‘It Could’ve Been a Joke, But I Don’t Know Him’: Juicy J Recalls the Icy Reception Three 6 Mafia Got from Will Smith and Others After Their Oscar Win
Rapper Juicy J made a recent appearance on the “Allison Interviews” podcast to talk about his newly released book, “Chronicles of the Juice Man.”
The memoir follows the 47-year-old from his start in Memphis to the rise of the influential rap group Three 6 Mafia and embarking on his solo career. During the conversation with host Allison Kugel, she brings up the “very strange experience” Juicy J had at the 2006 Oscars, as described in his book.
Three 6 Mafia won the Academy Award for Best Original Song for their song “It’s Hard out Here for a Pimp” from the “Hustle and Flow” film and soundtrack. Kugel then mentioned an excerpt from the book where Juicy J talks about what took place backstage at the awards, where Gayle King said, “It’s a very sad day” before interviewing him.
While the win was groundbreaking, he said that their reception wasn’t as nice. “Yeah, a lot of people in Hollywood judged us. And you know, at the end of the day, man, it’s just life. It is what it is. They judged us, they judged the s—t out of us though.”
He added that the group was judged for their name and song lyrics and were even referred to as “devil worshipers.”
The rapper born, Jordan Michael Houston, reportedly shared more details in his book saying, “Winning the Oscar ended up being one of the best and most painful experiences of my life.”
“He said, ya feel the hate? Ya feel the hate?” Houston continued, “He said ‘don’t worry about it man they just made ’cause they ain’t got one.’” He claims, “Nobody is Black walked up to me and said congratulations.”
One person in particular who seems to have had their nerve stricken by the Memphis rap group winning was Will Smith. Juicy J said Smith ran up on him after the win and said, “Man, I’m just mad cause y’all got one before me.’”
The “Poppin’ My Collar” rapper said Smith could have been playing around, but he said the two did not know each other. Juicy J told Kugel, “He coulda been joking, he a comedian too. But I didn’t take it like that, ’cause I’m thinking people gon’ be like ‘Congratulations!’ ’Cause he didn’t say that. You see what I’m saying?”
The “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” star wasn’t the only one Juicy J called out for their unwelcome response. Kugel quoted a piece from the memoir where Juicy J expressed his belief that “Black people were not happy for us.”
It wasn’t all animosity though. Elsewhere in the interview, Juicy J talked about Hollywood drug culture, Mac Miller, and his regrets about not saving the Pittsburgh rapper from his untimely end five years ago.