Getting fresh with a ‘Betterman’
http://www.michronicleonline.com/articlelive/articles/1871/1/Getting-fresh-with-a-Betterman/Page1.html
Deanna Dunham
By Deanna Dunham
Published on 10/24/2007
Fast-forward 15 years. Single-mother household. Constant street fighting. Truancy. In and out of juvy. Mom finally saying, “You’re movin’ with your auntie and uncle in Bel-Air!” Who’da thought that Will Smith’s fictional family on the syndicated series, “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” and his hit single “Parents Just Don’t Understand,” was a foresight into his future with his own family?
Deanna Dunham
Fast-forward 15 years. Single-mother household. Constant street fighting. Truancy. In and out of juvy. Mom finally saying, “You’re movin’ with your auntie and uncle in Bel-Air!” Who’da thought that Will Smith’s fictional family on the syndicated series, “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” and his hit single “Parents Just Don’t Understand,” was a foresight into his future with his own family?
Someone obviously did.
In an apparent coincidence, Will’s 18-year-old nephew, K. Smith, was sent to live with his uncle a couple of years ago to finish school and travel extensively around the world. K. Smith often returned to Philly to stay focused and keep a balanced outlook on life, and now confidently states, “I’m the real Fresh Prince.”
And he certainly is.
He’s changed his life’s path an apparent 180 degrees, coming out the gates mid-year with his lead single, “Betterman,” on video, featuring Omarion, and immediately followed it with performances on Russ Parr’s 2007 Bus Tour in late August. This co-writer and new rap artist clearly is fond of his own uniqueness.
“[It’s] young, [it’s] fun,” K. Smith says, describing his lyrical style as definitely different from his uncle’s, adding it has a little edge to it. Daring and sometimes razor sharp without the vulgarity, K. Smith paints an image of a confident, young scrapper who has an expansive vocabulary but down-to-earth imagination.
And with a fly video, receiving close to 35,000 hits on YouTube.com to date, song and video both produced by Chris Stokes, certainly his intentions are clear: to make people groove, catch you off guard and go get that track to rewind and listen to that part again.
Earlier this year, during a chance, with meeting Omarion, Marques Houston and their manager, Chris Stokes, in an Los Angeles mall, he knew he wanted to have Omarion sing the chorus hook on his independently released single, which is now available digitally on iTunes and as a ringtone.
As far as beats, he knows what he wants, keeping a broad range on things. With a production team, including Track masters who have produced LL Cool J and Mary J. Blige and writer/producer Mike City who has done song productions for Babyface, Jamie Foxx and Usher, as well as production for Elijah “EK” Kelly and Jukebox, his single “Betterman” is styled with a laid-back west coast vibe and there’s definitely a distinction when hitting play on “Million Bucks.”
Using a slowed-down, chopped and screwed hook from Disturbing Tha’ Peace rap recording artist Ludacris’ “Stand Up” release as the chorus, this has a vinyl background feed to it with a crunk appeal: “I hit the club, when I leave, they all be in awe/got shorties takin’ off they bra like Mardi Gras.” But you have to buy the upcoming album to listen to the rest of it.
Dropping his album at the top of 2008, “Streetz to Hollywood,” in a joint deal with Overbrook Entertainment and the Coalition, is a rundown of who K. Smith is, stating, “It’s all for the ladies,” saying things other fellas might not say, but definitely earning him mad respect from both ladies and the guys.
For more information, visit K. Smith’s Myspace: ksmithmovement. Contact Deanna Dunham at deannadunham@yahoo.com or visit www.deannadunham.com.
Fast-forward 15 years. Single-mother household. Constant street fighting. Truancy. In and out of juvy. Mom finally saying, “You’re movin’ with your auntie and uncle in Bel-Air!” Who’da thought that Will Smith’s fictional family on the syndicated series, “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” and his hit single “Parents Just Don’t Understand,” was a foresight into his future with his own family? “I’m the real Fresh Prince.”
Deanna Dunham
Fast-forward 15 years. Single-mother household. Constant street fighting. Truancy. In and out of juvy. Mom finally saying, “You’re movin’ with your auntie and uncle in Bel-Air!” Who’da thought that Will Smith’s fictional family on the syndicated series, “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” and his hit single “Parents Just Don’t Understand,” was a foresight into his future with his own family?
Someone obviously did.
In an apparent coincidence, Will’s 18-year-old nephew, K. Smith, was sent to live with his uncle a couple of years ago to finish school and travel extensively around the world. K. Smith often returned to Philly to stay focused and keep a balanced outlook on life, and now confidently states, “I’m the real Fresh Prince.”
And he certainly is.
He’s changed his life’s path an apparent 180 degrees, coming out the gates mid-year with his lead single, “Betterman,” on video, featuring Omarion, and immediately followed it with performances on Russ Parr’s 2007 Bus Tour in late August. This co-writer and new rap artist clearly is fond of his own uniqueness.
“[It’s] young, [it’s] fun,” K. Smith says, describing his lyrical style as definitely different from his uncle’s, adding it has a little edge to it. Daring and sometimes razor sharp without the vulgarity, K. Smith paints an image of a confident, young scrapper who has an expansive vocabulary but down-to-earth imagination.
And with a fly video, receiving close to 35,000 hits on YouTube.com to date, song and video both produced by Chris Stokes, certainly his intentions are clear: to make people groove, catch you off guard and go get that track to rewind and listen to that part again.
Earlier this year, during a chance, with meeting Omarion, Marques Houston and their manager, Chris Stokes, in an Los Angeles mall, he knew he wanted to have Omarion sing the chorus hook on his independently released single, which is now available digitally on iTunes and as a ringtone.
As far as beats, he knows what he wants, keeping a broad range on things. With a production team, including Track masters who have produced LL Cool J and Mary J. Blige and writer/producer Mike City who has done song productions for Babyface, Jamie Foxx and Usher, as well as production for Elijah “EK” Kelly and Jukebox, his single “Betterman” is styled with a laid-back west coast vibe and there’s definitely a distinction when hitting play on “Million Bucks.”
Using a slowed-down, chopped and screwed hook from Disturbing Tha’ Peace rap recording artist Ludacris’ “Stand Up” release as the chorus, this has a vinyl background feed to it with a crunk appeal: “I hit the club, when I leave, they all be in awe/got shorties takin’ off they bra like Mardi Gras.” But you have to buy the upcoming album to listen to the rest of it.
Dropping his album at the top of 2008, “Streetz to Hollywood,” in a joint deal with Overbrook Entertainment and the Coalition, is a rundown of who K. Smith is, stating, “It’s all for the ladies,” saying things other fellas might not say, but definitely earning him mad respect from both ladies and the guys.
For more information, visit K. Smith’s Myspace: ksmithmovement. Contact Deanna Dunham at deannadunham@yahoo.com or visit www.deannadunham.com.