Tunesday: 314
Image via Smino
Happy Tunesday!
An up-and-coming hip-hop artist thoughtfully dropped his debut album blkswn today. No, not because it's Pi Day. March 14th or 314 also happens to be the area code for St. Louis, MO, the city where Smino grew up.
Chris Smith Jr., who goes by the stage name ‘Smino,’ grew up in a family full of musicians – his grandfather is a Blues Hall of Fame bass player, his dad plays keys, and his mom sings. Surrounded by music his whole life, Smino decided he would follow the family tradition when he was 13.
Smino started to make a name for himself within the industry the past couple of years. In 2015, he released two EPs – S!Ck S!Ck S!Ck and blkjuptr. A year later, he was featured on Chicago-based rapper Noname’s mixtape, Telefone, with fellow rapper, Saba. Then, a few months later, he made a guest appearance on Saba’s track “World in My Hands” from Bucket List Project.
Now, Smino is out to make a name for himself and his hometown of St. Louis with the release of blkswn. I’m personally hooked on the soulful, funk-infused compilation. You can stream the album via the links below:
Keep jammin’