Smooky MarGielaa Interview with The FADER

admin / 26 Oct, 2017

Smooky MarGielaa’s 15th year of life has been more exciting than probably most other kids his age can say. The Bronx rapper and singer has a slightly raspy, light-beam of a voice that has captivated artists — he has features sprinkled across A$AP Mob’s Cozy Tapes: Vol 2 — and audiences alike; check his self-released loosies like the heartfelt and anthemic “Stay 100,” or the delightfully braggy “Money Talk.” It’s an impressive body of work from someone so young and new, but from the first few seconds of hearing his voice on any song, it becomes clear this isn’t Smooky’s first go at music.

From around the age of seven, Smooky was *touring across* the U.S. with his father, Malian artist Abdoulaye Diabaté, performing alongside him on djembe and balafon. Around the same time, he’d regularly perform covers of Michael Jackson songs at West African cultural events that took place in and around New York: “I think that’s what really made me sing. If it wasn’t for that, I don’t think I would be singing.” In middle school, he started recording songs on his cell phone and sharing them via Soundcloud and Facebook, earning him local popularity. Soon after, he made the most of a chance encounter with A$AP Rocky, and hasn’t looked back since.

While in Dallas, Texas, for a Cozy Tour stop, Smooky talked to us over the phone about his upbringing, what he’s learned from his time on tour, and how he’s balancing school and music. He also shared some words about his new song “The Judge,” a song from his upcoming MMM mixtape, produced entirely by CashMoney AP. Listen to the track, and get to know Smooky, below.

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