Eli Rafael Meltzer is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer who was born in Summertown, Tennessee, in 1979. Known professionally as Smoov-E, he is famous for his contributions to the underground hip-hop scene of the San Francisco Bay Area and for his use of live instrumentation in rap production. After moving to Sebastopol, California, at age four, he launched a music career that includes the studio recordings Smoov-E (1999), Keep Your Hand Out My Pocket (2000), and Confessions (2001). Meltzer has collaborated with artists including Andre Nickatina, Mac Dre, and Egyptian Lover. In 2011, he signed a record deal under the mononym Eli and released the studio recording One Popular Guy (2012). His discography also includes the studio recording Breakdance (Bring Back the Music From the 1980’s) (2013), which featured a collaboration with Egyptian Lover, and the recording I Funked Her First (2014).
