Smiley Did What What He Needed To Do: Interview

Smiley’s not stopping. With the release of his latest project, I Did What I Did, the Toronto-based artist feels like there’s more to prove. The rapper unveiled his major label debut, 2021’s Buy or Bye 2, under OVO Sound/Warner. Despite being rather unknown outside of Toronto at the time, OVO co-founder Drake hopped on “Over The Top,” earning Smiley his first charting hit on the Billboard Hot 100.

These days, Smiley is no longer under the major label banner of Warner Music and is solely signed to OVO Sound. Still, he’s rests in the mentorship of one of the biggest artists in the world, and the success they both saw with “Over The Top” has only put a battery in Smiley’s back to work harder. He’s focused on his weight loss journey (which he frequently highlights in his #MondayMotivation posts), and he revealed that he’s currently one month sober.

“I want a song as successful or more successful than ‘Over The Top’ by myself. Like, not even no other feature for my next thing,” he told HotNewHipHop. More importantly, he knows that a significant part of his success relies on his health. “I want to keep being more consistent, I want to just keep growing as an artist, I want to be more like, I want to make more songs like 'You Went Ghost.' I want to just be all over the place, I just want my work ethic to keep growing. Also, when all those happen, I want to [continue my weight loss journey],” he added.

Smiley wanted to release I Did What I Did to “feed the streets.” But up next is the release of his debut album. Although no release date has been set, he said there will be a number of features, strongly suggesting that he and Drake might reunite on wax once again. We recently caught up with Smiley following the release of I Did What I Did, where he discussed sobriety, borrowing Drake’s Virgil Abloh Maybach for the “Eternals” music video, and the release of his new project.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

HotNewHipHop: What’s the significance of the title, I Did What I Did?

Smiley: Honestly, alright, so, I Did What I Did, where I originally got it from, was when I was looking for a name for the EP. I was listening to all my songs from the EP because I already picked all the songs. I listened from one to nine and I was just writing down all the quotables from the songs down. And then from once I got to the last one or whatever, I was looking through all the names. And then I Did What I Did was one of them. Me and my team were looking over it and I was just like, "This was the most relatable one for me," and I feel like relate to the audience, too, you know?

Just yesterday, for example. I had a release party, but then I canceled it because I'm like, I don't want to relapse and I want to keep making music. I'd rather bring it to the studio. So then, a lot of people were kind of mad, like, why are you canceling the release party? Or like ‘What the heck?’ Then, when they'll see me in the studio and they're just mad because they thought there was no party. But it’s like, there is no party. It’s just a studio thing. And then, to me, it's like, I did what I did and I don't care no more of what these people think, you know? I don't want to make no one happy no more. So I feel like I Did What I Did is really just me. Like, yeah, bro, I did what I did.

What are you hoping to accomplish next in the immediate future? What are you striving for at this point in your career?

I want a song as successful or more successful than “Over The Top” by myself. Like, not even no other feature for my next thing. For my next thing, I want to keep being more consistent. I want to just keep growing as an artist, I want to be more like I want to make more songs like “You Went Ghost," I want to just be all over the place, I just want my work ethic to keep growing. Also, when all those happen, I want to [continue my weight loss journey]. I want them both to be at the same time, you know? Like, I blow up and you might actually see the weight droppin’. Those two things are my top [priorities] because it would help my career, too. Just performance-wise and looking better on camera, feeling better, you know?

What’s been the biggest change in your life since Buy or Bye 2?

I feel like since then, a lot. For me, kind of playing with my craft more and learning myself more. I kind of got more producers now like that I tapped in with – I have a whole list. Like so much different beats I could go into, you know? I feel like I'm just in a way better place now. And I'm in a place right now where I’m fully OVO Sound. So like I could just be dropping music how I want to you know?

Has the deal changed at all since signing to OVO?

No, no, because before I was Warner Records but now, I'm just full OVO. I'm OVO. So now, I could just drop so much music. I have so much music, like all of the music from I Did What I Did is kind of old.

When you look back at the first Buy Or Bye tape, what was the biggest lesson you learned as an artist since then?

Take more time with it. Capitalize more on the moment and how to do a rollout better and just promote yourself better. You know, and just be in front of the people as you drop your tape. Like, you know, sometimes I'll just drop my tape and just f*ck off, you know? Now I know way more. And just, keep working. Don’t ever think like, ‘Okay, I dropped the tape. I have some time to just sit down and chill. And then, yeah, Buy Or Bye, when I dropped that, music wasn’t my only focus.

There aren’t any features on this project compared to Buy Or Bye 2 and its deluxe release. What was the decision behind that?

The reason I gave is one of them. I'm working on my album still, and this is a tape. I haven't dropped music in a long time. So I'm just like, let me just feed the streets quick by myself. Obviously, the album will have features and everything but like, I just wanted to do a quick – just show them like, I could do this by myself too. No, sure. But the album will, for sure, have features.

Drake’s not on the project but I could imagine he had a role in putting it together. What song surprised him the most when you played the mixtape in its entirety?

“Long Nights,” to be honest. But like, for this one, realistically, I didn't send him that much music on this one just because I knew he was on tour everything, and mostly, I'm doing it with [OVO co-founder Oliver El-Khatib]. I worked with him. Like, I send him a lot of my music you know? Sometimes, I just want to surprise The Boy like, oh final touch, listen to it. Oli execs my stuff. So like, he gets to hear my music, too. For the album, I’m for sure going to send way more music to Drake and get his input. We’re going to get him on that, too.

What song caught Oliver off-guard?

“Nicky Nine Doors” and “You Went Ghost.” Those were his super standouts. At first, he heard songs like “Fast Route” and “How Far.” Like there was this Hollywood sound that I had for a bit. We were getting ready to pick the songs for the EP and then – man, he gave me a serious call one time. He was just like, “Yo, these guys want to hear what we’ve seen in you the first time. You know, like the real Smiley, that raw sh*t. Like, this is like your horror movie.” I knew exactly what he meant, and that’s like that “Nicky Nine Doors” sound, that “Eternals,” that “Moderation.” So, we made a whole set of songs and those were those songs right there. Then, when he heard “Nicky Nine Door,” and a couple of other songs like “You Went Ghost,” he was excited.

Did you play “Nicky Nicky Nine Doors” as a kid?

Yeah, for sure. I was always the one scared because I’m like, “I'm gonna get caught. My friends are fast as sh*t.”

Did you ever get caught?

Yo, one time we did. Like, we actually did Nicky Nicky Nine Doors, ironically, at a trap house. And, oh my gosh, we ran through the hood. The crackheads came out the house, stumbles, and they’re running. They’re high too, they almost tried to kill us. They almost caught me because we have to climb over a big fence, and I couldn’t climb as fast as these guys did and they almost got me – they’re going to kill me. And then, one of my friends helped me to get over.

How do you feel about how the Toronto scene evolved?

I feel like it's actually so crazy because I feel like the music still going hard. A lot of Toronto artists are actually going so hard, put in a lot of work into their craft and a lot of people are being consistent right now, you know? One thing I didn't realize too was – I was just watching a live stream kind of the other day of Akademiks when he went on Twitch with everyone in the city, you know? And then – I feel like I bring Bundog into some of my stuff. So funny.

So, I was listening to it, and he tells Ak like, “Yo, you know we need your support… this, this, this.” And he’s just like, “Watch a year from now, and we'll redo the statistic of what all these kids are gonna do. They're either gonna be dead or in jail. You will see a year from now.” Then, I’m looking at it. As I’m listening to it, I’m like, “Holy f*ck, yeah. There are so many people from that livestream that are either dead or in jail.” And it’s a crazy thing, you know? So, it’s like, I hope everyone just really make it out. Just get out of here.

Do you think the social media drama surrounding Toronto’s rap scene hurts or helps?

It helps for the moment, but long run, it f*cks with you, you know? So that's just what it is. I just feel like whatever way, you're still hustling to get where you're getting, you know, but people just do their own do it their own way.

How did it feel returning back to Montreal for the It’s All A Blur tour?

It felt good, you know? I actually brought some of my family out to the show, too. So I was happy about that because I barely get to see them like that. You know, always going back to Montreal, I enjoy it. I have a lot of family out there, too. So I try to go see them, also. But it felt good.

I didn't see Drake in a long time, too. So to catch up with him, it was a vibe, you know? I had had a few shows out there also. And just to catch up with the team, it was sick. I seen Oli, too. So we chopped it up a bit. And then I was on the big screen, you know? I was like, “Holy, that guy!” It was sick to actually see it in person. This guy is actually going like two hours long, performing like a real ballgame. And he's not like being subbed out, you know? So I’m like this guy’s the guy.

You mentioned that you began your journey to sobriety. What made you commit to that decision?

Knowing that I’m going to start up my own tour, knowing the feeling of how it felt when I first did my sobriety, and how much weight I actually did end up losing. And how I felt like. I just felt so good. So I'm like, I need that feeling, again? Even though, the only reason why I do end up gaining more weight and drinking a lot – like, I won’t just drink for fun and games at home. I do it in the studio to create more music, you know?

But I realized I just have to stop and just do it sober and thug it out. There are more benefits to sobriety and doing everything that I want to do. I knew, ‘I have to do that,’ and it’s just been feeling good. Like right now, I’m one month sober. Feeling incredible. More available, present. I probably wouldn’t want to do this interview if I was on edge.

How do you navigate through the industry parties and events, as well as it being summer, while on your sobriety journey?

So my biggest thing is like, getting through the first week. The first week is the hardest because it’s just like the temptations are easier to bite into because it's just like, you're only four days sober, you know? It’s like, oh, five days and it’s probably a Friday and since I just drank and on Monday restart. Now that I’m at a month streak, oh, nothing’s gonna – I’m not restarting my streak for nothing. You know how long that takes again to get to it? I’m trying to beat my record of three months of sobriety. Now, it’s easy for me

I was just at a little boat party – my friend’s boat party. That was annoying because when I was bored and I was ready to go, I couldn't leave because they were in the fucking boat. Then, that’s why my release party, I wouldn’t have been able to leave when I want because it’s my release party. But if it’s anybody else’s sh*t, I could go for a bit, and when I say, “Alright, I’m bored” or “I’m just done, I want to go home,” then I could go and I won’t relapse. So, it’s just easier right now because I’m one month sober so hopefully, I keep going and when I start drinking again, you’ll see it. [Laughs]

Well, congratulations. That’s a major milestone to reach.

Oh, and I dropped my vape, too, because I was a super vaper. I’m like, “Holy, I even got rid of the nicotine.” Like, even sometimes, I wake up – like my friends know that from back in the days – like some days, I just want to cold turkey everything -- I don’t know, I’m just weird like that. I remember one time, I had an ounce of weed that I bought that night before. And the next day, I woke up, I just gave it to my friend, like, “You want this? I’m done smoking.”

I had to ask – did you return Drake’s Maybach in full condition?

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I couldn’t – that was the Virgil. I couldn’t do the Virgil and The Boy like that.

What was your reaction when he let you borrow it?

I was super like, “Oh, this guy's like – bro.” Because it was actually last minute, I asked him, you know? I know like what those type of things – he wasn't even in the country so there are probably a lot of protocols so I was surprised he made it happen. Not surprised but I just thought it would probably need more time. So like, I’m like, f*ck, this guy’s such a sick guy, fam. He’s an actual genuine guy, he doesn’t have to do that. He didn’t even tell me like, “Yo fam, just make sure like, don’t –” nothing! I could’ve been on the loose, I could’ve brought that to – I could’ve done whatever I wanted! I didn’t do no crazy stuff. I’m mad I didn’t get more of the car in the video.

I want to dive into “You Went Ghost” before I let you go. It’s one of my favorite songs on the project and you’re showing a vulnerable side of yourself. What exactly inspired that song?

What inspired me first was the beat. The beat put me in that mode like, yeah, okay, it has to be one of those type of songs. Like, my f*ckin’ heartbreaking songs, even though I don’t care no more! It’s like sometimes, I’ll be like, “Do you think I care that much realistically?” I just like to rap on the vulnerable side. I’ll make it seem like I really, really care. Like it’s real stuff that happened but I’m actually like, I’m f*cked up, guy. But I like to rap towards the vulnerable side of things like ah!

But yeah, the beat inspired me and I was probably off a f**king Adderall and I was just locked in [laughs]. I just finished it, I went crazy on that. Yeah, just talking to a girl. I just shot the video yesterday at the studio and I can’t wait to see the video, I shot a lot of scenes. That’s another thing about my sobriety too, like, yesterday, shooting the video all day, I actually utilized every location I was at. Shot so many scenes because I’m sober and I’m trying to do the most out of the whole situation.

One line that stood out to me was, “All these nights in the studio is why I lost her.” Have you been able to find a balance between your personal and professional life?

With that specific situation, it was just because it was a situation before the rapping stuff. Like, anything going forward, any girl, I wouldn’t care. You know what you’re getting into, you know what this is. Don’t ever tell me anything – are you crazy? You could never tell me that. For someone that was with me before the rapping stuff started, I understand. So, I say, it’s kind of different for you so I get it but you have to get this, also.

Finally, I want to ask you about the debut album. What can you tell me about it?

I'm just gonna go super – like, I'm giving my all into this album. I want to just let you guys really understand me more. More of my personal stuff. I want to get deep into this, you know? And I'm gonna work super hard, even harder than I've ever been to just give you guys good music.