Pinkett-Smith's Rocker Role

The News Tribune. com
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.

For more info on Jada Koren Pinkett Smith, visit www.thejadapages.com