Smino is an American rapper and singer from St. Louis, Missouri. He is born in 1991 and is associated with alternative R&B, contemporary R&B, hip hop and pop rap.

Early life and beginnings

Smino is from a musical family: his father plays keys, his mother sings, and his grandfather is a blues bassist. He starts making music at seven, when his father gives him a drum kit. He plays drums in his church band and also begins rapping around the same time.

He forms the rap duo Young Dumb and Outta Control, also known as YROC, with his friend Bari Allen. The duo releases a self-titled mixtape and gains local attention, although it struggles to reach a wider audience.

Solo work and releases

In 2012, Smino releases his first solo mixtape, Smeezy Dot Com. He then moves to Chicago to study at Columbia College Chicago. While there, he meets engineer Chris “Classik” Inumerable, who becomes his manager.

In 2015, he releases two EPs, S!Ck S!Ck S!Ck and blkjuptr. His debut studio album, blkswn, is released in 2017, followed by NØIR in 2018 and Luv 4 Rent in 2022.

Groups and collaborations

Smino founds the musical collective Zero Fatigue with Bari Allen, Monte Booker, Jay2 and Ravyn Lenae. He is also a member of the hip-hop supergroup Zoink Gang, alongside JID, Buddy and Guapdad 4000.

He is a member of Ghetto Sage with Saba and Noname. He is signed to Downtown Records and Interscope.