Smoothe da Hustler
| Smoothe Da Hustler | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Damon Smith |
| Origin | Brownsville, Brooklyn, New York, USA |
| Genres | Hip hop |
| Occupation(s) | Rapper, Producer, Songwriter, Record Label Executive, Actor |
| Years active | 1994 – present |
| Labels | Profile, SMG Records |
| Associated acts | Nine, Trigger Tha Gambler, DV Alias Khrist, Ice-T |
| Website | http://smoothedahustler.com/ |
Damon Smith, known by his stage name Smoothe Da Hustler, is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer, actor, and entrepreneur. With his 1995 debut single "Broken Language," Smoothe Da Hustler became the first rapper in music history to break traditional song structure and chart on the Billboard Hot 100 with a Hip Hop track completely devoid of a hook and bridge. His contributions to the music industry have yielded nominations by the American Music Awards and gold certifications from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
He is an entrepreneur through his own entertainment company, SMG Entertainment, which includes the record label SMG Records. Through SMG Entertainment, Smoothe Da Hustler has produced and starred in the feature-length film, Dem Brooklyn Boys, featuring Ice T, Felicia Pearson (The Wire), Lord Jamar (Brand Nubian), and Charli Baltimore. The movie is slated for release in 2017.
Profile Records
"Broken Language"
Smoothe Da Hustler’s musical career began when he joined fellow Brooklyn rapper The Notorious B.I.G. on his 1994 Ready To Die promotional tour. The following year, Smoothe Da Hustler teamed up with producer D/R Period to release “Broken Language” independently in his hometown of Brownsville, Brooklyn, NY. The record rocketed through the streets, earning him a Hip Hop Quotable in the November 1995 issue of The Source[1] and a major record deal with Profile Records.
Once Upon A Time In America
Profile Records re-released “Broken Language” on Smoothe Da Hustler’s 1996 debut album Once Upon A Time In America.[2] The album peaked at #11 and spent 4 weeks on the Billboard 200.[3] The album’s 2 hit singles, “Broken Language/Hustlin’” and “Hustler’s Theme” spent 24 weeks on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums charts.[4] Billboard Magazine described Smoothe Da Hustler as possessing
"a head-spinning, locomotive flow that sounded like nothing else."[5]
Def Jam Recordings
Off the momentum of Once Upon a Time in America, Smoothe Da Hustler was recruited by Def Jam Recordings and wrote for variety of gold- and platinum- certified recording artists, including writing with Rhymefest for Dr. Dre’s legendary unfinished album, Detox.
Soundtracks
With Def Jam Recordings, Smoothe Da Hustler wrote and recorded "My Crew Can't Go For That" for The Nutty Professor soundtrack, and "Game Face" for Public Enemy's He Got Game album, which became the featured soundtrack for Spike Lee's film of the same name.
SMG Records
Reposession: SMG
In 2002, Smoothe Da Hustler ended his record deals to create SMG Records in order to retain full authority over his music. SMG Records’ debut album, Repossession: SMG was a no-holes-barred performance by label-mates Ice T, Trigger Tha Gambler, Marc Live (Analog Brothers), and Deuce Fever.[6] Due to high demand, Repossession: SMG turned into a U.S. tour. The tour was recorded for the follow-up live performance DVD, released in conjunction with Penalty Recordings.[7]
Violenttimes Day
On Valentine's Day 2008, Smoothe Da Hustler released a highly anticipated solo album Violenttimes Day, which included only two featured artists- Trigger Tha Gambler and DV Alias Kryst- his long-time writing and recording partners.[8] The 16-track album was received enthusiastically by fans worldwide, leading him to release the follow-up album, Violenttimes Day 2, with SMG Records on Valentine's Day 2012. Due to high-demand, physical copies of the album are no longer available, but Violenttimes Day 2 will be re-released digitally in 2016 with additional tracks not featured on the original pressing.
Dem Brooklyn Boys
Smoothe Da Hustler is currently writing and producing the soundtrack for Dem Brooklyn Boys, which will be released through SMG Records in conjunction with the film in 2017.
Songwriting Highlights
1995
- Blahzay Blahzay’s “Danger II” featuring Smoothe Da Hustler, produced by DJ Premier via Fader Records.[9] This remix became the group’s most successful single, peaking at #46 on the Billboard Hot 100.[10]
1996
- “My Crew Can’t Go For That” featuring D.V. Alias Khrist and Trigger Tha Gambler for The Nutty Professor soundtrack via Def Jam Recordings soundtrack.[11] The album peaked at #8 on the Billboard 200 and #1 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums.[12]
- SWV’s "You're The One ('96 Anthem Allstar Remix)," featuring Smoothe Da Hustler, Jay Z, Lost Boyz, and Busta Rhymes, produced by Allstar via RCA Records.[13]
1997
- The Firm’s The Album, produced by Dr. Dre and Trackmasters via Aftermath Entertainment/Interscope Records. The Album was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America, peaking at #1 on the Billboard 200, #1 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums, and #8 on the Canadian Singles Chart.[14]
1998
- Public Enemy’s “Game Face” featuring Smoothe Da Hustler, written by Smoothe Da Hustler, produced by D/R Period, Hank Shocklee, and Keith Shocklee for He Got Game via Def Jam Recordings.[15] The album became the featured soundtrack for Spike Lee’s film of the same name.[16]
2003
- “Beat Of Life” featuring Ice T, written by Smoothe Da Hustler, produced by DJ Tomekk.[17] The track hit #12 on the German Music charts.[18]
2012
- “The Art Of Rap / 109 MCs” produced by Black Ice Productions for the Something From Nothing: The Art Of Rap soundtrack via Final Level.[19] The film was an official selection at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival.[20]
Notable Performances
Taking his high voltage lyrics and delivery to the stage, Smoothe Da Hustler has performed alongside Ice T, Onyx, The Notorious B.I.G., Busta Rhymes, Capone-N-Noreaga, The Lox, Ghostface Killah, KRS-One, Public Enemy, Jeru the Damaja, SWV, Nine, and Special Ed, to name a few. Special notable performances include Jean Michel Jarre's 50th Anniversary UNESCO Celebration at the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France, which saw 1.25 million people in attendance, the 2002 X Games, which saw 700,000 people in audience, as well as Hot 97's Summer Jam[21] and the Central Park Summerstage in New York City.[22]
Cultural Influence
Television
The gritty content, fragmented cadence, and revolutionary writing style of Smoothe Da Hustler's "Broken Language" caught the attention of David Simon (The Wire), Ed Burns (The Wire), and David Mills (NYPD Blue, E.R.) for their harrowing HBO miniseries The Corner (2000). "Broken Language" was selected for the soundtrack, and its rawness, mimicking The Corner's gritty depiction of American poverty and drug war, served as the ideal track to represent The Corner's hard-hitting, hard-to-look away imagery of what Smoothe Da Hustler described through words fifteen years prior.
Fine Arts
In 2013, José Parlá staged a critically acclaimed art exhibition entitled "Broken Language" at Haunch of Venison in London, England. He cited Smoothe Da Hustler's "Broken Language" cadence and writing style as the sonic inspiration for his visual art form. "Broken Language" became the title painting, and ultimately, the name of the exhibition and accompanying epitaph. In an interview with Paddle8, Parlá stated:
"The idea of 'Broken Language' as a title for my 2013 exhibition at Haunch of Venison, the gallery's last show as a primary gallery, comes from the song of the same title from 1995 by Smoothe Da Hustler from Brooklyn. His cadence and delivery of rhymes made me think of language made up of styles defined by ethnic backgrounds. For example, English with a Spanish accent, or Jamaican Patois or Creole and so forth. I want to imagine works that visually connect the sound and cadence of language transformed by gesture and surface."[23]
Discography
| Year | Title | Chart positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard 200 | U.S. R&B | ||
| 1996 | Once Upon a Time in America
|
93 | 11 |
| 2008 | Violenttimes Day
|
— | — |
References
- ↑ "Sure Shot : Smoothe Da Hustler's Hustlin review in The Source (1995)". Press Rewind If I Haven't... Retrieved 2016-02-24.
- ↑ "Smoothe Da Hustler - Hustlin' / Broken Language". Discogs. Retrieved 2016-02-24.
- ↑ "Smoothe Da Hustler - Chart history | Billboard". www.billboard.com. Retrieved 2016-02-24.
- ↑ "Smoothe Da Hustler - Chart history | Billboard". www.billboard.com. Retrieved 2016-02-24.
- ↑ Inc, Nielsen Business Media (1996-04-20). Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc.
- ↑ "SMG (2) - Repossession". Discogs. Retrieved 2016-02-24.
- ↑ Ice-T & SMG - Repossession Live, Image Entertainment, 2002-11-19, retrieved 2016-02-24
- ↑ "Smoothe Da Hustler - Violenttimes Day". Discogs. Retrieved 2016-02-24.
- ↑ "Blahzay Blahzay - Danger Pt. II". Discogs. Retrieved 2016-02-24.
- ↑ "Blahzay Blahzay - Chart history | Billboard". www.billboard.com. Retrieved 2016-02-24.
- ↑ "Trigger Tha Gambler Featuring Smoothe Da Hustler & D.V. Alias Khrist - My Crew Can't Go For That". Discogs. Retrieved 2016-02-24.
- ↑ "'Nutty Professor' Soundtrack Debuts At #1". MTV News. Retrieved 2016-02-24.
- ↑ "SWV - You're The One (Remixes)". Discogs. Retrieved 2016-02-24.
- ↑ "The Album - The Firm | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 2016-02-24.
- ↑ "Smoothe Da Hustler". Discogs. Retrieved 2016-02-24.
- ↑ "He Got Game - Public Enemy | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 2016-02-24.
- ↑ "DJ Tomekk feat. Ice-T, Sandra Nasic, Trigga Tha Gambla* - Beat Of Life". Discogs. Retrieved 2016-02-24.
- ↑ Hung, Steffen. "DJ Tomekk feat. Ice-T, Sandra Nasic, Trigga Tha Gambla - Beat Of Life - hitparade.ch". hitparade.ch. Retrieved 2016-02-24.
- ↑ "Hear Smoothe Da Hustler Reference 109 MCs in "The Art Of Rap"". Complex. Retrieved 2016-02-24.
- ↑ Fernandez, Jay A. "Sundance 2012: Ice-T's 'The Art of Rap' Has Head-Bopping Premiere". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2016-02-24.
- ↑ "MissInfo.tv » Throwback Thursday: Doo Wop "Summer Jam ’96"". www.missinfo.tv. Retrieved 2016-02-24.
- ↑ "Central Park Events - SummerStage Presents Rock Steady Crew 37th Anniversary Concert : NYC Parks". www.nycgovparks.org. Retrieved 2016-02-24.
- ↑ "José Parlá Sees the Writing on the Wall | Paddle8". Paddle8. Retrieved 2016-02-24.
External links
- Smoothe Da Hustler at Discogs.com
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