His name has been at the forefront of ongoing controversy, but Will Smith ignores the chaos. Chris Rock's Selective Outrage has been the talk of pop culture all week as the world dissects his jokes. It was the first time Rock addressed being slapped at last year's Academy Awards, and he didn't hold back. Instead of targeting Smith specifically throughout, Rock aimed at Jada Pinkett. It was expected, as his quip about Jada at the Oscars was the catalyst that set off Smith's rage.
It has been a year since the unfortunate incident, and Smith has moved forward. He's apologized and addressed being in therapy on Red Table Talk. Smith filled his time by promoting his latest acclaimed film Emancipation, and he's returned to his social media hijinks that entertain his millions of online followers. Yesterday (March 9), he eased into the end of the week on a nostalgic note by shining a light on 10-year-old musician Ellen Alaverdyan.
Will Smith Revisits His Classic Hit
In 1997, Will Smith was still in his rapper bag and dropped his album Big Willie Style. Included in the project was one of his classic hits, "Just the Two of Us," a song that celebrated fatherhood. The visual includes Smith with his eldest son, Trey, who was just a small child then. Jada is also briefly seen pregnant with Jaden. Other famous dads, like Brian McKnight, Muhammad Ali, and Babyface, made guest appearances. It peaked at No. 1 on Billboard's U.S. Hot Rap Songs chart and remained a favorite among fans—like young Ellen.
The young musician shared a video playing the bassline for "Just the Two of Us," Smith was amazed. He not only reshared the video of Ellen to his Instagram page, but he also joined along and rapped the track over her performance. In the caption, he called the rising star "fantastic," adding, "You are the sweetest!" We haven't seen much of Smith's musical efforts as of late. However, Questlove revealed he should have taken to the stage during a recent celebration.
Shining a Light On Young Talent
According to Quest, who helped co-curate the Grammy's tribute for Hip Hop's 50th Anniversary, Smith was also supposed to perform. However, The Roots icon explained that Smith was busy with Martin Lawrence as they had begun filming their anticipated movie, Bad Boys 4. Check out Will Smith and Ellen Alaverdyan above.