SMOOTH B

BRONX, NEW YORK  |  SMOOTH B

INTERVIEW: KIM "GOODLOOK" SEABROOK

VALIDATED: WHAT IS YOUR EARLIEST MEMORY OF HIP-HOP, THE CULTURE?

SMOOTH B: MY EARLIEST MEMORY OF THE HIP HOP CULTURE WAS THE PARK JAMS & BLOCK PARTY’S IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD IN THE BRONX. I USED TO SEE GRANDMASTER FLASH AND DJ KOOL HERC ROCK IN THE PARK BACK IN ‘76, ‘77.

VALIDATED: YOU HAVE TRAVELED THE STATES AND ABROAD. HOW DOES HIP-HOP CULTURE DIFFER IN THE STATES FROM OTHER COUNTRIES?

SMOOTH B: OVERSEAS THE PEOPLE DON’T THINK THEY’LL EVER GET A CHANCE TO SEE THEIR FAVORITE ARTIST FROM THE STATES SO THEY SAVOR THE FLAVOR! THEY TAKE YOU ALL THE WAY IN, THEY APPRECIATE YOUR WORK!

VALIDATED: YOU INITIALLY STARTED OFF SINGING. HOW DID YOU MAKE THE TRANSITION INTO RAP?

SMOOTH B: WELL GROWING UP IN THE BRONX I FELL IN LOVE WITH HIP HOP. THE MC’S AND DJ’S WERE MORE RELATABLE SO I STARTED PRACTICING MY FLOWS AND INCORPORATING SINGING IN MY SONGS.

VALIDATED: HOW DID THE COLLAB BETWEEN YOU AND GREG NICE COME ABOUT TO BECOME NICE AND SMOOTH?

SMOOTH B: WE BOTH HAD A MUTUAL FRIEND WHO INTRODUCED US. AT THAT TIME I WAS SOLO AND HAD JUST COME OFF TOUR WITH BOBBY BROWN, SINGING BACKGROUND AND WRITING HIS RHYMES. GREG WAS DOING BEATBOX ON TOUR WITH T-LAROCK. A SERIES OF EVENTS TOOK PLACE IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME BUT WHAT I WILL SAY IS WE CLICKED AND THOUGH ORIGINALLY GREG DIDN’T WANT TO RHYME I PULLED IT OUT OF HIM. OPPOSED TO HIS SUGGESTION TO BE KNOWN AS “SMOOTH & NICE”, I TOLD HIM “NICE & SMOOTH” HAD A BETTER RING TO IT!

VALIDATED: NICE & SMOOTH IS ORIGINAL AND THERE HAS NEVER BEEN ANOTHER DUO SUCH AS YOU TWO. HOW IMPORTANT IS ORIGINALITY IN BEING A BRAND?

SMOOTH B: THANK YOU! ORIGINALITY IS SUPER IMPORTANT AND IT’S ONE OF THE KEYS TO LONGEVITY.

VALIDATED: EVEN AFTER ALL THESE YEARS YOUR MUSIC AND PERFORMANCES ARE STILL STRONG. HOW CAN NEW ARTISTS LEARN TO MAKE TIMELESS MUSIC SUCH AS YOURS?

SMOOTH B: OKAY, LISTEN SIS! I’M NOT GIVING OUT NO SECRETS! LOL!!! NAW, BUT SERIOUSLY IT’S A BLESSING AND A GIFT! PERSONALLY I JUST LOVE WHAT I DO! THE REST IS UP TO GOD!

VALIDATED: YOUR SON KING MALACHI HAS BEEN ON STAGE WITH YOU. WHAT CAN WE EXPECT FROM HIM IN THE ENTERTAINMENT WORLD?

SMOOTH B: YOU CAN EXPECT GREAT WORKS FROM KING MALACHI, HE LOVES HIS ART!

VALIDATED: ASIDE FROM MUSIC, WHAT OTHER VENTURES ARE YOU WORKING ON, FILM OR ANYTHING BEHIND THE SCENES?

SMOOTH B: I’M PUTTING A FEW THINGS TOGETHER AND SINCE WEED IS LEGAL IN L.A. I MAY GET A DISPENSARY.

VALIDATED: WHAT IS THE HIGHLIGHT OF YOUR CAREER AS A HIP-HOP ARTIST?

SMOOTH B: WOW, I HAVE A FEW, I CAN'T CHOOSE JUST ONE! ROCKIN’ THE APOLLO, BARCLAYS, SOUL TRAIN WITH DON CORNELIUS (R.I.P) AND TOURING JAPAN.

VALIDATED: AS AN ARTIST, HOW DIFFERENT IS IT TO TRANSITION FROM AN INDEPENDENT LABEL TO A MAJOR LABEL?

SMOOTH B: INDEPENDENT, IT’S ALL ON YOU, FROM HIRING TO FIRING! MAJOR, THEY HAVE THEIR OWN SYSTEM IN PLACE!

VALIDATED: IS THERE ANYTHING THAT YOU WOULD HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY IN YOUR CAREER?

SMOOTH B: FOR THIS PARTICULAR JOURNEY HONESTLY I WOULDN’T CHANGE A THING!

VALIDATED: HOW DO YOU REMAIN HUMBLE AND GROUNDED IN AN INDUSTRY THAT MAKES IT DIFFICULT TO DO SO?

SMOOTH B: I BELIEVE THE REASON IM ABLE TO REMAIN HUMBLE IS BECAUSE I RECOGNIZE GOD AS MY SOURCE OF SUPPLY! IN OTHER WORDS MY GIFTS, MY BEING AND MY VERY ESSENCE IS ATTRIBUTED TO THE CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSE! IT IS BY HIS/HER WILL THAT I EXIST! SO THEREFORE I’M HUMBLE BEFORE GOD NOT BY MAN!  

VALIDATED: CAN YOU GIVE US ONE FUN FACT ABOUT SMOOTH BEE THAT MAY OF US DON'T KNOW?

SMOOTH B: WELL ONE FUN FACT IS THAT I LOVE TO COOK! ESPECIALLY GRILLING, COOKOUTS ARE MY SHIZ!!! I’M A GEORGE FOREMAN GRILL MASTER! SEAFOOD, POULTRY OR BEEF I’LL CHEF IT UP.

VALIDATED: WHAT IS YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA?

SMOOTH B: FACEBOOK: SMOOTHBEE AND INSTAGRAM: SMOOTHBOSS