In the metaphorical sense, Jaden Smith lives on his own planet. And, all things considered, who wouldn’t want to astral project somewhere else? Between the global pandemic and racial reckoning, it feels like Planet Earth as we know it is in shambles and nobody knows where to even start cleaning it up. Our interview happens to fall on what would have been the late Oluwatoyin Salau’s 20th birthday while also coinciding with natural disasters like Hurricane Laura and the California wildfires. The next day, news of Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman dying from colon cancer sends shockwaves across the Internet.

But in spite of a persona built on being perpetually spaced out, Smith himself feels the grief of these events like a weighted blanket of sadness. He’s been aware of this messy reality pretty much his entire human existence, but recognizes that this traumatic moment is a massive wake-up call for people who “wanted to turn a blind eye to racism and try to ignore it.” And yet, the most turbulent times are when Smith seems to find the most creative inspiration.

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