Rapper Smino assumes role of lovelord on album ‘Luv 4 Rent’
The most tender moment on rapper Smino’s new album “Luv 4 Rent” arrives soon after its midpoint on a song called “Defibrillator,” when the St. Louis artist layers his vocals at the chorus to sing the words “I’ll be loved when no one’s around.”
The song aims to sow hope into a broken heart, inspired by a call Smino had with his imprisoned uncle, who spoke with amazement at seeing his nephew’s music pop up in the prison kiosk before he could type in all the letters.
That same uncle called Smino again after hearing his nephew’s J. Coleassisted single “90 Proof.” While on the phone, he shared something that stuck with Smino: People in the prison were bumping his music, drawn to the warmth of R&B and themes of love rather than trap-laden street tales filled with pain.
Joy takes the wheel on “Luv 4 Rent,” a jittery roller coaster from start to finish fueled by cannabis and Casamigos. The vibe is best illustrated in a three-song run near the end of the album — starting with the frantic unloading of stress on “Settle Down,” which gives way to the thudding bounce of “Pudgy” before “Curtains” dissipates the smoke with a proclamation of generational healing: “Like curtains for certain, I check my account/ Buy my grand-daddy house and passing it down.”
It has been four years since Smino’s last studio album “Noir,” and if he’s stressed at all about the new release, he doesn’t show it. In the time since that album, he departed Interscope for Motown Records, moved to Los Angeles and dropped
a 2020 mixtape, “She Already Decided,” that lives on the cleverly named SmiTransfer website.
The concept of “Luv 4 Rent” has been the lone constant throughout that time of transition. Smino began the album in 2019 but scrapped it multiple times before arriving at the recently released version.
The idea came to him when he was single. Eventually, he got into a new relationship and the scope of love on the album evolved, touching on romance, friendships and self-love, along with the ups and downs of each. As he grew in each, he assumed the role of the lovelord, parceling it out to all he came across while saving just enough for himself.
“I’m not scared to show love, I’m not reserved with my love, I’m not waiting on the perfect opportunity to love, because I am love and I walk in love,” he said. “It was like, I got enough to give out to all y’all. Love for rent.
“I think self-love really is just self-discipline,” he continued. “Self-discipline helps you check in with yourself, and check yourself. That might be the toughest part.”
Smino, whose real name is Christopher Smith Jr., was born into a musical
family. Rather than educating his son on music through the radio, Smino’s father played the piano at home and did his part to school him on the essentials. “He’d also listen to a lot of smooth jazz in the car,” Smino said. “Erykah, Jill, Soulquarians. The first rap he ever put me on was Busta Rhymes’ first album.”
Smino picked up the drums at age 7 and soon started producing music for himself. His sound evolved as he grew more comfortable with the craft. There were a few attempts at reinvention, but the true discovery came after he moved to Chicago, where he met producer Monte Booker in 2012.
“A lot of our music is fire if you understand it,” Booker said. “But we didn’t want that this time. We didn’t want our music to be like an art exhibit, we wanted the world to understand it, too. We’re still learning, but I feel like we found a good middle with ‘Luv 4 Rent.’ ”
“I feel like I’ve been on pause for a minute,” Smino added. “I’ve had a whole bunch of ideas and a whole bunch of time to execute them. New (stuff ) and new blessings are about to come, just because I put that much emphasis into what I’m doing.”