Smith was talking to a crowd of young, aspiring filmmakers at the event, and in addition to sharing info about the movie, he spoke about fame. “Fame is a unique monster and I’ve had to be really careful… you can’t get excited when everybody is saying good things about you. The more you take when people are saying good things about you, the more hurt you’re going to be when people are saying bad things about you,” he said. “What I’ve experienced in my adversities of the last couple of years is that I have to be clear about who I am and what I am attempting to do in the world, and I can’t need others to applaud for me to stay focused on my mission.”
In addition to his upcoming film, Smith recently launched new Audible podcast about what many say is the most pivotal year in Hip-Hop history, 1988. Smith is the main voice for Class of ’88, which is an eight-episode series that will feature Public Enemy’s Chuck D, Queen Latifah, Run-D.M.C.’s Darryl McDaniels, Salt-N-Pepa, Rakim and Smith’s rap partner DJ Jazzy Jeff. The eight-episode series produced by Wondery, Audible, Westbrook and Awfully Nice launched in October on Audible and Amazon Music.
“Hip-hop has been a central part of my life for over four decades,” Smith told Billboard. “I’m hyped to share my firsthand experiences and those of some of hip-hop’s greatest legends as we delve into the origins of one of the most influential genres of music in history.”
