Tim Smooth

Priority Records first brought rapper Tim Smooth into view during the early 1990s, as he evolved from a straightforward G-funk practitioner into one of the initial figures embraced by the emerging Dirty South movement. His 1994 debut, Straight up Drive 'Em, bore strong traces of contemporaneous West Coast influences and delivered a solid yet forgettable effort whose primary assets were witty rhymes and a smooth delivery. Dropped by the label shortly afterward, he spent time in the rap underground, penning material for Big Boy Records artists under the alias Playboy Sha-Burnke. Connections formed during that stretch led him to Mobo Records, the New Orleans imprint that helped shape the expanding Dirty South landscape. Fellow artists tied to the label held his earlier work in high regard, which translated into notable support from HWA, Bushwick Bill, and a young Mystikal when he cut Da Franchise Playa in 1998. Issued that summer, the project’s liquid funk beats and tougher vocal approach resonated locally, establishing Smooth as one of the Dirty South’s leading voices. Mainstream airplay, however, overlooked the updated sound, allowing figures such as Mystikal and Juvenile to surpass him in commercial reach and visibility. Rather than rush a follow-up, he made occasional appearances on other rappers’ tracks while attempting to assemble the group the Pimptations, an effort that ultimately stalled.