Juicy J Reflects on Will Smith’s Oscars Reaction to Three 6 Mafia’s Win

In a recent conversation on the Allison Interviews podcast, Juicy J, rapper, and producer, opened up about his less-than-favorable encounter with actor Will Smith during the 78th Academy Awards in 2006 when Three 6 Mafia clinched the Oscar for Best Original Song.

According to Juicy J, upon their win, Will Smith approached him with a somewhat unexpected comment. He recalled Smith saying, “Will Smith ran up, he was like, ‘Man, I’m just mad ‘cause y’all got one before me.” Juicy J admitted that he wasn’t entirely sure if this was meant as a joke or a genuine remark, given that he didn’t personally know Smith.

He initially approached the Hollywood icon with admiration, expressing, “It could’ve been a joke, but I don’t know him. First of all, when I seen him, I was like, ‘I grew up listening to your music, man. It’s an honor to meet you.’ And he shook my hand, but he was like, ‘Man, what the hell? Y’all got one before me?’ And like I said, he could have been joking. He’s a comedian too. But I didn’t take it like that because I’m thinking people are gonna be like, ‘Congratulations.’ But he didn’t say that.”

However, the conversation took an unexpected turn, leaving Juicy J somewhat perplexed. He explained that Smith’s comment stood out because he had anticipated congratulations from the actor, given the celebratory atmosphere of the event.

Juicy J felt that this encounter amounted to a subtle diss from Will Smith, especially in light of the warm congratulations they received from other A-listers in attendance. Notably, stars like John Travolta, Steven Spielberg, and George Clooney took a moment to offer their heartfelt congratulations to Three 6 Mafia. However, Juicy J observed a noticeable absence of such acknowledgment from members of the Black Hollywood community, which struck him as odd and somewhat disheartening.

Speaking about this particular aspect of the night, Juicy J shared, “John Travolta walked up to me, he said, ‘Congratulations.’ Steven Spielberg said, ‘Congratulations.’ George Clooney, who had previously won an Oscar himself, said, ‘Congratulations.’ A lot of those actors were like, ‘Congratulations.’ Nobody Black walked up to me and said, ‘Congratulations,’ that I can remember… But a lot of that stuff was kinda weird that night.”

Despite the unexpected encounter with Will Smith and the peculiar dynamics of that evening, Juicy J maintained a resilient spirit. He reflected on the challenges Three 6 Mafia had faced throughout their career, including doors being slammed in their faces and unfounded accusations of being devil worshipers. These obstacles had hardened them, making them accustomed to adversity.