SMILEY

Best New Canadian Songs: Duvy, Savannah Ré, Kaytranada, and More

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Image via Complex Original

  • Mike Shabb, “Blood Bath”


  • Duvy f/ Vory, “Thugz Don’t Cry”


  • Savannah Ré, “Fiji”


  • Booggz, “Benny Made Me Do It Freestyle”


  • Luna Li, “What You’re Thinking”


  • IDMAN, “Good Life”


  • Kaytranada and Joyce Wrice, “Iced Tea”


  • Busty and the Bass, “Merry Go Round”


  • Smiley f/ 42 Dugg, “Grammy”


  • Nate Husser f/ Merlyn, “Get Out”

Smiley’s Focused ‘In My Zone’ Performance On ‘UPROXX Sessions’ Highlights His Tunnel Vision Approach

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Toronto rapper Smiley is just weeks removed from landing a huge guest feature from Drake on their “Over The Top” collaboration. Drake’s sharp bars are surrounded by Smiley’s own laid-back raps that steer through the song’s hard-hitting production. The track with Drake has brought attention to the rest of Smiley’s catalog which includes “In My Zone,” a track that also stands tall in his discography. The song, which he released back in April, is also one the Toronto rapper decided to perform for his first UPROXX Sessions appearance. In his performance, Smiley details his tunnel vision approach to life on the cautious banger.

While Smiley may be a new name to many, the Toronto rapper has been on the grind for the past three years. His 2018 debut project Buy. Or. Bye grabbed the attention of many as it unveiled raps that detailed a dark past. Additional attention would be brought his way when Drake quoted a line from his Smiley’s “Free Baby” (“Nobody really know what I been through”) during the height of his rap beef with Pusha-T. Since then, Smiley inked a deal with Warner Records and dropped his 2020 mixtape, YYZ-LAX. Now, he’s hard at work on his next project, Buy. Or. Bye 2 and with “Over The Top” and “In My Zone” leading the way, things are looking good for the Toronto upstart.

Press play on Smiley’s focused performance of “In My Zone” for UPROXX Sessions in the video 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.

Drake Is Strictly About Business With Smiley On The Heavy-Muscled ‘Over The Top’

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The music world is just a couple of weeks away from what would be eight months since Drake was originally supposed to release his sixth album, Certified Lover Boy. The project was announced last summer and slated for a January 2021 release but it was later pushed back to a new date that the rapper has not shared yet. In the meantime, Drake has delivered a good amount of tracks, both being solo efforts and guest verses, that have made the wait for the album a bit easier for his faithful supporters. The latest example of this comes through a brand new track with Toronto rapper Smiley.

The effort is titled “Over The Top,” and on it, Drake keeps it strictly business with his Toronto counterpart. Lines like “I got too much on the line, too much on my mind, too much ain’t enough for my plans” and “I know I came with the slide from left to right / But now I don’t wanna dance,” a reference to his viral 2020 track “Toosie Slide,” highlight Drake’s tunnel vision.

“Over The Top” comes after Drake connected with Brent Faiyaz for “Wasting Time,” their first-ever collaboration. Prior to that, he worked with Migos on “Havin My Way,” from their fourth album Culture III. As for those who are still waiting on an update about Certified Lover Boy, Drake recently revealed what stage he’s in with the project. “You know Uncle Drake’s on his way back home to mix the album,” he said on a recent OVO Sound radio appearance, adding that there’s “a bunch of new tracks coming.”

You can listen to the new track in the video above.

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

Smiley Gives Fitness Advice In His Motivational ‘In My Zone’ Video

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Toronto rapper Smiley takes on the challenge of fitness training in the video for his new single “In My Zone.” Playing the role of a personal trainer, he teaches a class, giving a motivational speech at his whiteboard before hitting the stationary bikes for a sweat-centric back half of the video. The emphasis on exercise follows an early scene in which Smiley and his friends take over a 1950s style diner.

Smiley — also known as Smiley_61st — caught a huge break in 2018, despite being unsigned, when Drake posted lyrics from his song “Intro” on Instagram. In 2020, Smiley followed up with YYZ – LAX, a seven-song EP led by the singles “90210” and “YYZ-LAX.” “In My Zone” is Smiley’s first song of 2021, implying that he might be working on a full-length body of work to finally capitalize on the attention he received from Drake’s co-sign.

Fans who checked out Smiley’s music thanks to Drake’s Instagram video (which has since been deleted) discovered an artist who raps in a lethargic, slurred tone about life in the streets of Toronto. His hazy flow is paired with an enthusiastic charm — which pops out at the end of the “In My Zone” video via a handful of outtakes — that draws in listeners as much as his lyrics and unique flow.

Watch Smiley’s “In My Zone” video above.

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