Smino

Smino, born Christopher Smith Jr. on October 2, 1991, is a St. Louis rapper and singer whose work brings rap into conversation with R&B, soul, funk, and pop-minded melody. He first drew local attention in 2012 with the mixtape Smeezy Dot Com, followed by Retail, a collaborative mixtape with Bari.

In 2015, Smino released the EPs S!Ck S!Ck S!Ck and blkjuptr. That same period also saw the formation of Zero Fatigue, the musical collective he founded with Bari, producer Monte Booker, rapper Jay2, and singer Ravyn Lenae. The group connected Smino with a circle of Chicago collaborators while maintaining ties to his St. Louis roots.

His debut studio album, blkswn, arrived on March 14, 2017 and received critical acclaim. He followed it with NØIR on November 8, 2018, then released his third album, Luv 4 Rent, on October 28, 2022. His fourth studio album, Maybe in Nirvana, was released on December 6, 2024.

Alongside his solo recordings, Smino is one third of Ghetto Sage, a supergroup formed with Saba and Noname. He is signed to Downtown Records and Interscope. Across mixtapes, EPs, albums, and collaborative projects, his catalog has paired rapped verses with sung passages and a fluid approach to hip-hop and contemporary R&B.