Toronto's Smiley's syrupy voice has been behind some of the biggest bangers to emerge out of the city in the last year. The OVO-affiliated artist has been making bigger moves in the past few months and it seems like a new project could be on the horizon. The rapper emerged on Friday with his latest record, "Moving Different." The rags-to-riches story Smiley conveys portrays his aspirations to provide a better life for his mother while teetering between his former life in Toronto and the cushy rapper lifestyle that he's dreamed about. The matter-of-fact honeyed flow seeps through trembling piano samples and hard-knocking drums.
Smiley's latest release follows April's "In My Zone." Peep the latest from the Toronto rapper below and share your thoughts on the record in the comments.
Quotable Lyrics
Had to break bank and then I re'd
I never ran off on the plug, he was my G
I took a brick and then I hop back in the streets
And then I head to LAX to get some peace
About The Author
Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years.
Throughout his time, Aron’s helped introduce a number of buzzing up-and-coming artists to our audience, identifying regional trends and highlighting hip-hop from across the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has also made a concerted effort to put spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview series that he created and launched in 2021.
Aron also broke a number of stories through his extensive interviews with beloved figures in the culture. These include industry vets (Quality Control co-founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Styles P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane), and the next generation of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio Foreign, Denzel Curry). Aron also penned cover stories with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.
...
