When Drake formally signed underground Toronto rapper Smiley to his renowned OVO record label in June 2021, it raised eyebrows across the hip hop community. With Smiley’s hyper-animated flows, squeaky vocal tones and adlib-heavy bars marking him as an unconventional artist in the rap landscape, questions mounted over what motivated Drake to commit resources to this outlier.
This article analyzes Smiley’s background, his partnership with Drake so far and examines the evidence behind the motives for this surprising deal.
Introducing Smiley: Toronto’s “Baby Voice” Rap Maverick
Hailing from the East Side of Toronto, the 21-year-old artist first emerged in 2018 with his breakout single “Froze”. His unique style stood out for highly melodic flows, liberal use of adlibs and a high-pitched vocal tone that earned him the “baby voice rap” tag.
While this spiralling, animation-inspired delivery resonated locally, gaining Smiley attention in Toronto and Canada, it polarized broader audiences. Critics panned his music as an acquired taste, branding his squeaky tones as annoying.
Yet his infectious energy and charismatic presence continued winning fierce supporters in Toronto hip hop circles. As radio host Friyie remarked: “He’s found his lane doing what he does best – Smiley is in his own category!”
Smiley’s Challenging Upbringing
To understand Smiley’s outlook requires examining his backstory. Raised in a tough neighborhood in Scarborough, he faced adversity from a young age. His parents separated early, leaving his mother struggling financially to provide for Smiley and his three siblings.
He channeled frustration from these hardships into mischief, clashing frequently with authority figures at school. After getting expelled in Grade 10 for defending friends from older kids, run-ins with the law soon ensued.
Yet despite brushes with crime, violence and spending time incarcerated, Smiley maintained a positive spirit, saying: “I went through struggles, but it made me stronger.”
Channeling Road Life Into Music
Lacking resources or support systems, Smiley turned to rap as an outlet. Early tracks like “Signed Sealed Delivered” reflected the grim street reality he knew, dealing drugs just to get by. Such provocative lyrics led to continued tensions with police. One confrontation in 2019 saw officers recite his explicit lyrics back during an arrest.
Yet he used the defeats as motivation, even crediting a 2019 jail stint for inspiring greater creativity, composing over 150 songs while incarcerated.
Channeling these trials into music became a means for authentic self-expression. As he resolves on freestyle “Bars & A Beat”:
“They left me all alone to fight, I guess this music sh*t my life / Was on my own since I was young, learned how to cook crack on the stove”
While the stark street narratives didn’t translate into mainstream acclaim, they cemented Smiley as one of the most promising voices emerging from Toronto’s underground scene.
The Drake Stimulus Package
The turning point came when producer Boi-1da purportedly put Drake onto Smiley’s breakout 2018 single “Froze”. Drake immediately reposted it on Instagram for his 100 million followers with a simple caption: “Toronto Sound Machine”.
This powerful co-sign provided a meteoric boost for the previously obscure track. YouTube views swelled exponentially, exceeding 1.5 million views in just 3 days.
From then, their online interactions blossomed into a friendship. When Smiley endured a brief homeless spell in LA in 2020, Drake provided respite, letting him stay at his mansion while bankrolling studio time to record their inaugural collab “Dark Lane Demo Tapes”.
This early patronage was an invaluable stimulus package. Beyond material support, it signalled Drake hearing unique potential in the young artist’s unconventional approach.
Their 2021 single “Over The Top” took things further, with Drake providing direct production input, studio access and co-writing credits. The track penetrated the Billboard Hot 100, evidencing the exponential impact of Drake’s endorsement in amplifying Smiley’s exposure.
By The Numbers: Tracking Smiley’s Growth
Metrics quantifiably evidence the progress Smiley enjoyed since linking with hip hop’s biggest star. Early singles struggled, with “Froze” garnering just shy of 50k YouTube views in its first 6 months.
But since Drake’s co-sign, Smiley has rapidly expanded his reach. Followers have ballooned across social media, with 400k Instagram followers representing 750% year-on-year growth.
Music statistics tell a similar story. Just one month after release, his Drake-assisted single "Over the Top" eclipsed 2 million YouTube views – a 40x multiple over his pre-Drake years. Most impressively, his Spotify listeners quadrupled between 2020 and 2021, following their collaboration.
Smiley streaming & social media growth since Drake co-sign
These figures quantifiably demonstrate how instrumental Drake’s patronage has been in amplifying Smiley’s profile across metrics. This data trail built the case for further investment.
What Does Drake Stand to Gain Though?
Nonetheless, as talks emerged in June 2021 of Smiley joining OVO’s label roster, scepticism percolated over Drake’s incentives.
Why commit resources to an outlier artist instead of proven stars? Some speculated it a cold consolidation of power play: limiting local competition to retain dominance over Toronto’s sound.
Others proposed Smiley became an industry plant – whereby labels use experimental artists as vessels to trial risky styles without jeopardizing proven acts.
More cynical takes theorized Drake secured cut-price contracts with local artists like Smiley to gain access to their creative output. One line of thinking even suggested Drake signed Smiley specifically to pilfer and replicate his signature melodic style into his own music.
Yet over six months into his reported 2 year/$2 million deal, Smiley retains full creative control over his newest album Buy or Bye, subverting perceptions of him getting strong-armed by OVO executives.
Recent single "Just Like Me" even earned praise from Drake, who posted it on social media as a signee highlight. Rather than examples of Drake co-opting Smiley‘s style, his ongoing support and creative autonomy suggests OVO values him finding his own lane.
Validation of Artistic Vision
Thus evidence indicates Drake‘s patronage of Smiley extends beyond Machiavellian corporate power moves. Rather it validates the young artist‘s unusual creative vision.
Contextualizing Drake’s Label signings reveal a pattern of amplifying eclectic Toronto talents, not just cookie-cutter stars. Other examples like Roy Woods, Majid Jordan, PartyNextDoor and ILoveMakonnen point to an A&R approach guided more by artistic taste than stylistic formulas.
Statements from Drake also support more altruistic motives. As he explained to media:
“We support people that we actually enjoy their music. And I really do enjoy Smiley’s music. So I’m excited for what he’s about to do.”
This suggests an organic scouting process motivated by affinity for Smiley’s talents, rather than cold calculations. Drake using his formidable industry leverage to uplift burgeoning artists he genuinely rates echoes hip hop‘s tradition of mentorship.
Especially as Smiley endured early struggles, Drake‘s backing offers a life-changing opportunity. As Smiley movingly acknowledged to fans on a 2021 livestream:
“Three years ago I was f***ed up, now I’m here and Drake‘s shouting me out. Ya‘ll don‘t even understand how that makes me feel. He goes hard for the city. He don‘t gotta do what he‘s doing for me.”
This reveals Smiley‘s profound appreciation, consistent with a trustee partnership.
What Drake & OVO Stand to Gain: A Window Into The Future Sound
Nonetheless, the partnership clearly brings A&R advantages for Drake‘s label. Signing leftfield talents like Smiley expands OVO‘s range – plugging them into emerging street sounds percolating locally that have potential to blossom into the mainstream.
Smiley specifically offers a window into innovative niches. Some feel his spiralling flows, earworm hooks and hyper-animated presence contain the raw materials to pioneer entirely new waves. As Friyie argues:
"He’s created his own sound. Smiley made history and paved the way for other artists to feel comfortable enough to be themselves. I see a new generation that‘s inspired by what he‘s done.”
If even a fraction of that explosive potential manifests, OVO could be inheriting rights over soundscapes that may come to define rap’s future stylistic vocabulary.
From a business development perspective, that presents tremendous upside, giving the label a conduit to expand their musical range. By backing talents like Smiley early, they create an inventory of youth-driven style blueprints to amplify globally.
Even if Smiley‘s career flatlines, his innovations get archived as R&D assets Drake‘s in-house team can derive inspiration from during creative ideation sessions.
What’s Next In Smiley‘s Career Trajectory?
Navigating the pressures as a newly-minted major label artist will undoubtedly test Smiley over the next album cycle. But the benefits of gaining an influential benefactor committed to nurturing his talent rather than reshaping it are profound.
The resources now available offer Smiley the perfect environment to hone his songcraft and refine his sound without compromising creative freedom. Drake granting him wide creative latitude positions Smiley to fully grow into his artistic vision rather than simply emulate OVO‘s established style templates.
And while his vocal style remains an acquired taste amongst critics, his streaming growth indicates a swelling Gen Z fanbase who feel seen by his energetic, animation-inspired artistry. Translating that niche demographic appeal into commercial success will be the challenge.
But his collaboration with Drake over the past year spotlights a blueprint for sustainably scaling that audience as an independent artist, without pursuing mainstream approval.
If their partnership continues allowing Smiley‘s talents room to breathe rather than be restricted to a commercial formula, forecasts are bright for him blossoming into a beloved and influential Toronto rap icon in his own right.
The Truth Behind Drake Signing Smiley
In summary, evidence dispels notions of Drake signing Smiley primarily for exploitative business motives without regard for artistic ethics. Rather it points to a personal connection tracing years prior to record deals.
This relationship founded on mutual respect suggests an organic A&R process motivated by genuine appreciation of Smiley‘s musical gifts, fearless creativity and resilience in the face of adversity.
While commercial potential in Smiley‘s stylistic innovations likely sweetened incentives as ancillary benefits, insight into their friendship implies Drake‘s patronage is principally aimed at uplifting an outlier artist he believes in to reach their full potential.
Their contrasting styles also nullify suspicions of Drake co-opting Smiley‘s rap innovations for himself, with his continued creative support implying trust in Smiley‘s vision.
Ultimately the truth behind Drake signing Smiley appears motivated by little more than championing an unconventional artist he rates as possessing the creativity, determination and charisma to impact Toronto‘s sound long-term.
Only time will tell whether this partnership provides the runway for Smiley‘s unique talents to fully shine through. But Drake swinging open gateways to give creative misfits a fighting chance at success speaks poetry about his character and echoes hip hop‘s spirit of paying it forward.
In Smiley, it‘s clear he envisages both a promising artist and an embodiment of the culture‘s deepest values – one worthy of investment to nurture authentically, both as a artist mentor and friend. No more, no less.