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Pinkett-Smith's Rocker Role

Jada Koren, AKA Jada Pinkett Smith

Imagine my slack-jawed surprise last summer when I learned that Jada
Pinkett Smith was scheduled to play Ozzfest. Yeah, that Jada Pinkett
Smith; the woman best known for starring in "The Matrix"
and "Collateral" and being married to rapper turned a-list actor
Will Smith.
And imagine my confusion after I did a little more research and read
that her band, Wicked Wisdom, played R&B. I had visions of thousands
of agro 14-year-olds clad in black Iron Maiden concert tees hurling
$4 bottles of water towards the second stage at White River
Amphitheatre.
But Ms. Pinkett Smith was a no-show then for undisclosed reasons.
Organizers did play a Wicked Wisdom video on the big screen behind
the main stage. And, truth be told, "Something Inside of Me" sounded
better than several of the second stage acts (faint as that praise
may be.)
If you're curious, you'll finally get a chance to check out Wicked
Wisdom – also Pocket Honore on lead guitar, Cameron "Wirm" Graves on
rhythm guitar and keyboard, Rio Lawrence on bassand Phillip "Fish"
Fisher (formerly of Fishbone) on drums – when the band opens for
Sevendust Saturday at The Premier in Seattle.
The band's self-titled debut also drops next Tuesday. And I caught
up with Pinkett Smith on the phone as she and her band cruised
through Nebraska recently. Here are excerpts from the conversation,
with a longer version available on my Bring the Noise blog
(www.thenewstribune.com/ae):
Q: I was looking forward to catching you (at Ozzfest.) What happened
last year?
A: "I had to stay in San Francisco for some testing. I was getting
tested for some lymph node cancer at the time. It was a pretty scary
situation. Thank God everything came out negative. We found out what
the problem was, but I was having some health issues, and that was
the only reason I had to miss that Seattle show. I actually did the
rest of the shows quite ill." [Laughs.]
"It's crazy, `cause people don't understand. When you do this kind
of stuff … it is a wear and tear on your body."
Q: As an actor you put in those huge days, too.
A: "It's different though because you're in one place. … You go from
your hotel or your house to your movie set. Then you sit around all
day.
"The thing with music is that you're traveling so much … and
(there's) the energy you exert on stage. And then afterwards we
always go out and sign autographs for about two and a half hours for
fans and stuff. It's just a total different situation."
Q: What about the outlet? How would you rate singing vs. acting?
A: "They both are just as pleasurable. It's just different. I love
having that exchange between the audience in that moment, you know
what I mean. It's just that immediate exchange. When you're doing a
film it's just you and a bunch of cats on a set. …You don't get to
experience what you're doing, really, with the audience."
Q: There have been many other actors who have jumped from the big
screen to the stage. Some have paved the way for you in a good way
and some haven't. There's Juliette Lewis. Minnie Driver's album was
decent. Then you jump to the Corey Feldmanns. Because of that do you
feel the deck is loaded in a way?
A: "It's loaded in many different ways, you know. It's always a
harder for actors to make a musical transition than musicians to
make an acting transition. But in my life I've gone up against so
many obstacles. … I'm used to that. So whatever." [Laughs]
Q: How did the band first come about? How do you go from having one
established career to playing Ozzfest?
A: "About five years ago I decided I wanted to put a band together,
actually when I came back from `the Matrix.' It was something I
always wanted to do … since I was a little girl. I'd see Axl Rose up
there and I'd think, `Oh, god, why aren't there any women doing
that?'I just always wanted an opportunity to do it.
"I just decided I better do it now or never. I met Pocket, and he
and I pretty much had the same ideas of where we wanted to go
musically. And we went through many different transitions as far as
the band was concerned. He and I are the only two original band
members.
Q: I've only heard a little bit of your material. From what I
understand you played R&B at some point.
A: "When we first started out we had this kind of R&B/rock kind of
pop fusion thing happening. That didn't really work for us. We kept
playing with it and … finally got that launching pad that we wanted.
And that is when we started playing around at different clubs to
work the sound out. And that's when (Ozzfest organizer) Sharon
(Osbourne) saw us playing at the Viper Room."
Q: Did she just come up to you at the show?
A: "No. I didn't see her at the show. I just heard that she was
there. … And then I get a call two days later from our office
(saying) Sharon wants you to come on Ozzfest.' You've gotta be …
kidding me. [Laughs] I was just as shocked as anybody."
Q: Did you think it was a joke at first?
A: "I was like I must be getting `Punk'd' right now. Where is …
Ashton (Kutcher)? I'm like this is not happening right now. But as I
thought about it and it became obvious that this was a real
invitation, I was like wow you can't give up an opportunity like
that. You just can't. And so we went. [laughs]
Q: Given that people know you for your work as an actress, was there
some hostility or cynicism on any of the dates?
A: "We only had that situation on one date, and that was probably my
fault; something I really incited.
Q: What happened?
A: Oh, I'm not even gonna get into that. But the first couple of
shows we had a huge learning curve. The great thing about Ozzfest is
you will find out on Ozzfest that you will sink or you will swim.
There's no in between.
"The first couple of dates were really rough. Then we got to Chicago
and had a great show. And from there Ozzfest really turned around
for us. Word of mouth started getting better. The audiences started
coming with a neutral attitude of let's see for ourselves.. …
"The great thing about this particular genre and people that listen
to this genre is they are a lot more open-minded than people would
like to believe that they are. … There's only a handful of people
that are (jerks.)"
Q: I read that you actually opened for Britney Spears.
A: "Oh yeah, we actually went to Europe. We actually couldn't have
done that here in the United States, `cause we wouldn't have fit
with her at all. But in Europe it's totally different, because you
have all different types of musical genres mixed up.
"That trip was so wonderful for us because that's when we did start
to develop that heavier sound that we'd been looking for. … We
actually wrote `You Can't Handle This' on the road in Europe."
Q: Better tour mate: Britney or Ozzy?
A: "Umm. I have to honest, I had a great time on Ozzfest; just being
able to be with those bands. I really learned so much having the
opportunity to hang out with all those badass musicians. I got to go
watch Mastodon play every day. It's just like I'm running from FYE
tent every day just so I can see those guys play.
"All the bands – bands on the main stage, bands on the second stage –
were just so supportive of us, so nice. It was such a supportive
family environment. It was nothin' like people told me it was gonna
be. I found more comradery at Ozzfest … than any other professional
environment that I've been involved in, Hollywood included."
Q: The past few years you haven't been as active in film. Is that
because of the music?
A: "Yeah, just being on the road. This is just a passion of mine.
This is what I love to do. As far as creatively and just spiritually
just what I've been able to learn about my country.
"Just being able to travel and reach my hands out to folks that I
would never in a million years get to see and would never get to see
me. … To kind of just expand the ideas and break down those
preconceived notions of gender, race, you know, and the idea
of `Hollywood is this, and people in Hollywood are that.' You have
to erase all those ideas.
Q: Do you have more films on the way?
A: Oh definitely. I'm working on a deal right now. … I'll probably
do one film this summer – might squeeze in two – then I'll be back
on the road. We'll be working on another album, too.