Music serves as a therapeutic outlet for actor-rapper Will Smith. During his appearance at the Grammy Museum for 'An Evening With Will Smith' on Thursday, Smith delved into his new musical endeavors, revealing how transforming his pain into music has been the driving force behind his recent career shift, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
"Music is a more honest place for me where I feel like I can say things that I wouldn't say, and I can express things, and there's uncertainty and there's sadness," he explained. "The two things I would never let myself publicly be is sad or mad. Now I'm just starting to be more honest with myself -- I have a lot of fun in life, but I'm sad sometimes and I can get mad sometimes."
The journey of self-discovery and self-acceptance involved allowing himself to experience negative emotions and finding strength in vulnerability. "I absolutely have a warrior's heart but with a warrior's heart, the greatest thing you can do is surrender to reality, you surrender into the difficulty. As important as the successes and wins, I want everybody to see that I'm not different in that way," he shared.
Smith emphasized that he is striving to connect with "the most honest and authentic space within me." He noted, "For years I've done really deep-dive soul searching, more than almost any point in my life, and I've found a new well. There's a well of authenticity that I'm trying to tap into, the most honest and authentic space within me."
While Smith and DJ Jazzy Jeff won the first-ever hip-hop Grammy for best rap performance in 1989, his current musical exploration has led him to delve into gospel music, with tracks like 'You Can Make It' and 'Work of Art,' which he also performed at the event.
