Smino

Smino, born Christopher Smith Jr. on October 2, 1991, is a rapper and singer from St. Louis whose music blends hip-hop with funk and soul influences, marked by loose, melodic flows and elastic wordplay. In 2015 he co-founded the music collective Zero Fatigue alongside producer Monte Booker, rapper Jay2, and singer Ravyn Lenae, a partnership that has shaped much of his production identity, especially Booker's glitchy, jazz-inflected beats.

Smino is also a frequent collaborator with Chicago's SAVEMONEY and PIVOT collectives, reflecting deep ties to the city's hip-hop scene despite his St. Louis roots. He released two EPs, S!CK S!CK S!CK and blkjuptr, in 2015, before his critically acclaimed debut album blkswn arrived on March 14, 2017, establishing him as a distinctive voice in modern rap.

His follow-up album NØIR (2018) further refined his blend of rap, R&B, and funk, and he returned in October 2022 with Luv 4 Rent, which debuted at #50 on the Billboard 200. Across his catalog, tracks like «Anita», «Netflix & Dusse», and «90 Proof» showcase Smino's rhythmic agility and genre-blurring approach, positioning him among the more inventive voices to emerge from the St. Louis rap scene.