In a new interview with David Letterman, Will Smith reflects on being mocked earlier in his career over his music largely avoiding the use of profanity.

Smith is among the slate of guests on the recently released new season of Letterman’s conversational Netflix series My Next Guest Needs No Introduction. The interview, notably, was recorded prior to the Oscars slap. Early into the discussion, Smith—who this year won an Academy Award for his portrayal of Richard Williams in King Richard—looked back on how childhood trauma had an impact on the unique drive behind his entire career.

Later, about 12 minutes into the episode, Letterman told Smith his “first awareness” of him as a star was during his early work with DJ Jazzy Jeff. After touting Jeff’s influence as “one of the early masters of scratching and cutting,” Letterman pointed out the use of humor in his music.

“That was really our major distinguishing quality at the time,” Smith said. “It was comedy, it was punchlines, it was fun. We stood out in a really a good way.”

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