Smiley Releases New Song 'Rush Hour Freestyle'

Rising Toronto rapper and OVO Sound artist Smiley has shared "Rush Hour Freestyle," a menacing new single full of casual bravado and swag. The song also arrives with a video that echoes the effortless charisma and dark opulence that has become signature to Smiley's growing appeal.

Coasting over an ominous piano line, Smiley merges the stark contrast of the street and the high life. The low-key video, which features him kicking it in a luxurious condo and rocking a ski mask, also embodies the inimitable style that's made Smiley one of Toronto's most exciting young artists.

To Smiley, "Rush Hour Freestyle" comes down to a gut feeling. "It's a whole vibe!," he says of the Bavaro Beatz-produced track. "I was in Miami feeling great and going through beats when I came upon Bavaro's beat pack, and right away I started to punch in." Soon after hitting record, Smiley realized what he had on his hands: "I knew it would be the next single from everyone's reaction."

"Rush Hour Freestyle" is just the latest step in Smiley's journey toward stardom. It arrives just months after the deluxe edition of Buy or Bye 2, which featured 42 Dugg, Yung Bleu, Pressa, and OhGeesy. To date, Smiley has amassed over 172 million global streams across platforms, and his Drake-assisted single "Over the Top" has been RIAA Certified Gold.

Toronto rapper Smiley has a knack for drama. The 24-year-old made his name the last few years delivering poisonous rhymes in a soft voice, a captivating tactic that has won him a host of fans across North America and beyond. Whether he's making terrifying murder ballads like 2018's "Body" or pop-rap anthems like this year's "In My Zone," he demonstrates an eye for details and one of rap's most unique flows.

It's no surprise he's caught the attention of one of his city's biggest stars: Drake. In 2017, Smiley released the menacing "Hit," sparking online buzz and inspiring Drake's camp to share the song. The OVO boss would later say that the younger artist's dark yet colorful work inspired his 2018 epic, Scorpion. Smiley's string of boundary-pushing tapes in the ensuing years earned him a deal with OVO Sound in 2021, and resulted in "Over the Top," where Smiley and Drake unite to toast the breakout artist's come-up.

It was a striking introduction for many and became Smiley's first single to hit the Hot 100. It's no wonder that, as he prepares his debut album Buy or Bye 2, he's gearing up to take his sound to the world's stage. That burst of success afforded him some space to think about what he wants out of music and life. As a result, Buy or Bye 2 shows Smiley at his most confident, celebrating making it out of the hood to live among the stars while working hard to become one in his own right. It's clear with the success he's achieved so far, that he's well on his way.

Watch the new music video here:

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