St. Louis Rapper Smino held a sensational album release party in Downtown Los Angeles this past week. To celebrate the release of his sophomore album ‘NOIR,’ he held his amazing listening party at The Regent Theatre. I’m more than happy that I went to the free event, it was the most lit Thursday night of my life. The venue was equipped with a full photobooth to re-create his TV set album cover, Smino re-created posters of famous Black films (which are featured on his album cover), there were two bars and so much more.

On Thursday night, something told me to get to The Regent early and I’m glad I did because the line quickly wrapped around the block. I was in a spot close to the front of the line and after nearly an hour of waiting everyone began to pour into the venue. Even as The Regent filled up with people it was still quite intimate, which speaks to everyone who helped plan the event. Even after I got some rosé, walked around to see Smino’s posters of Juice, Some Wood, etc, I was still able to secure a space close to the stage. 

When Smino hit the stage with his entourage, including a few exotic dancers, he was sure to walk the catwalk toward the DJ turntables and engage with fans often. He ramped up the crowd, getting everyone excited to hear tracks from his album. Smino signed peoples pictures from the photo booth and took selfies with nearly anyone how asked. Luckily I was one of the fans to get a quick photo with him. Although Smino remained very cool and collected, his own excitement for the release so palpable.

When he played his latest single ‘KLINK,’ everyone including myself couldn’t stand still. The song is definitely one of my favorites as it highlights his outlandish and authentic lyrics and style.

I first heard about Smino while studying abroad and when I returned to the states I happened to see him open up for one of my favorite artists SZA at The Novo. He literally amazed me with his performance then, taking control of the stage by treating his timeslot like a full ‘Smino-headlining performance. There I saw how dedicated this artist was to creating music that is truly unique to him.

After that first live encounter, a few amazing friends organized a music festival at our college in which Smino actually was the headliner. So if you haven’t noticed Smino and his music encompasses a special place in my heart and memory bank.  What I admire about this artist is his dedication to creating original and different music. He blends styles of neo-soul, hip-hop with intense and unconventional vocal range. All the while his lyrics and flows are so rich and artistic. If his debut album ‘blkswn’ was the perfect introduction to his style, then ‘NOIR’ is a fantastic continuation into his hip-hop journey.

Listen to ‘NOIR’ Below!

Be sure to check out my Instagram for more pictures and videos from the release party and his live performances.

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Best,

Kai 😀