'Rhythm + Flow' Winner D Smoke

T.I, Cardi B, and Chance The Rapper have finally chosen a winner on Netflix's Rhythm + Flow. D Smoke from Inglewood, CA, displayed his artistry and experience on the line to ultimately create a lane of his own. This 10-part series pushes these artists to the test. From rap battles, collaborating with other artists, sampling another artist's music, creating a music video, and becoming a creative directive of your own award performance challenges a rapper's range and ability to adjust to different challenges. Being a Californian, I knew from D Smoke's first performance that he would be an artist to watch. My first reaction is that he would be the next Kendrick Lamar. The way he speaks, the messages in his music, and the visuals of his videos all reflect the Pulitzer Prize winner Kendrick Lamar. I fell into the crowd of wanting to compare D Smoke to another rapper. But what sets D Smoke apart from Kendrick Lamar is by playing the piano, guitar, and speaking fluently in Spanish.

D Smoke is a leader within his community. After attending UCLA, he decided to return to his neighborhood to become a teacher at his old high school. He's had a few moments of musical success when opening for a young Kendrick Lamar or being a songwriter for the different artists throughout the industry. Music is in his blood. His mother, a piano instructor, and his brother SIR being signed to the same record label as Kendrick Lamar TDE (Top Dog Entertainment), it was clear that D Smoke was groomed and ready to showcase his artistry. After my favorite contestant was crowned as the winner, the first thing I did was look him up on Instagram. I instantly became a fan. That Wednesday night at 11:30 PM West Coast time, I noticed his last post was an album cover photo of a recently dropped EP simply titled Inglewood High.

This EP has seven songs that give the listener a lovely introduction of who D Smoke is. My first impression of the EP was like the majority. I instantly loved it. The music itself felt very jazz-like. New artists are wanting to be number one on the Billboard charts with mumble lyrics and a catchy hook to be blasted through speakers across the country. D Smoke had a different approach by focusing more so on the storytelling rather than the beat. Each song on the album is approximately two minutes long.

The song "Inglewood High" gives a glimpse of him growing up in Inglewood. From seeing gangs to excelling in school to attending college and finally returning home and being surrounded by the community who helped him by becoming a teacher. D Smoke doesn't represent a gang; he simply represents the city that birthed him. It reminds me of a spoken word session; it felt very melodic. In my humble opinion, a rapper isn't a rapper if they can't create a song or two about a woman. He expresses his admiration in songs like "Ain't You'."

Speaking fluently in Spanish works to his advantage. Crossing over to other languages will broaden his audience and will create a separate community outside of hip hop. "Lil Red" gives the audience a glimpse of how fluently he speaks in Spanish. I am not a Spanish speaker, but I don't mind listening to the Spanish because he does do us, English speakers, a favor in splitting the song from English and then Spanish. In the competition, D Smoke shocked the judges by displaying his diversity in the video below.

I would overall give this EP an A. I can listen to this album without skips. The placement of the songs provides the collection with a particular flow. It also shows his lyrical range. He can easily talk about the moon and the stars and quickly switch to gang life in the city. He's an artist who carries many paintbrushes. D Smoke has set the bar for the next season of Rhythm + Flow.

I look forward to witnessing his growth and imprint on hip-hop and hip-hop culture. Inglewood High is streaming on all major platforms. You can also see his journey on Rhythm + Flow streaming on Netflix now.

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