Entertainment Gists
Will Smith Takes The Stage For The First Time Since That Oscar Slap To Accept The Beacon Award For Emancipation At The AAFCA Awards
Will Smith returned to the stage for the first time since his infamous Oscar slap of Chris Rock to accept the Beacon Award for Emancipation at the AAFCA Awards on Wednesday evening.
The 54-year-old actor accepted the Beacon Award at the 14th Annual AAFCA Awards, held at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, California.
Smith’s appearance comes just hours after reports claim that Chris Rock’s new live Netflix special will address the slap.
He was joined by his Emancipation director Antoine Fuqua on stage, opening his speech by revealing, ‘Emancipation was the individual most difficult film of my entire career,’ before joking, ‘It was all outdoors, that is true.’
‘I remember it was the second day of shooting and it’s really difficult to transport a modern mind to that time period. It’s difficult to imagine that level of inhumanity,’ Smith said.
‘I remember it was like 110 degrees, we’re out there and I’m in a scene with one of the white actors. We had our line and the actor decided to ad-lib,’ Smith continued.
‘So we’re doing the scene and I did my line and he did his line and then he ad-libbed… spitting in the middle of my chest,’ he said, as the audience gasped.
Smith himself facetiously gasped, adding, ‘If I had pearls on, I definitely would have clutched them,’ adding he wanted to cry out to his director Fuqua but he stopped.
‘I stopped and I realized Peter couldn’t have called the director,’ Smith said, referencing his character, known as ‘Whipped Peter,’ whose famous scourged back photo was published in 1863 and revealed the horrors of slavery.
‘So I sat there, and I took a deep breath and we did Take 2, and the actor felt that the ad-lib had gone well… I do my line, he does his line, and spits in the middle of my chest again. I just held in that moment and there was a part of me that was grateful that I got to really understand,’ Smith said.
He then joked that he heard director Fuqua’s voice calling out, ‘Hey, let’s do a take without the spit,’ adding, ‘And in that moment… I knew God was real.’
Smith then turned to his fellow Black artists in the crowd, saying they are people who really, ‘suffer for the art to bring these stories to the screen and deliver them in a way that has emotional impact for the telling of our stories and hopefully just a subtle possibility to change a heart, or to change a mind.’
He went on to thank everyone in the room, ‘for doing what you do to keep our stories alive,’ while thanking Apple as well, saying they ‘never flinched’ when the budget kept increasing.
‘It was the first time I heard from a studio, “The story is more important than how much it costs to get it done,”‘ Smith said to applause, before joking, ‘Then we added some more stuff that we wanted.’
He wrapped up his speech by adding, ‘More than anything, I want to thank my brother Antoine Fuqua. He didn’t compromise on one shot.’
‘His heart, his mind, his desire to deliver this story to all of you and the world, I was blown away by the lengths that he was willing to make me go through to deliver this film. I appreciate all of you. Peter has changed my life,’ Smith concluded.
Director Antione Fuqua also spoke on stage, beginning with the importance of the award they received.
‘The Beacon Award is intended to highlight films that are tackling challenging subjects with insight, enlightening, as well as engaging the audience,’ he said.
‘It was our hope that Emancipation, that it would be able to bring Peter’s triumphant story and unwavering faith and his deep love for his family to life,’ Fuqua added.
Josh2Funny’s Album Has Fans Talking — But Should He Stick To Music Or Skits? 😂🎶
Nigerian comedian and content creator Josh2Funny has taken his comedy game into music, and Nigerians are definitely having something to say about it.
The comedian released his 15-track album, “On Behalf of Josh,” on July 10, 2026, but instead of fading away after release, the project has continued to generate conversations on X.
And the big question now is:
Should Josh2Funny continue with music or go back to skits? 😂
Fans have been divided. While some listeners openly criticized the album and told him to return to comedy, others found songs they genuinely enjoyed.
One X user joked:
“Josh2Funny stopped doing skits and started music, Everybody wan chop this music money 😂”
Another simply said:
“This Josh2Funny Album no enter make he just go back skit abeg 😂”
But then came “Lembe.” 🔥
The track caught fire on X and eventually became a trending topic in Nigeria. The #LembeChallenge also gained momentum as creators began jumping on the song.
Josh2Funny later announced ₦1 million for winners of the challenge, giving the song another major push.
And it didn’t stop there.
‘INTERNATIONAL’ FT. ICE PRINCE ALSO TRENDED
On another day, “International” featuring Ice Prince generated its own buzz on X.
One fan even called it their favourite song from the album, while praising the collaboration. The post itself pulled thousands of views, showing that people weren’t only talking about Lembe.
From album criticism to trending songs and challenges, “On Behalf of Josh” has kept Josh2Funny’s name in the conversation.
Whether you love the album or think he should return to skits, one thing is clear:
Josh2Funny has succeeded in getting Nigerians talking. 😂🔥
So, let’s settle this once and for all:
Should Josh2Funny continue with MUSIC 🎶 or return to SKITS 😂?
Music or Skits? Drop your answer! 👇
RUAN-Badkid.96 is a Nigerian recording artist whose music refuses to live inside a single genre. Blending Afrobeat, Afrofusion, trap, hip-hop, melodic rap, R&B, and global influences, he creates records that move effortlessly between raw street energy, soulful storytelling, and infectious melodies. Whether delivering hard-hitting bars, emotional love songs, or rhythm-driven African records, his sound is defined by authenticity rather than limitation.
Inspired by both African culture and international music, RUAN-Badkid.96 embraces the confidence and ambition of global hip-hop while staying deeply connected to his roots. His lyrics explore love, heartbreak, betrayal, friendship, social injustice, hope, and the everyday realities of life. He doesn’t create music to follow trends, he creates music to reflect truth, emotion, and human experience.
Behind his fearless image is an artist who believes in kindness, equality, justice, and genuine human connection. His appearance may be intimidating, but his message is rooted in compassion and authenticity. Every record carries a piece of his journey, proving that strength and vulnerability can exist in the same voice.
For RUAN-Badkid.96, music is more than entertainment, it’s a language, a testimony, and a lifelong mission to connect with people through honesty, versatility, and unforgettable sound.
Entertainment Gists
Meet the Man Who Turned Hype Into a Science: Emmy Blaq, Nigeria’s G.O.A.T. of Hype
If you have ever been at a Nigerian event and found yourself on your feet before the main act even stepped on stage, there is a good chance a hype man was responsible. But not just any hype man. Emmy Blaq, born Ikechukwu Emmanuel Chima and raised in Auchi, Edo State, has spent the last few years quietly becoming the most talked-about name in that profession, and the Nigerian press has taken notice. Punch, Vanguard, The Guardian Nigeria, The Nation, and Independent Newspaper have all sat down with him, and every conversation leads back to the same thing: this man does not just make noise; he makes moments.
What makes Emmy Blaq different is the journey behind the energy. Before the stages, the collaborations with Waje on her “Waje 2.0” album, DJ Consequence, and DJ Kaywise on the massively streamed “Joor Party Mix” series, he was repairing generators, cutting hair, and sewing clothes in Auchi. His first professional hype gig happened at a local fast food spot called Valchi, and the crowd response that night changed everything. He told The Nation directly: “My passion for entertainment and desire to make people happy led me into the craft.” Punch also captured his bigger mission when he said that hype men deserve more than what they currently earn, a statement that sparked a real conversation across Nigerian entertainment circles.
With over 1.7 million TikTok followers, 23.6 million TikTok likes, a viral “Wife Material” challenge that landed on Pulse Nigeria’s top ten social media moments of 2021, and an international performance at the Cameroon International Music Festival that Cameroonian media described as electrifying, Emmy Blaq is not building toward something. He is already there. The G.O.A.T. of Hype is not a title he gave himself and hoped would stick. It is one the rooms keep confirming every single time he grabs the mic.
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