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The brightest of the primary colors that symbolizes both caution and elation all at once. For as much as it polarizes, it leaves a lasting impression—much like SMILEZ does. Clad in yellow down to the socks (and even inked with smiley faces on his kneecaps), the Los Angeles rapper, singer, multi-instrumentalist, and producer instantly provokes a reaction with his words and vision, arriving just on time to shake up hip-hop like a unforgiving antihero superhero.
“It’s a weird fucking color,” he grins. “When you wear yellow, you stand out no matter what and nobody expects you to be normal. You’re already going to be judged for being over the top, so you can get away with whatever you want. People can’t overlook you. It catches everyone’s attention.
As the story goes, our fearless hero first logged many years in punk and alternative bands before making a dent in the rap world. Piercing the mainstream, he hit the road worldwide with superstars, including the late, Juice WRLD, Lil Pump, and Trippie Redd in North America and Tekashi 6ix9ine throughout Europe.
In between, he continued writing and recording as he embraced his new identity, SMILEZ.
“It’s boring to watch normal shit,” he exclaims. “My favorite artists aren’t afraid to be different. I knew this would piss some people off, but my music is the confident part of me who doesn’t give a fuck. This is the funny and uplifting side. There’s enough to be depressed about, so I decided to be the most entertaining version of myself.”
He introduces this version with the first single “Head Shoulders.” Quite fittingly, he defies expectations by giving a gleefully lusty facelift to the old school rhyme “Head, Shoulders, Knees, Toes.” Produced by RVSSIAN [Cardi B, Post Malone], club vibes echo through the beat as his head-turning bars instantly hypnotize before the chant-able refrain.
“We wanted to make filthy club shit to the max,” he explains. “We’re not trying to be classy. It’s straight to the point. It shows I’m going to say whatever the fuck I want to say on a record.”
That carries over to the flex-filled ecstasy of “Happy, Happy” and his self-proclaimed “mission statement,” fittingly titled, “Everything Is Yellow.” Meanwhile, “Punk Shit” calls back to his roots with an intense beat, “crazy ass guitars,” and jarring screams. Adding to the hype, he makes a cameo as the only new artist to feature on 6ix9ine’s mega-anticipated 2020 album ‘Tattletales,’ hopping on the standout track “Charlie.”
SMILEZ is about to turn everything yellow.
“I just want everyone to feel good and relate,” he leaves off. “I’m on a mission to save every sad and lonely girl in the world.” He laughs. “It’s ignorant, but it’s me & my unfiltered life.”
