A ray of St. Louis sunlight catches Smino’s rainbow tye-dye jacket as he sits in the window of St. Louis SC’s SoMa house. Today, he’s complemented the rainbow with carrot-colored cargo parachute pants, oversized school-bus-yellow sneakers and sunglasses, and a purple crewneck. He’s covered his twists with a purple beanie with braids that swing as he laughs. When asked where he acquired the fit, Smino responds, “None of these clothes were purchased on earth.”
Smino’s wardrobe may not be from this planet, but he’s about as down-to-earth as it gets. In a room full of people excited to speak to St. Louis’ latest musical sensation, the 32-year-old rapper from Hazelwood did what he could to take the spotlight off himself and shine it on others.
Smino made his appearance on Friday to announce a new collaboration with St. Louis City SC called Homegrown. For the partnership, Smino selected five emerging St. Louis musicians — Brock Seals, Hazmat, Lani Rose, Tonina and Matt Jordan — who he and St. Louis SC will work to elevate through performance opportunities and multiple spotlights throughout 2024. From country to punk to R&B genres, the group exhibits St. Louis’s musical diversity and marks what Smino says is only the beginning of his efforts to showcase artists in St. Louis. He knows the level of talent that exists in this city, and he wants more people to have access to a platform, or at least a space to hone their skills.
“St. Louis people,” he emphasizes, “I promise every time I've ever seen a St. Louis person holding a job of power, they shake shit up.”
Smino definitely has. In the past seven years, he has released three no-skip albums —blkswn, NOIR, and Luv 4 Rent— each with a unique sound rooted in funk and soul. His lengthy list of musical collaborations, from J. Cole to Thundercat, speaks to his supreme ability to capture a specific sound and run with it. In a few weeks, he will take his sounds across the globe for his Somewhere Over Thurr tour in Australia, Japan, South Korea and Hong Kong.
As the world turns towards Smino, Smino turns the world towards St. Louis. He routinely shouts out that he’s “from the Lou” in his songs and rarely seems to go anywhere without a 314 chain around his neck. When he comes home, he heads straight for Imo’s.
In 2021, Smino brought the world to south city in his music video for “I Deserve,” featuring NOS. The video tells a St. Louis story: an eviction notice on a red-brick quadruplex. The beloved St. Louisan rallies the community for a rent party at 3:14 p.m. to save the tenants, with many familiar St. Louis faces showing up in Cardinals gear and even on horseback. Throughout the video, Smino can be seen working in the back of Elaine’s sandwich shop and distributing flyers to patrons at Kuts by Kurtis, both on Cherokee Street.
St. Louis can expect another music video shoot taking place in the city very soon, Smino says. “I’m always looking for something that reminds me of where I grew up at,” he says.
He sees a bright future for St. Louis and wants to open an art school where “difference-makers” and “people taking the arts into their own hands” can convene. He knows that although the art scene may feel competitive, the world and St. Louis are bigger than we may believe. From the state streets to St. Louis Avenue, the city has so much talent to offer.
On Friday, Smino dropped his latest single “mister misfit but aint missed a fit in months” and hinted at an extra reason to celebrate on 314 Day. If you’re looking to prepare, we recommend driving the length of Manchester with “Louphoria” on a loop.
Subscribe to Riverfront Times newsletters.
Follow us: Apple News | Google News | NewsBreak | Reddit | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Or sign up for our RSS Feed
