Mad Man Smooth is an artist who hails from the inner depths of Pomona, California, a city he describes as "Home of Raw Undiscovered Talents." Born in the Los Angeles area, Smooth and his family relocated to "P-Town", which he calls "The Land". There he first discovered a love for the lyrical aspects of Hip Hop. He has always had a passion for music, being raised by a single mother who was deeply into dancing, and an older brother (AFX) who was into deejaying and beatboxing. Smooth got involved early in the game and soon went from recording weekend KDAY programs to break dancing and poetry writing. Then, taking it a step further, becoming a lyricist "I was bred into music. As far as I can remember, saving allowances just to go buy records and 45 singles." From this spawned an attraction like no other, spending numerous weekends recording on a broken 4 track reel to reel owned by his mother, who gave it to her sons to record their sessions and ideas.
In 1988, Smooth was introduced into a music family that his brother (AFX) and a couple of friends started called "P.I.E." (Posse In Effect then changed to Pomona's Insane Empire). "They were the talk of the school. I would watch them freestyle and create ideas in our garage and go to high school games and serve other MCs. I wanted to be a part of that!" Soon after he became a member, he began the journey of honing his skills.
Smooth states that his style took time to develop. "The writing came naturally. But, the delivery part I worked on for years. But, I stayed at it even when I was criticized. My style is unorthodox. It's an on and off beat combination and that took time to "lock in pocket".", says Mad Man Smooth. He continues by stating that his content isn't the usual West Coast Gangsta and has a lot more to offer. "I've been blessed with a talent, been thru many life experiences, plus I'm an intelligent individual and I want my music to portray just that...music for every type of vibe." He takes pride in the fact he's not a bandwagon jumper, staying true to what his heart, mind, and pen create.
Experiences include performing at house parties, clubs, shows, and talent contests. He has also been offered contract agreements from record labels but, was unable to accept. Besides performing, his greatest experience has been understanding the business aspects of the music industry and with that knowledge build on a dream. "We were ahead of our time. From here on in, it's all "Hand Ova Fist"."
Future goals are to put Sweat Shop Recordings on the map to hold it's own against the larger players in the music industry. "We are in this to make a statement. It's like a football game. It's 4th & Inches with 20 seconds left on the clock. We have the ball. The play is called. The snap is made. Touch Down! We are victorious!", says Mad Man Smooth.
As Mad Man Smooth walks out of the room, he turns around and says, "Nowadays people think that because they have a contract, they got skillz. But, money and a contract doesn't equal skillz." |
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