D Smoke

Delivering socially conscious street tales aimed at empowerment, Inglewood, California’s own D Smoke made his mainstream breakthrough in 2019 as the first winner of the reality rap competition Rhythm + Flow. However, by that time, the bilingual multi-instrumentalist (guitar, drums, piano) had already been busy on the scene for over a decade as both a songwriter and an underground figure influenced as much by West Coast predecessors Kurupt and Snoop Dogg as gospel singers Kirk Franklin and Yolanda Adams. Bridging genres as well as the Black and Latinx communities, D Smoke also spent years as a Spanish and music theory teacher at his own alma mater, Inglewood High School. Soon after winning Rhythm + Flow, he issued his official debut, the Grammy-nominated Black Habits, in 2020. The star-studded War & Wonders appeared in 2021.
Born Daniel Anthony Farris, the California emcee grew up in a family of musicians. In addition to an uncle who played bass for Prince, his mother, gospel singer Jackie Gouche-Farris, sang backup for Michael Jackson and Anita Baker, while his brothers Davion Farris and SiR branched into R&B. Family-focused, he formed a songwriting team with his brothers and cousin Tiffany Gouche in the early 2000s called WoodWorks. Together they penned tracks for artists such as Ginuwine and the Pussycat Dolls. On the side, Farris self-released efforts under the moniker Supa Good D Smoke and appeared on SiR’s 2015 album Seven Sundays. Outside of music, Farris pledged himself to his community, mentoring and counseling teenagers while also teaching Spanish and music theory at Inglewood High School, where he graduated before heading to UCLA.
From the classroom to the television screen, D Smoke tried out for Rhythm + Flow in 2019, securing a spot in the competition alongside fellow finalists Londynn B, Troyman, and Flawless Real Talk. With songs like “Last Supper” and “Let Migo,” he presented honest snapshots of the realities of life in Inglewood while rapping in both English and Spanish. This impressed the judges and audience enough for him to take home the top prize. Following his victory, D Smoke quickly issued his EP Inglewood High, which peaked in the Top Ten on the Billboard Rap Albums charts. Months later, he released his official full-length debut, 2020′s Black Habits. The record featured appearances by Snoop Dogg, Jill Scott, his mother, and his brothers. The set reached number 25 on Billboard’s Independent Albums chart and earned D Smoke Grammy nominations for Best Rap Album and Best New Artist. He released his Billboard-charting sophomore effort, War & Wonders, the following year, which included features from Ty Dolla $ign, Marsha Ambrosius, Dem Jointz, Tobe Nwigwe, BJ the Chicago Kid, Fireboy DML, Westside Boogie, and John Legend. ~ Neil Z. Yeung