Chill Smith

Chill Smith, a self-produced rapper and audio engineer, was born and raised in Paterson, New Jersey. He penned his first verse at 14 after listening to <a href="spotify:artist:7dGJo4pcD2V6oG8kP0tJRR" data-name="Eminem">Eminem</a>&#39;s The Slim Shady LP. At 15, his father moved him to the suburbs of Bayville to avoid expulsion from JFK High School. This brought a major social adjustment as Chill, deeply rooted in Hip-hop and R&amp;B culture, had to navigate a new world unfamiliar with that background. Living in both poverty and the suburbs gave him the ability to move between these worlds. After graduating high school, Chill attended OCTVS for audio engineering, where he met lifetime friend and collaborator <a href="spotify:artist:5jXa7eMTxuwmJiMZ0omy1v" data-name="Chris Rockwell">Chris Rockwell</a>. At 17, Chill hit a recording studio for the first time, going by the name New Star. Chill draws lyrical inspiration from artists like <a href="spotify:artist:20qISvAhX20dpIbOOzGK3q" data-name="Nas">Nas</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:6l3HvQ5sa6mXTsMTB19rO5" data-name="J. Cole">J. Cole</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:1SAugjIcuwNPKS4urSB7A6" data-name="Joe Budden">Joe Budden</a>, and with a production style influenced by <a href="spotify:artist:5K4W6rqBFWDnAN6FQUkS6x" data-name="Kanye West">Kanye West</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:3uKU7PMJ1n14NcZ131I6wd" data-name="Jake One">Jake One</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:4s8ZGMVf3OiPktSP4ulpqU" data-name="9th Wonder">9th Wonder</a>, Chill crafts music that reflects his personal journey.

Chill Smith has been writing, recording, and performing his music for capacity crowds throughout the East Coast, appearing at venues such as The Stone Pony, The Strand Theater, Stanhope House, The Asbury, The Saint, Langosta Lounge, Brighton Bar, and House Of Independents. He has shared the stage with <a href="spotify:artist:1SAugjIcuwNPKS4urSB7A6" data-name="Joe Budden">Joe Budden</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:5DKuVtlpDH0agZQUFDy8O7" data-name="Pharoahe Monch">Pharoahe Monch</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:6tYVXU1sKSsk6SIdkfIWGu" data-name="Tsu Surf">Tsu Surf</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:7zliF6Q946WznVk3ZMYhZX" data-name="The Sugarhill Gang">The Sugarhill Gang</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:3tCxM1rTj2qUXsiQZxvt2I" data-name="Nappy Roots">Nappy Roots</a>.