Smilez and Southstar
Encyclopedia
Smilez and Southstar hip-hop
duo based in Orlando, Florida
. They had a Top 40 hit with the song "Tell Me
" in late 2002. Their music has been played on stations nationwide and their videos have appeared on MTV
and BET
. The song had an underground vibe to it and created a buzz but still didn't crack the top 40. The group's next single, "Tell Me
", hit the Top 40 charts. The duo then followed it up with "Now That You're Gone". Smilez talks about the death of his mother and Southstar speaks about the death of his son, Malik, however it did poorly on the charts and the group was considered a one-hit wonder. But the group still continued to tour with a reggae
artist Beenie Man
. They also were considered "different" because they didn't talk about using or selling drugs in their music.
The group has been quiet since their switch in labels due to poor success of their album Crash the Party
. They were signed to Reincarnate, an indie
label, but now have created their own independent record label
Groundworks Entertainment. The label features reggae
artist Viper and rapper Vill.
and Diana Ross
's song Stop, Look, Listen (To Your Heart)
. There was controversy when Ja Rule
and Ashanti
's song "Mesmerized", released around the same time, used the same sample. This made a slight "beef" between Smilez & Southstar and Ja Rule's record label, Murder Inc., which stemmed from Murder Inc turning down the original version of Mesmerized, originally produced by DJ Nasty of Orlando.
rapper Yo Gotti
. Beenie Man
and Killer Mike
also were featured on the album. The lead single "U Know" featured rappers Treal. Southstar is featured on the mixtape freestyle "Protect Ya Neck" with fellow rappers Jin and Far East Movement
.
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
duo based in Orlando, Florida
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
. They had a Top 40 hit with the song "Tell Me
Tell Me (Smilez and Southstar song)
"Tell Me" is a hip hop song written and performed by the hip-hop duo Smilez and Southstar for their debut studio album, Crash the Party . "Tell Me" was released in early 2003 as the album's second single to decent success and heavy airplay...
" in late 2002. Their music has been played on stations nationwide and their videos have appeared on MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
and BET
Bet
Bet or BET may refer to:* A wager in gambling* Basic Economics Test * Bet , the second letter in many Semitic alphabets, including Aramaic, Hebrew, Phoenician and Syriac* Brunauer-Emmett-Teller isotherm. See BET_theory...
Early success 2002-2003
The group's first single was "Who Wants This" featuring KelisKelis
Kelis Rogers Kelis Rogers Kelis Rogers (born August 21, 1971 is an American musical artist. She is a BRIT Award, Q Award and NME Award winner and has been nominated for two Grammy Awards. She has had nine top 10 singles on the UK Singles Chart...
. The song had an underground vibe to it and created a buzz but still didn't crack the top 40. The group's next single, "Tell Me
Tell Me (Smilez and Southstar song)
"Tell Me" is a hip hop song written and performed by the hip-hop duo Smilez and Southstar for their debut studio album, Crash the Party . "Tell Me" was released in early 2003 as the album's second single to decent success and heavy airplay...
", hit the Top 40 charts. The duo then followed it up with "Now That You're Gone". Smilez talks about the death of his mother and Southstar speaks about the death of his son, Malik, however it did poorly on the charts and the group was considered a one-hit wonder. But the group still continued to tour with a reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
artist Beenie Man
Beenie Man
Anthony Moses Davis , better known by his stage name Beenie Man, is a Grammy award winning Jamaican reggae artist. He is the self-proclaimed "King of the Dancehall".-Biography:...
. They also were considered "different" because they didn't talk about using or selling drugs in their music.
The group has been quiet since their switch in labels due to poor success of their album Crash the Party
Crash the Party
Crash the Party is the debut studio album by the Orlando, Florida rap duo Smilez and Southstar. The album was primarily produced by brothers DJ Nasty & LVM.- Singles :...
. They were signed to Reincarnate, an indie
Indie (music)
In music, independent music, often shortened to indie music or "indie" is a term used to describe independence from major commercial record labels or their subsidiaries, and an autonomous, Do-It-Yourself approach to recording and publishing....
label, but now have created their own independent record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
Groundworks Entertainment. The label features reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
artist Viper and rapper Vill.
Controversy
"Tell Me" used a sample from Marvin GayeMarvin Gaye
Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr. , better known by his stage name Marvin Gaye, was an American singer-songwriter and musician with a three-octave vocal range....
and Diana Ross
Diana Ross
Diana Ernestine Earle Ross is an American singer, record producer, and actress. Ross was lead singer of the Motown group The Supremes during the 1960s. After leaving the group in 1970, Ross began a solo career that included successful ventures into film and Broadway...
's song Stop, Look, Listen (To Your Heart)
Stop, Look, Listen (To Your Heart)
"Stop, Look, Listen " is a soul song written by Thom Bell and Linda Creed that was originally recorded by the Philadelphia soul group The Stylistics.-The Stylistics version:...
. There was controversy when Ja Rule
Ja Rule
Jeffrey Atkins , better known by his stage name Ja Rule, is an American rapper, singer, and actor.Born in Hollis, Queens, he began his career in the group Cash Money Click and debuted in 1999 with Venni Vetti Vecci and its single "Holla Holla"...
and Ashanti
Ashanti (singer)
Ashanti Shequoiya Douglas is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, dancer, actress, and model. She rose to fame in the early 2000s. Ashanti is most famous for her eponymous debut album, which featured the hit song "Foolish", and sold over 503,000 copies in its first week of release...
's song "Mesmerized", released around the same time, used the same sample. This made a slight "beef" between Smilez & Southstar and Ja Rule's record label, Murder Inc., which stemmed from Murder Inc turning down the original version of Mesmerized, originally produced by DJ Nasty of Orlando.
Feature success
Smilez and Southstar are currently working on their next album. The previous album featured the songs "Found Out", "Been a Long Time", and "Good Look". "Good Look" features Cash MoneyCash Money Records
Cash Money Records is a record label founded by brothers Bryan "Birdman" Williams and Ronald "Slim" Williams. Today it operates as a subsidiary of Universal Music Group, and is distributed by Universal Republic Records as of 2011...
rapper Yo Gotti
Yo Gotti
Mario Mims better known by his stage name Yo Gotti, is a southern rapper from the northern side of Memphis, Tennessee who was previously known as Lil Yo.-Independent Albums:Yo Gotti released a string of independent albums...
. Beenie Man
Beenie Man
Anthony Moses Davis , better known by his stage name Beenie Man, is a Grammy award winning Jamaican reggae artist. He is the self-proclaimed "King of the Dancehall".-Biography:...
and Killer Mike
Killer Mike
Michael Render , better known by his stage name Killer Mike, is an American rapper, signed to Grind Time Official through the SMC/Fontana Distribution...
also were featured on the album. The lead single "U Know" featured rappers Treal. Southstar is featured on the mixtape freestyle "Protect Ya Neck" with fellow rappers Jin and Far East Movement
Far east movement
Far East Movement is an Asian American electro hop quartet based in Los Angeles. The group formed in 2003 and consists of Kev Nish , Prohgress , J-Splif , and DJ Virman...
.
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart Positions | Album | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
US R&B Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,... |
US Rap Hot Rap Tracks Rap Songs is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States. It lists the 25 most popular hip-hop/rap songs, calculated weekly by airplay on rhythmic and urban radio stations and sales in hip hop-focused or exclusive markets. From 1989 through 2001, it was based on how much the single... |
|||
| 2002 | "Who Wants This?" | — | 65 | — | Crash the Party |
| 2003 | "Tell Me Tell Me (Smilez and Southstar song) "Tell Me" is a hip hop song written and performed by the hip-hop duo Smilez and Southstar for their debut studio album, Crash the Party . "Tell Me" was released in early 2003 as the album's second single to decent success and heavy airplay... " |
33 | 28 | 11 | |
| "Now That You're Gone" | — | — | — | ||
Albums
| Year | Title | Chart positions | Certifications and sales | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
US R&B Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999... |
|||
| 2003 | Crash the Party Crash the Party Crash the Party is the debut studio album by the Orlando, Florida rap duo Smilez and Southstar. The album was primarily produced by brothers DJ Nasty & LVM.- Singles :...
|
91 | 34 |
RIAA certification In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of albums and singles sold through retail and other ancillary markets. Other countries have similar awards... : — |