SMILEY

Smiley’s Buy Or Bye Sneakers Investment Rules For Uproxx

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OVO Sound’s rising rapper Smiley is affectionately known for his charismatic grill. But with a tattoo of high fashion brand Louis Vuitton’s signature monogram textile on his hand, his passion for fashion can’t be ignored. While both Beyoncé and Rihanna have made their marks in the fashion industry due to the success of their brands Ivy Park and Fenty, maybe Smiley would like to take notes in hopes of expanding his business portfolio.

The “Over The Top” rapper sat down with his to give his fashion opinion and financial investment tips for building their sneaker collection. While musicians such as Wale and DJ Khaled have gained notoriety for having rare items in their clothes, the Canadian native wants to let everyone know not every shoe is worth copping.

Of the hundreds of sneakers to discuss, Smiley gave his opinion on Nike’s SB Ben & Jerry’s low-top dunks, Travis Scott’s Air Jordan 1 collaboration, the Dior and Air Jordan 1 high-top, Golden Goose’s deluxe brand hi-star sneaker and the Nike MAGs from Back To The Future.

Outside of Buy or Bye, catch Smiley and his shoe game in his recent UPROXX Sessions performances of “Grammy” and “In My Zone.”

You can watch Smiley’s Buy or Bye for Uproxx Music above.

Ice Spice Says She Was Starstruck By Smiley At OVO Fest

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Prior to the success of “Munch (Feelin U),” Ice Spice became a viral figure after blogs spotted her next to Drake at OVO Fest. At the time, she had only a few singles out and an On The Radar freestyle that began to gain steam. However, that sole appearance spurred curiosity about the bubbling Drill rapper, especially as some speculated that she and Drake could be a thing.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JANUARY 20: Ice Spice attends The Ned on January 20, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Johnny Nunez/WireImage)

Now, Ice Spice got the full OVO treatment that day. Drake flew her out to Toronto on Air Drake. Then, he provided her with full access to the festival and they hung out prior to his set. However, she explained that it wasn’t him that left her starstruck but rather, Smiley. 

“​​Shoutout Smiley, but I don’t know why I was so starstruck,” she explained, giggling. “Like, when I seen him I know he thought I was so weird. He was like ‘you good?’ I fuck with him, like I don’t even know what it was, I was just like ‘Oh shit.’

She revealed that she told herself to compose herself after the interaction. “I’m like girl get it together, like what the fuck,” she added.

It’s unclear where she and Smiley currently stand. However, she recently revealed that her and Drake seemingly patched things up. Shortly after the success of “Munch (Feelin U),” fans noticed that Drake unfollowed her on Instagram. Though she admitted that she had no idea why, she told the New York Times that they’ve chopped it up since then.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 17: Ice Spice attends Cardi B Hosts Fashion Night Out on September 17, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Shareif Ziyadat/Getty Images)

“We’re cool,” Ice Spice said. “We spoke after that a couple times and we’re good. There’s no beef.”

The confirmation comes a few months after Drake appeared to diss Ice Spice on Her Loss.

“She a ten tryna rap, it’s good on mute, yeah,” he raps on “#BackOutsideBoyz.”

KILLY Is Living A “Crazy Life Of Sin” With Smiley & Doe Boy On New EP

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Long-time fans of KILLY will be happy to know that the EP he planned to share back in 2020, Crazy Life of Sin, has finally been added to DSPs before we head into the new year. Across the eight-track project, the Canadian connects with both Doe Boy and Smiley while handling the rest of the titles on his own.

Previously released singles from the project include opening songs “Y?” and “Vince Carter” in collaboration with his fellow Canuck. Additionally, the 25-year-old dropped off “CEO” some time ago, setting the tone for what was to come.

Crazy Life of Sin actually arrived earlier this week. Since then, several new titles have been emerging as fan favourites. Among them are “Shot Caller,” “Telling Tales,” as well as the infectious “KILLY KILLY” with Doe Boy.

Other previously unheard additions include “Darkest Day,” and “Moment of Clarity Freestyle.”

As Complex notes, an impressive roster of producers aided KILLY in his latest endeavour. Boi-1da helped out with one of the EP’s first singles, and Oz, Jaegen, T99, and Y2K came through on other beats.

Seeing as he left fans waiting for nearly three years, the Toronto native has promised his listeners new music “every month of 2023.”

Speaking on his project in a press release, K said, “This [EP] means a lot to me because it represents my creative freedom… I recently got out of my deal with Epic Records, which opens up a new chapter that I’m excited for.”

“Although my time with the label had many positives, being independent allows me to be more hands-on with my ability to release music when and how I want to. Regaining my freedom and getting back to my independent roots are things I’m very grateful for.”

Stream KILLY’s finally released Crazy Life on Sin EP on Spotify or Apple Music below. Afterward, let us know what three tracks are your favourite in the comment section.

Crazy Life of Sin Tracklist:

  1. Y?
  2. Vince Carter (feat. Smiley)
  3. KILLY KILLY (feat. Doe Boy)
  4. Shot Caller
  5. CEO
  6. Telling Tales
  7. Moment of Clarity Freestyle
  8. Darkest Day

[Via]

Smiley Sets His Sights High With His ‘Grammy’ Performance For ‘UPROXX Sessions’

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I love it when artists show up to do UPROXX Sessions with props — even when they’re something as small and basic as a red plastic cup. It just signifies a different level of confidence and charisma. Those are two things that OVO Sound rapper Smiley has in abundance, which is even evidenced by the title of his song, “Grammy.” He knows how high to aim; all that remains is to get there.

He’s off to a decent start. It helps being signed to Drake’s label, for sure, but as we’ve seen, that’s no guarantee of the sort of commercial success and notoriety that awards show voters and fans look for in their favorite artists. Smiley certainly has an interesting look and a wise outlook. “I’m not just an artist, I’m a product — sell me,” he raps on the song. The worst salesman in the world could make that one move.

Watch Smiley’s UPROXX Sessions performance of “Grammy “above.

UPROXX Sessions is Uproxx’s performance show featuring the hottest up-and-coming acts you should keep an eye on. Featuring creative direction from LA promotion collective, Ham On Everything, and taking place on our “bathroom” set designed and painted by Julian Gross, UPROXX Sessions is a showcase of some of our favorite performers, who just might soon be yours, too.

Smiley is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.