Smiley & Pressa Bring Toronto Vibes To L.A. On "38"

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A highlight off of "Buy Or Bye 2."

From his syrupy cadence to playful flows, Smiley has earned the respect of the biggest artist in the game, Drake, who has referred to the fellow Torontonian as his favorite rapper. Somehow, the general public hasn't embraced Smiley in similar regards yet he's continued to show and prove on each song. 

On Friday, the rapper delivered the sequel to his mixtape series, Buy Or Bye, marking his official major-label debut. It also marks the breakout of another Canadian artist, similar to Pressa's Gardner Express. Both Pressa and Smiley connect on "38," a blistering banger produced by Tay Keith. The trickling bells and exhilarating 808s lead the track as Pressa cuts the auto-tune for a raw flow to start off. Pressa details his rise from the bottom with flashbacks of the struggles. Smiley extends that sentiment to his verse. Smiley's reflects on the contrast between the fact that his friends are incarcerated while he's managed to escape a similar fate. 

Check out the track below.

Quotable Lyrics
We kick your door, n***a, everybody on the floor, n***a
Boy if you trappin' in this bitch, answer your phone, n***a
Catch me with 35, see crodie, he a known hitter
I was out there trappin' all night, came home to cold dinners


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.
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