9 unfiltered moments from Will Smith’s soul-baring “Drink Champs” interview

Will Smith’s appearance on REVOLT’s “Drink Champs” marked one of his most open and vulnerable interviews of all time. The Hollywood icon spoke candidly to N.O.R.E. and DJ EFN about healing from trauma, his love for Hip Hop, his relationship with fame and how he reframed pain into purpose.

The visit was part of a promotional tour for Will's album Based on a True Story. The project, led by singles like “Work of Art” and “Beautiful Scars,” was his first full-length musical release in two decades and took listeners on an emotional journey rooted in self-reflection, growth and hard-earned wisdom. With assists from the likes of Russ, Big Sean, DJ Jazzy Jeff and his son Jaden, the LP showcased Will’s vulnerability through storytelling.

His stop at “Drink Champs” was a standout moment focused on pushing tunes and showing what evolution looks like. From discussing his lowest moments to shouting out peers and mentors, Will’s energy felt less like a celebrity interview and more like a reckoning.

Check out nine special moments from the sit-down below. Plus, watch the full episode here!

1. On healing after slapping Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars

Reflecting on the infamous moment, Will Smith revealed that the fallout of slapping Chris Rock onstage in front of the world forced him into a deep period of introspection. “I just shut it down and I did a real deep dive. Like, I looked at myself as honestly as I could,” he explained to N.O.R.E. and DJ EFN. Will made it clear that this wasn’t a surface-level pause. It was a full emotional audit that brought him face-to-face with traits he hadn’t previously acknowledged.

“It was just the best qualities of me,” he added, describing the version of himself he had been projecting for years. “So then, you know, I was forced into a situation where I had to be honest that I don't just have good qualities. I have some things that I have pushed down.”

2. On his ride-or-die friends, Jazzy Jeff and Martin Lawrence

Will was asked to choose between DJ Jazzy Jeff and Martin Lawrence – a classic “Drink Champs” dilemma that hilariously pushes guests to make tough calls between close friends and collaborators. For Will – if he was in a burning forest with one bottle of water that he could either give Martin or Jazzy -- the answer was simple. “It’s Martin Lawrence and Jazzy Jeff, and it’s one bottle of water? Yeah. I heave that b**ch in the forest and we all die together,” he stated emphatically.

3. On his album’s message to men about owning pain and turning it into power

Will Smith spoke about the meaning behind “Beautiful Scars,” a song featured on his LP Based on a True Story. He framed the concept around the idea that pain, while difficult in the moment, becomes essential to our personal evolution. “... The idea is: You don’t like s**t while you’re going through it. But once you learn the lesson, you’d never want to give it back,” he explained. “You suffered it, you survived, you took a lesson from it. Now, it’s like the things that you have suffered are in your eyes when you talk to your son… You can’t be more valuable than your suffering.”

He also discussed the vulnerability embedded in his single “You Can Make It,” a Fridayy and Sunday Service Choir-backed reflection of his current mindset when connecting with others. “I’m keeping in my mind when I’m looking at people, I’m saying, ‘You can make it. I don’t know what it is, brother, but I know you got it. You got it.’”

4. On DJ Khaled hilariously taking his Bad Boys: Ride or Die role wayyy too seriously

According to Will, DJ Khaled took his Bad Boys 4 role so seriously, he stayed in character for two straight weeks. “He stayed in character the whole time. In the parking lot, coming into work... I was like, ‘Khaled, you doin’ a lot. It's just Bad Boys. You don’t have to do method acting,’” he joked. Khaled apparently felt he had something to prove after struggling with lines during Bad Boys for Life. Still, the living legend gave Khaled his props, admitting the performance landed with audiences across the globe. “I’ve watched the movie in 10 countries, and when Khaled comes on camera, around the world, audiences are like, ‘Ah!’” Will said. “He’s just got a thing. People just love seeing him.”

5. On I Am Legend 2, Michael B. Jordan and that alternate ending

Will Smith confirmed I Am Legend 2 and explained why the story follows the alternate ending from the original film’s DVD release – the one where his character survives. “So, the alternate ending was the first ending,” he shared. “It was based on the original novel... In the alternate ending, the Darkseeker realizes the one that I was keeping in the room was his woman.”

Will explained that the theatrical ending – where his character died – was reshot just six weeks before the movie’s release due to negative test screenings. “It was the lowest scoring movie I’ve ever had,” he revealed. “The audiences hated it.”

He also gave some insight into the sequel’s development: “Michael B. Jordan’s character is the head of a new settlement… There’s a settlement in Connecticut.” While he did confirm that Jordan’s character won’t be his son, he refused to provide other details on the highly anticipated film.

6. On how “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” came together and why acting wasn’t his original plan

Will explained how his breakthrough role came through a chance opportunity with Quincy Jones and Benny Medina. “Benny Medina was an A&R exec at Warner Brothers Records… It was based on his life,” he shared. Jones quickly transformed the concept into something more personal: “So, Quincy changed it, like, literally in one night. He changed Philadelphia to Bel-Air and named the show ‘The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.’”

Will admitted that acting wasn’t his focus at the time. “Quincy never asked if I could act. He just saw my music video. So, he assumed that I could act,” he said. Despite being the lead, he had no acting experience: “I was on the set of ‘The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air' and never have really done anything, you know? I was mouthing people’s lines and stuff like that.” Looking back, he described those early moments on set as a steep learning curve. “It was terrible,” he confessed.

7. On the historic Hip Hop boycott of the Grammys... and Kool Moe Dee’s decision to attend

During the conversation, Will recalled a major moment in music history: the first-ever Grammy rap category in 1989. He explained why he and DJ Jazzy Jeff chose to boycott the ceremony, even after being nominated. “So, they acknowledged that they had the category, but they said they weren’t going to televise the rap category,” he recalled. “So, we were like, ‘Well, wait, we sold more records than everybody — like, why is our stuff not being televised?’”

He continued by revealing how Russell Simmons, Lyor Cohen and MTV organized the boycott – only for a fellow rap peer to go against the grain: “We find out that Kool Moe Dee has agreed to appear on the Grammys.” Will added that Kool Moe Dee was viewed as having “crossed the line,” though they later became friends and can laugh about that moment today.

8. On Janet Hubert (the original Aunt Viv) and their reconciliation

For the “Quick Time with Slime” segment, the icon was asked to choose between the two actresses who played Aunt Viv on “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.” Will tactfully avoided picking sides – by taking a drink – and then spoke on how he and Janet Hubert, the original Aunt Viv, became “magnificent friends” afterward.

“My young, arrogant eyes and mind couldn’t see,” he admitted regarding her firing. Will acknowledged that he was too inexperienced at the time to fully understand or appreciate Hubert’s value to the show. “The depth and the power that she brought to the show, I was missing it. And when I look back, it’s like, ‘Duh.’ It was obvious what she was bringing.” He also gave flowers to the second Aunt Viv, who was played by Daphne Maxwell Reid.

9. On “Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It” and the rumor that Nas ghostwrote it

During the interview, Will clarified a long-standing rumor about Nas’ involvement with his hit song “Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It.” As it turned out, the Queens legend did not contribute his pen to that particular track – but with that said, he was present during the creation of the wildly successful solo debut LP Big Willie Style. “I let Nas listen to the album and he was like, ‘Yes, no, yes, no,’ and we wrote one together.”

The “one” in question was another well-received single titled “Just Cruisin’,” which was placed on the Men In Black soundtrack and then the UK iteration of Will’s solo debut.