Will Smith on How Getting ‘Sh*t Kicked Out of Me’ Inspired New Music: ‘I Had a Run of the Gods’

While neither Smith nor Russ directly mentioned anything slaptroversial in a newly shared video interview filmed at the Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum in Madrid, both bonded on the topic of “trials and tribulations,” with Russ pointing to Will’s lyrics on their song as having been particularly resonant for him.

“It was really the first time in my life since childhood that I got the shit kicked out of me,” Smith said. “You know, I had a run of the gods. It’s like, it was really the first time experiencing what it’s like to get stomped.”