Rhymefest

Rhymefest

755 fans

Che Armond Smith, known professionally as Rhymefest, was born on July 6, 1977, in Chicago, Illinois, and emerged as a rapper and songwriter. After gaining early recognition through battle rap contests such as JumpOff and ScribbleJam, he entered the recording industry with the single "Fever" in 2006, followed by the single "Brand New" featuring Kanye West. In July 2006, he signed with Mark Ronson’s Allido Records, a J Records imprint, and released his debut album Blue Collar, which established his lyrical focus on social issues.Rhymefest’s songwriting credits expanded through the 2000s and 2010s, including co‑writing "Jesus Walks" (2004) for Kanye West, which earned a Grammy for Best Rap Song, and "Glory" (2014) for Common and John Legend, which won the Golden Globe and the Academy Award for Best Original Song. He continued to release music, notably the 2010 mixtape El Che and the 2024 project James & Nikki: A Conversation. Rhymefest also ventured into film, appearing in The Public (2018) and contributing to the documentary In My Father’s House. His career remained active over the years with ongoing releases and collaborations that reinforced his role as a socially conscious voice in hip‑hop.

Top tracks

03
Brand New (feat. Kanye West) (Dirty)
Rhymefest
Blue Collar
03:39
Writer: Kanye West - Che Smith - Gabriel Roth / Composers: Kanye West - Che Smith - Gabriel Roth
16
Build Me Up (feat. O.D.B.)
Rhymefest
Blue Collar
03:46
Writer: Mark Ronson - Che Smith - Tony Macaulay - Mike D'Abo / Composers: Mark Ronson - Che Smith - Tony Macaulay - Mike D'Abo
02
Dynomite (Going Postal) (Main)
Rhymefest
Blue Collar
03:53
Writer: Che Smith - Justin Smith - Jerry Harris - Toby Henry - Sylvia Robinson / Composers: Che Smith - Justin Smith - Jerry Harris - Toby Henry - Sylvia Robinson
12
Sister (feat. Mike Payne)
Rhymefest
Blue Collar
03:54
Writer: Che Smith - Garry Glenn / Composers: Che Smith - Garry Glenn
01
Fix Yo' Crown (feat. Allison Victoria & Jared Thompson) (Radio Edit)
Skypp
Fix Yo' Crown (feat. Allison Victoria & Jared Thompson) [Radio Edit]
04:37
Writer: Che Smith - Byron Horton - Allison Temple / Composers: Jared Thompson - Sean Davis
96
Fever (Radio Edit)
Rhymefest
Hip Hop 100 Hits - Urban rap & R n B anthems inc. Jay Z, A$ap Rocky, Wu-Tang Clan & Nas
03:49
Writer: John Davenport - Eddie Cooley / Composers: John Davenport - Eddie Cooley
05
All I Do (Dirty)
Rhymefest
Blue Collar
03:27
Writer: Che Smith - Emile Haynie - Jeremy Ball - Willie Hutchinson / Composers: Che Smith - Emile Haynie - Jeremy Ball - Willie Hutchinson
14
Bullet (feat. Citizen Cope)
Rhymefest
Blue Collar
03:59
Writer: Jon Brion - Che Smith - Emile Haynie - Clarence Greenwood / Composers: Jon Brion - Che Smith - Emile Haynie - Clarence Greenwood
08
Breakdance
Rhymefest
Eastern Conference All-Stars IV
03:55
07
More (feat. Kanye West)
Rhymefest
Blue Collar
04:12
Writer: Kanye West - Che Smith - Marcello Valenzano - Andre Lyon / Composers: Kanye West - Che Smith - Marcello Valenzano - Andre Lyon
11
Devil's Pie
Rhymefest
Blue Collar
04:51
Writer: Mark Ronson - Che Smith - Julian Casablancas / Composers: Mark Ronson - Che Smith - Julian Casablancas
03
Bang the Ball
Dan The Automator
2K7
03:10
Composers: Che Smith
15
Tell A Story
Rhymefest
Blue Collar
04:30
Writer: Mark Ronson - Che Smith - Vernon Bullock - Harvey Fuqua - Harry Nilsson / Composers: Mark Ronson - Che Smith - Vernon Bullock - Harvey Fuqua - Harry Nilsson
01
Feel Free (intro) (feat. Q-Tip)
Rhymefest
Blue Collar
01:11
Writer: Mike Payne - Jonathan Davis - Jon Frost / Composers: Mike Payne - Jonathan Davis - Jon Frost
08
Chicago-Rillas (feat. Mikkey & Bump J) (Main)
Rhymefest
Blue Collar
04:26
Writer: C. Smith - M. Snoddy - E. Wilson - M. Nance - T. Boykin / Composers: C. Smith - M. Snoddy - E. Wilson - M. Nance - T. Boykin
09
Stick
Rhymefest
Blue Collar
03:31
Writer: Che Smith - Jon Frost - Paul Simon / Composers: Che Smith - Jon Frost - Paul Simon

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  • Discography
Albums
James & Nikki: A Conversation
2024 Golden State Entertainment
09-02-2024
James & Nikki: A Conversation
01
Intro
Rhymefest
James & Nikki: A Conversation
00:24
Writer: Rhymefest
02
Triggered
Rhymefest
James & Nikki: A Conversation
03:48
Composers: Che Smith - Shantelena Mouzon
03
Elderberry
Rhymefest
James & Nikki: A Conversation
03:52
Composers: Che Smith - Lateefa Harland - Frayne Lewis
04
Creator
Rhymefest
James & Nikki: A Conversation
03:35
Composers: Che Smith - Brittney Carter
05
Who You Talking To?
Rhymefest
James & Nikki: A Conversation
03:16
Composers: Che Smith - Fredrianna Harris
06
Déjà Vu
Rhymefest
James & Nikki: A Conversation
02:27
Composers: Che Smith - Shantelena Mouzon
07
Pop
Rhymefest
James & Nikki: A Conversation
03:54
Composers: Che Smith - Daphne Mitchell - Eddie Alexander
Access the complete album info (9 songs)
Blue Collar
(P) 2006 J Records, a unit of SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT
10-07-2006
Blue Collar
01
Feel Free (intro) (feat. Q-Tip)
Rhymefest
Blue Collar
01:11
Writer: Mike Payne - Jonathan Davis - Jon Frost / Composers: Mike Payne - Jonathan Davis - Jon Frost
02
Dynomite (Going Postal) (Main)
Rhymefest
Blue Collar
03:53
Writer: Che Smith - Justin Smith - Jerry Harris - Toby Henry - Sylvia Robinson / Composers: Che Smith - Justin Smith - Jerry Harris - Toby Henry - Sylvia Robinson
03
Brand New (feat. Kanye West) (Dirty)
Rhymefest
Blue Collar
03:39
Writer: Kanye West - Che Smith - Gabriel Roth / Composers: Kanye West - Che Smith - Gabriel Roth
04
Fever (Dirty)
Rhymefest
Blue Collar
03:49
Writer: John Davenport - Eddie Cooley / Composers: John Davenport - Eddie Cooley
05
All I Do (Dirty)
Rhymefest
Blue Collar
03:27
Writer: Che Smith - Emile Haynie - Jeremy Ball - Willie Hutchinson / Composers: Che Smith - Emile Haynie - Jeremy Ball - Willie Hutchinson
06
Get Down
Rhymefest
Blue Collar
03:02
Writer: Che Smith - Ernest Wilson - Pierre Barough - Francis Lai / Composers: Che Smith - Ernest Wilson - Pierre Barough - Francis Lai
07
More (feat. Kanye West)
Rhymefest
Blue Collar
04:12
Writer: Kanye West - Che Smith - Marcello Valenzano - Andre Lyon / Composers: Kanye West - Che Smith - Marcello Valenzano - Andre Lyon
Access the complete album info (16 songs)
Singles
Together
2025 Litehouse Music LLC
05-02-2026
Together
01
Together
Rhymefest
Together
03:31
Writer: Che Armond Smith - Daniel Joel Shockley / Composers: Che Armond Smith - Daniel Joel Shockley
Reflections
℗ 2024 LiteHouse Music, LLC
30-08-2024
Reflections
01
Reflections
Rhymefest
Reflections
02:56
Writer: Ayan Chandrasekaran - Che Smith - Benard Brown / Composers: Ayan Chandrasekaran - Jonathan Waterford
Creator (feat. Brittney Carter & Rell Suma)
2024 Golden State Entertainment
26-01-2024
Creator (feat. Brittney Carter & Rell Suma)
01
Creator
Rhymefest
Creator (feat. Brittney Carter & Rell Suma)
03:35
Composers: Che Smith - Brittney Carter
AKLEEN (feat. Asielah La Creatrice)
LiteHouse Music, LLC
19-11-2023
AKLEEN (feat. Asielah La Creatrice)
01
AKLEEN (feat. Asielah La Creatrice)
Rhymefest
AKLEEN (feat. Asielah La Creatrice)
03:57
Writer: Che Smith / Composers: Che Smith - Moctar Keita
Fix Yo' Crown (feat. Allison Victoria & Jared Thompson) [Radio Edit]
Sophisticated Street Music LLC
10-02-2022
Fix Yo' Crown (feat. Allison Victoria & Jared Thompson) [Radio Edit]
01
Fix Yo' Crown (feat. Allison Victoria & Jared Thompson) (Radio Edit)
Skypp
Fix Yo' Crown (feat. Allison Victoria & Jared Thompson) [Radio Edit]
04:37
Writer: Che Smith - Byron Horton - Allison Temple / Composers: Jared Thompson - Sean Davis
The Public: Original Music from the Film
2019 Litehouse Music, LLC
19-04-2019
The Public: Original Music from the Film
01
Make Noise
Rhymefest
The Public: Original Music from the Film
03:41
Writer: Che Smith - Tarik Trotter - Justin Pinder - Lavell Crump - Christopher Goodman
02
Weaponized
Rhymefest
The Public: Original Music from the Film
02:19
Writer: Che Smith - Micah Davis
Chicago
14-09-2009
Chicago
01
Chicago
Rhymefest
Chicago
03:36
Wanted
(P) 2006 J Records, a unit of SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT
10-10-2006
Wanted
01
Wanted
Rhymefest
Wanted
03:25
Writer: Che Smith - Mark Ronson - Samantha Ronson / Composers: Che Smith - Mark Ronson - Samantha Ronson
Fever
(P) 2006 J Records, a unit of SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT
14-07-2006
Fever
01
Fever (Radio Edit)
Rhymefest
Fever
03:49
Writer: John Davenport - Eddie Cooley / Composers: John Davenport - Eddie Cooley
Brand New
(P) 2005 J Records, a unit of SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT
18-10-2005
Brand New
01
Brand New (feat. Kanye West) (Clean)
Rhymefest
Brand New
03:39
Writer: Kanye West - Che Smith - Gabriel Roth / Composers: Kanye West - Che Smith - Gabriel Roth
02
Brand New (feat. Kanye West) (Dirty)
Rhymefest
Brand New
03:39
Writer: Kanye West - Che Smith - Gabriel Roth / Composers: Kanye West - Che Smith - Gabriel Roth
Featured in
Hip Hop 100 Hits - Urban rap & R n B anthems inc. Jay Z, A$ap Rocky, Wu-Tang Clan & Nas
(P) 2019 Sony Music Entertainment
19-04-2019
Hip Hop 100 Hits - Urban rap & R n B anthems inc. Jay Z, A$ap Rocky, Wu-Tang Clan & Nas
01
Insane in the Brain
Cypress Hill
Hip Hop 100 Hits - Urban rap & R n B anthems inc. Jay Z, A$ap Rocky, Wu-Tang Clan & Nas
03:33
Writer: Louis Freese - Senen Reyes - Larry Muggerud / Composers: Louis Freese - Senen Reyes - Larry Muggerud
02
Hard Knock Life (The Ghetto Anthem)
JAŸ-Z
Hip Hop 100 Hits - Urban rap & R n B anthems inc. Jay Z, A$ap Rocky, Wu-Tang Clan & Nas
04:00
Writer: Shawn Carter - Martin Charnin - Mark James - Charles Strouse / Composers: Shawn Carter - Martin Charnin - Mark James - Charles Strouse
03
C.R.E.A.M. (Cash Rules Everything Around Me) (Radio Edit)
Wu-Tang Clan
Hip Hop 100 Hits - Urban rap & R n B anthems inc. Jay Z, A$ap Rocky, Wu-Tang Clan & Nas
04:04
Writer: Wu-Tang Clan / Composers: Wu-Tang Clan
04
Roses
OutKast
Hip Hop 100 Hits - Urban rap & R n B anthems inc. Jay Z, A$ap Rocky, Wu-Tang Clan & Nas
06:09
Writer: Matt Boykin - Andre Benjamin - Antwan Patton / Composers: Matt Boykin - Andre Benjamin - Antwan Patton
05
Work Out
J. Cole
Hip Hop 100 Hits - Urban rap & R n B anthems inc. Jay Z, A$ap Rocky, Wu-Tang Clan & Nas
03:54
Writer: Jermaine Cole - Kanye West - Sukmeke Rainey - Miri Ben Ari - Bosco Kante - John Stephens - Elliot Wolff / Composers: Jermaine Cole - Kanye West - Sukmeke Rainey - Miri Ben Ari - Bosco Kante - John Stephens - Elliot Wolff
06
Can I Kick It?
A Tribe Called Quest
Hip Hop 100 Hits - Urban rap & R n B anthems inc. Jay Z, A$ap Rocky, Wu-Tang Clan & Nas
04:24
Writer: Lou Reed / Composers: Lou Reed
07
Break Ya Neck
Busta Rhymes
Hip Hop 100 Hits - Urban rap & R n B anthems inc. Jay Z, A$ap Rocky, Wu-Tang Clan & Nas
03:51
Writer: T. Smith - Andre R. Young - Mike Elizondo - Scott Storch / Composers: T. Smith - Andre R. Young - Mike Elizondo - Scott Storch
Access the complete album info (100 songs)
Here Comes The Fuzz
℗ 2003 Elektra Entertainment for the United States and WEA International Inc. for the world outside of the United States.
09-09-2003
Here Comes The Fuzz
01
Intro
Mark Ronson
Here Comes The Fuzz
01:25
Writer: Mark Ronson
02
Bluegrass Stain'd (feat. Nappy Roots & Anthony Hamilton)
Mark Ronson
Here Comes The Fuzz
04:12
Writer: A. Hamilton - B. Scott - G. Katz - J. Chambers - Mark Ronson - R. Hughes - V. Tisdale
03
Ooh Wee (feat. Ghostface Killah, Nate Dogg, Trife & Saigon)
Mark Ronson
Here Comes The Fuzz
03:29
Writer: B. Carenard - Bobby Hebb - D. Coles - Mark Ronson - N. Hale - T. Theobailey
04
High (feat. Aya)
Mark Ronson
Here Comes The Fuzz
04:06
Writer: B. Chang - G. Saleh - L.A. Jayne - Mark Ronson
05
I Suck (feat. Rivers Cuomo)
Mark Ronson
Here Comes The Fuzz
02:55
Writer: Mark Ronson - R.Cuomo
06
International Affair (feat. Sean Paul & Tweet)
Mark Ronson
Here Comes The Fuzz
03:24
Writer: D. Nowalski - Mark Ronson - S.P. Henriques
07
Diduntdidunt (feat. Saigon)
Mark Ronson
Here Comes The Fuzz
03:58
Writer: B. Carenard - Mark Ronson
Access the complete album info (13 songs)
Take The Lead
℗ 2006 Universal Records a division of UMG Recordings Inc.
01-01-2006
Take The Lead
01
I Got Rhythm (Album Version Take The Lead Remix)
Lena Horne
Take The Lead
02:17
Writer: George Gershwin - Ira Gershwin / Composers: George Gershwin - Ira Gershwin
02
Take The Lead (Wanna Ride) (Album Version)
Bone Thugs-N-Harmony
Take The Lead
03:28
Writer: Kasseem Dean - Steven Howse - Anthony Henderson - Charles Scruggs - Llandel Veguilla - Juan Luis Morera Luna - M. Jimenez - I. Freeman III / Composers: Kasseem Dean - Steven Howse - Anthony Henderson - Charles Scruggs - Llandel Veguilla - Juan Luis Morera Luna - M. Jimenez - I. Freeman III
03
Feel It
The Black Eyed Peas
Take The Lead
04:19
Writer: William Adams - Allan Pineda - Stacy Ferguson / Composers: William Adams - Allan Pineda - Stacy Ferguson
04
I Like That (Stop) (Take The Lead Version)
Jae Millz
Take The Lead
03:45
Writer: Jae Millz - A. Lyons - Marcello Valenzano / Composers: Jae Millz - A. Lyons - Marcello Valenzano
05
These Days (Album Version)
Rhymefest
Take The Lead
03:40
Composers: Mark Ronson - C. Smith - Shelton Brooks
06
Here We Go (Album Version)
Dirtbag
Take The Lead
03:41
Writer: J. James - Timothy Mosley / Composers: J. James - Timothy Mosley
07
Whuteva (Clean)
Remy Ma
Take The Lead
03:46
Writer: Robert Smith - Kasseem Dean - D Shire - Modest Mussorgsky / Composers: Robert Smith - Kasseem Dean - D Shire - Modest Mussorgsky
Access the complete album info (12 songs)