| Smilez and Southstar |
|
|---|---|
| Origin | Orlando, Florida, U.S. |
| Genres | Hip hop, Rap |
| Years active | 2002–present |
| Website | http://www.myspace.com/SmilezandSouthstar |
Smilez and Southstar hip-hop duo based in Orlando, Florida. They had a Top 40 hit with the song "Tell Me" in late 2002.[1] Their music has been played on stations nationwide and their videos have appeared on MTV and BET
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The group's first single was "Who Wants This" featuring Kelis. The song had an underground vibe to it and created a buzz but still didn't crack the top 40. The group's next single, "Tell Me", hit the Top 40 charts. The duo then followed it up with "Now That You're Gone". Smilez talks about the death of his mother and Southstar speaks about the death of his son, Malik, however it did poorly on the charts and the group was considered a one-hit wonder. But the group still continued to tour with a reggae artist Beenie Man. They also were considered "different" because they didn't talk about using or selling drugs in their music.
The group has been quiet since their switch in labels due to poor success of their album Crash the Party. They were signed to Reincarnate, an indie label, but now have created their own independent record label Groundworks Entertainment. The label features reggae artist Viper and rapper Vill.
"Tell Me" used a sample from Marvin Gaye and Diana Ross's song Stop, Look, Listen (To Your Heart). There was controversy when Ja Rule and Ashanti's song "Mesmerized", released around the same time, used the same sample. This made a slight "beef" between Smilez & Southstar and Ja Rule's record label, Murder Inc., which stemmed from Murder Inc turning down the original version of Mesmerized, originally produced by DJ Nasty of Orlando.
Smilez and Southstar are currently working on their next album. The previous album featured the songs "Found Out", "Been a Long Time", and "Good Look". "Good Look" features Cash Money rapper Yo Gotti. Beenie Man and Killer Mike also were featured on the album. The lead single "U Know" featured rappers Treal. Southstar is featured on the mixtape freestyle "Protect Ya Neck" with fellow rappers Jin and Far East Movement.
| Year | Single | Chart Positions | Album | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Hot 100 | US R&B |
US Rap |
|||
| 2002 | "Who Wants This?" | — | 65 | — | Crash the Party |
| 2003 | "Tell Me" | 33 | 28 | 11 | |
| "Now That You're Gone" | — | — | — | ||
| Year | Title | Chart positions[2] | Certifications and sales | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US R&B | |||
| 2003 | Crash the Party
|
91 | 34 | |