Will Smith will perform a new song at the 2024 BET Awards

Will Smith will perform at the 2024 BET Awards on Sunday.

According to reports, the Oscar winner is ready to perform a new original song at the awards ceremony Diversity. According to the publication, Smith is working on a new album, but no further details have been provided about his upcoming performance.

Connie Orlando, executive vice chairman of specials, music programming and music strategy at BET, praised Smith in a statement, saying he’s a “world icon.”

“From the beginning of his career as a rapper in ‘The Fresh Prince’ to becoming a box office king as one of the Bad Boys, Will Smith is truly a global icon and we are honored to welcome him back to the BET Awards stage,” Orlando told Variety. “We can’t wait for Will to be part of another culture-defining evening that cannot be missed.”

Smith’s BET appearance followed singer J. Balvin’s surprise appearance at Coachella in April, where Smith rapped one among his signature hits “Men in Black” while wearing a costume from the 1997 film.

Smith talked about his rap profession in interview with David Lettermanexplaining that early in his profession he didn’t like being called “soft”.

“Not as much pressure as there used to be when I was ‘soft,’” Smith told Letterman in 2022. “Dave, I hated being called soft. The origin of my style and the reason I followed it this fashion is because once I was about 12 years old, my grandmother found my first rap book.

“I couldn’t even swear well,” he continued. “It was like, ‘Damn, Will, you are the guy.’ Even a good curse word. My grandma found my rap book and wrote a letter on the cover saying, “Dear Willard, really smart people needn’t use words like that to precise themselves. Show the world that you simply are as smart as we expect. I like you, Gigi. And that was the reason I never swore in any of my records.

Featured Stories

Oscar nominee Taraji P. Henson will host the BET Awards, which will air Sunday at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. In addition to Smith, Ice Spice, Sexyy Red, Latto, Lauryn Hill and YG Marley, Tyla, GloRilla, Muni Long, Shaboozey and Victoria Monét will perform at the awards ceremony.

The BET Awards will honor Usher with a Lifetime Achievement Award. Cardi B, Davido, Gunna, the Roots, Common, Queen Latifah and the Jungle Brothers are expected to seem at the event.