Smitty
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This article is on the rapper Smitty. For the newspaper comic, see Smitty (comic strip)
Varick D. Smith, better known as Smitty, is a Haitian-American rapper and hip-hop ghostwriter from Little Haiti, a neighborhood in Miami, Florida.
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[edit] Biography
While growing up in Little Haiti, Smitty came home one day to see a friend fatally shot due to involvement in the drug game.[1] The incident made him more aware of his future. In 1997 he decided to enroll at Florida A&M University to major in journalism. However, his aspiration to become a full-fledged artist led him to switch coasts after only two and half years of school. He would eventually, through a friend, get the opportunity to start in the hip-hop industry by flying out to meet with legendary producer Dr. Dre while he was filming The Wash. After many hours waiting around on set, Smitty finally got the chance to rap in front of Dr. Dre. Dr. Dre was impressed and Smitty was asked to work on a few tracks for The Wash soundtrack.[2]
In addition to working on the soundtrack, Smitty has also worked on several songs, including two chart hits - 'Shake Ya Tailfeather' by P. Diddy, Nelly & Murphy Lee and 'Bump, Bump, Bump' by B2K. He has collaborated with fellow hip-hop artists such as Trick Daddy, Scarface and Kanye West.
[edit] Record deal
An opportunity to sign with Aftermath Records, Arista Records, Capitol Records, Def Jam, Elektra Records, and Jive Records were all offered, but were turned down in lieu of creative freedom.[3] Smitty eventually signed with Clive Davis's J Records.
[edit] Albums released
In July of 2005, Smitty released his debut single effort Diamonds On My Neck, a moderate success on the Billboard charts, the video for which was directed by Hype Williams. His album Life of a Troubled Child was supposed to be released in fall 2005 but was shelved for unknown reasons. He released two mixtapes, The Voice of the Ghetto and Heart of the South.[4]
| Year | Title | Chart positions | Album | |
| US Hot 100 | US R&B/Hip-Hop | |||
| 2005 | "Diamonds On My Neck" | - | #89 | Life of a Troubled Child |
[edit] Trivia
- His nickname was given to him by Dr. Dre.
- Ghostwrote for Will Smith.
- Grew up listening to local Miami hip-hops such as 2 Live Crew and Jam Pony Express, as well as Notorious B.I.G. [5]
- Smitty's mother works in the financial section of Broward General Medical Center hospital.[6]
- His father was in and out from jail while he was a teen. [7]
- Smitty has two younger brothers and sisters. He is currently paying for one of his sisters' college education. [8]
- He says he rarely talks to friends from his childhood.[9]
- Smitty was raised a spiritual person. He was frequently in church as a young child.[10] and two of his good friends are Reverend Jermaine Turner and Nahum St. Preux.[11]
- Even though he is a rapper with a million dollar recording contract, he admits that the women have been few and far between in his life prior to being a rap artist. He hopes to marry his current girlfriend.[12]
