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A HUMBLE BUT HUNGRY DETROIT MC, WHOSE NAME CAUGHT WILDFIRE FOR HIS LONG AMZAZING FREESTYLES. SMOKE HAS HAD A PASSION AND DREAM TO DO MUSIC SINCE THE 7TH GRADE. NICKNAMED SMOKE BECAUSE OF HIS DARK COMPLEXION AND SHARP MIC SKILLS, HE'S MADE HIS NAME KNOWN THROUGHT SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN AND A CPL SPOTS ON THE EAST COAST. ALSO KNOWN AS THE BLACK CAL RIPKEN,SMOKE, SINCE THE 9TH GRADE UNTIL NOW DUE TO HIS VICIOUS FREESTYLE SOME LABLED HIM THE "FREESTYLE KING" OF DETROIT. NOT WANTING TO BE STUCK IN THAT CATEGORY SMOKE BEGAN DISPLAYING HIS WRITING SKILLS TO THE WORLD THROUGH HIS FIRST EP TITLED THE "ADDICT".THUS SHOWING HIS GREAT WRITING ABILITY. HIS VIVID STREET TALES MIXED WITH CREATIVE CONCEPTUAL SONGS HAVE MADE SMOKE AND SOUGHT UNDERGROUND SECRET. KNOWN FOR HIS POPULAR FORECLOSURE MIXTAPE VOL 1 SMOKE HAS RECENTLY RELEASED THE SESSION WITH INSOMNIA MUSIC AND JUST RELEASED FORECLOSURE PART 2. WITH HIS MOM AS HIS MOTIVATION A FOCUSED AND DEDICATED THE YOUNG MAN KNOWN AS SMOKE LOOKS TO MOVE FORWARD AND GET HIS MUSIC OUT TO THE MASSES USING HIS RHYMING ABILITIES AS A BRIDGE FOR A BETTER LIFE FOR HIS FAMILY AND OPEN MORE DOORS FOR MORE GREAT DETROIT ARTISTS.
“This Detroit emcee is the muthafuckin' Afrika Bambaata of Detroit, searching for the perfect beat. Kid you not. What's more, most production work on his winning new indie hip-hop album The Session is handled by the underheralded Detroit producers Cream of Beats and Planet Da Majustic. Smoke scours the Internet for beats, and has worked with producers in Finland, Norway, Germany and England. "Whenever I'm working on a record I make sure I got a lot of money in my PayPal account for buying beats," he says.
Smoke (real name: Michael Ivory) is a gifted freestyler and beat-picker — for him the beat is crucial. "If I'm really into a beat it takes me no time to write lines," he says. "I'll hear it instantly."
The emcee-writer always carries two notepads to jot down rhymes whenever he gets time. "I'll have songs written on two pieces of paper and three sticky notes that look like chicken scratches. ... You can lose an idea so quickly if you don't get it down."
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DOUG COOMBE - METROTIMES
“Smoke: Review
The Saturday performance of Smoke at the Belmont reminded me of the early days of hip-hop. Although it was Smokes show, three guys altogether were on stage with a mixture of minimum, raw beats and hard free flowing rhymes, which made for a good show. The crowd was hyped and on target for the call and response and Smoke delivered it with the timing and old school beats that harkens back to the early and some would say glory days of rap. And although conspicuous in its absence was someone on the turntables, the beats and rhymes were still in abundant supply. My only issue was I would still like to see a little less chest pounding among rappers and hear some old school commentary.”
Doug Mobley (douglas.mobley@gmail.com) - youtube
