to be demeaned. It’s exhausting. It’s bitter. Nobody wants that from Will Smith the rapper. How do you get along with people who will never get over you freaking out and punching a guy, in a country gripped by a deep-seated fear of violent retaliation from your “dark things,” your Nat Turners of the mind? How do we stop this charm campaign from smothering us with “I’m great, not thanks to my haterrrs” beats? The man made “Summertime.”