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Talent: Artist
Group: Smilez (Black) & Southstar (Asian)
Company: TC Records/Pure Records/Fontana/Universal.
Contact: www.myspace.com/smilezandsouthstar
www.smilezandsouthstar.net
Hip hop artists come a dime a dozen, but every now and then
a group emerges from the underground with the talent, the charisma and the
ambition to make it to the top. Smilez & Southstar (S&S) first burst
through the upper ranks of hip hop in 2002 with their freshmen album Crash the
Party and its hit single Tell Me (Whats Goin On). That song landed them a top
spot on the Billboard music charts, BETs Rap City video countdown and a
performance on BETs 106 & Park. Now theyre back with their self-titled
sophomore album to remind everyone of who Smilez & Southstar really are.
Smilez, 25, hails from the Bronx, NY, and Southstar, 24, was born in Hawaii
but raised in Los Angles, CA. The two present a delicious but vicious flow
that could only emerge when east meets west. When these two cold fronts
collide they create a lyrical storm that guarantees to keep heads nodding,
trunks bumping and booties shaking from one end of the continent to the other.
While in their teens, the two moved to Orlando, FL, to fulfill their destinies
in the town they now call home.
Before joining forces Smilez & Southstar were fixtures in Orlandos
competitive hip hop underground scene. Both enjoyed strong local lyrical
support, showcasing their skills by free styling some of the hottest
underground mix tapes. After garnering much home front love and street
credibility, whenever national hip hop acts would converge on Orlando it was a
given that Smilez or Southstar would bless the stage as the opening act. They
have independently opened for such luminaries as Ja Rule, Mobb Deep, Jadakiss,
the Beatnuts and D12. After recording their first song together in 1999 as a
favor to their friend, DJ Ekin, it became evident that the two became even
more potent when combined. In 2001, at the suggestion of Trans Continental
Records Producer Dakari (NSync, O-Town, LFO, & 95 South) Smilez &
Southstar took to the studio to record their first full-length collaboration,
Crash the Party.
Their new, self-titled sophomore album promises to deliver those same
hypnotic, fo da street beats mingled with their signature storytelling lyrics.
Their first single U Know featuring Treal beckons all to recognize their power
and behave accordingly. We have no doubt this song is just a foretelling of
whats to come.
Smilez: We’ve been getting our business back in order since we left Artist Direct. By getting our masters back for the last album we dropped, “Crash the Party” and just taking everything in we learned from the situation, which is to always be involved in your project and the paperwork if you want things to go accordingly. We’ve dropped mixtapes to keep the streets happy and shot an uncut video last year that was crazy!!! (Good look ft/ Gotti). What up Gotti!!!
You have a new album coming out, tell me about it.
Southstar: Self-Titled sophomore album hits stores early 2007. Basically, to us, it’s our first album. We put this whole album together from beginning to end. From selecting the beats to coming up with the concepts. It’s a real in depth look into the lives and minds of Smilez & Southstar. Our experiences and our opinions. We’ve got production from The Runners, Diaz Brothers, Chaos & Order, Amadeus, and of course Dakari. Features include Gotti (Boo & Gotti), Treal, KC, and we also have a track with Beenie Man that we’re working on getting cleared.
What is the set release date for your new album?
Southstar: Right now it’s tentatively scheduled to drop in ’07.
What is the first single that you want to come off the album, and why was this particular song your main choice over the remaining tracks?
Smilez: We have a couple of singles or should I say radio songs to pick from. But instead of coming back out with what you would expect (a ladies record)
We are hitting the club hard with “U Know” feat Treal, which is a bass heavy, wild out record to warm people up. We are preparing to drop the official first single soon called “Stop Handcuffin”. It means to keep it short if that girl isn’t wifey that your messing wit. Don’t stop the next man from trying to get it by holding her hand or telling her he’s no good or anything that’s gonna make the other dudes job harder. If you can’t get it, don’t be mad at the next dude. Easy to say hard to do for some… lol!!
What is the ultimate goal you hope to achieve for this album?
Southstar: Put Orlando, Orange County, Florida on the map!!! Brand the name Smilez & Southstar and open up doors for other opportunities!!
A lot of people are going to expect Smilez and Southstar to get back to the position they once were in with the album “Crash the Party.” What are some ways you are going to get back to that level in the hip hop industry, and at the same time prove to the media that you will continuously be on the scene?
Smilez: We did a lot of things wrong last time. We’ve learned and this time our minds is on our money and ready for war. Our rhymes are better, our thought process is wider, and we have the hit songs to back it up. This time we have our own publicist, Echoing Soundz based out of L.A., who we love and with their help and our hard work the next level is accessible.
There was obviously a problem with your last label, Artist Direct, what actually happened with you and your label?
Southstar: Our lawyer won’t let us get into too much details about what exactly happened due to the agreement after we split. But let’s just say, we felt like it was time to move on and get a team in place that was gonna push the Smilez & Southstar brand 200%. We sold more records than anyone at Artist Direct and we just didn’t feel appreciated. It was time to move on.
I hear you guys are with Trans-Con Records now. How is that working out for you guys? Do you feel more will get accomplished with this label?
Smilez: We just signed a deal with Pure Records out of Miami. It’s an upstart label distributed by Sony. They seem like they know what they want from us and they understand what we want from them so we feel like we will accomplish more.
Southstar: Getting our masters back was big for us. The first album never got released internationally even though we we’re getting radio and video play everywhere. With Pure Records, we plan on releasing the first album internationally as well as the upcoming album. The vision is there and the label being based in Miami is perfect. 3 ½ hours and we in the offices.
Today, most artists are doing more to get money? Other then rapping, what other “hustles” does Smilez and Southstar have going on in Orlando?
Smilez: Just getting our hands dirty in everything we can touch. Promoting club nights in Orlando, reading for roles in films, writing for different artist and much more I want to say, but I might jinx it. We also started a label called Groundworks Ent along with our management and we are signing artist that will help hip-hop grow.
Southstar: U Know if there’s anything we learned more than anything else from our experiences, it’s that you can’t rely on this rap money. Especially as the artist. You need to take what you get and branch off into other things. This is just the beginning.
Explain GW Entertainment
Smilez: From the ground up!! We work with the artist from the ground level to when he’s selling a cool mill!! We are here to make dreams happen for talented people. It’s a movement!! You either wit us or against us. GW BABY!!!
What should we expect to see from Smilez and Southstar in the next year or so?
Southstar: Expect to see and hear us everyday with this new album dropping ’07. It’s time to get on this grind again and this time we going full steam ahead. Nothing less!!!
Is there anything you want to add or tell your fans before we finish this interview?
Smilez: Make sure to check out our myspace page (www.myspace.com/smilezandsouthstar) and the website (www.smilezandsouthstar.net). And to our fans, we here, we sorry we we’re gone for so long but ya boyz is back.
Southstar: Much love to all our fans who been holding us down since day one. Love is love!!!