Artist Ol’ Smith was born in Puerto Rico and raised in the Bronx, where he grew up surrounded by a heavy Hip-Hop influence and freestyling and having rap battles with his friends. Though he didn’t always have dreams of becoming an artist at a young age, he turned to music following a brief relocation to Iowa to pursue his athletic dreams after securing a scholarship to play college baseball there.
After returning to New York, Ol’ Smith began to take music much more seriously, catching the attention of childhood friend OfficialDrama. The two began to release music in the summer of 2017, and rose in popularity in the city, opening for major acts like UnoTheActivist and Thouxanbanfauni and performing in top clubs and lounges in the city.
Soon after, Ol’ Smith opened for A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie in Berlin, Germany, and released his debut hit single, “Go Hard”. The official video for the song topped 100,000 views on YouTube, and caught the attention of major companies like AudioMack and Sprayground.
Ol’ Smith has some advice for those trying to make it as an artist today, stressing that they should never give up and to continue pursuing your dreams and goals even if others don’t believe in them. You can hear more from Ol’ Smith and his latest projects at his Instagram.
© 2021, Seth "Digital Crates" Barmash. All rights reserved.
