For D Smoke, Inglewood is not merely a neighborhood; it embodies his identity as both a person and an artist. Every endeavor he undertakes circles back to his roots of growing up in a musically rich family in Inglewood. He emphasizes, “Literacy in the hood equates to mobility. At any given time, we’re all negotiating something... It creates opportunities and access, and how we perceive ourselves is vital.” This foundational theme of literacy has been a guiding force in D Smoke's journey through acting, teaching, community investment, and of course, music.
D Smoke, also known as Daniel Farris, is the son of the late Jackie Gouché-Farris, who sadly passed away last August due to complications from a car accident. As a celebrated singer, respected minister, and author, Gouché-Farris instilled confidence, musical talent, and professionalism in her three sons. D Smoke's younger brother, SiR, is signed to TDE, while his older brother, Davion Farris, is a singer-songwriter as well. Understanding D Smoke’s background is essential to grasping his current success and the bright future that lies ahead.
During his teenage years, D Smoke consistently landed acting roles that some might describe as typecast, but for him, these were opportunities, “I’d much rather portray the authentic story of someone from the hood, like young gangsters or troubled kids, rather than someone merely performing.” As the first in his family to attend college and study Spanish Literature at UCLA, he felt compelled to step away from acting, despite his manager's belief in his potential, “Memorizing lines was not conducive to my goal of reading multiple books weekly. I knew I had to prioritize finishing for myself.”
D Smoke pursued his passion for Spanish and became a teacher at Inglewood High School, where he once attended. Nevertheless, music remained a constant in his life; being proficient in bass, piano, and drums, as well as writing, producing, engineering, rapping, and singing, made it impossible for him to let go of music. He honed his craft and, thanks to his brother SiR's success with TDE, he gained a few notable opportunities, including playing keys on SiR's tour.
It was Netflix's Rhythm + Flow in 2019 that truly launched D Smoke's music career. He shares, “Being in 170 countries at the peak of Netflix's popularity, alongside the world's top female artist [Cardi B], was special.” Producers discovered him through his YouTube series, “Run the Subtitles,” which featured bilingual lyrics, “I reached episode 17, and they called wanting me to do the same for them.”
However, he almost didn't follow through. The auditions felt contrived and more like a “circus.” He recalls, “I showed up in a hoodie and jeans while others wore extravagant outfits, rapping loudly in the hallways, and I thought, ‘Where am I?’” Thankfully, with encouragement from his manager, D Smoke persevered and ultimately won the competition. Now, with countless opportunities coming his way, he had long awaited the industry to recognize his talents, “Having the Netflix platform at that time was particularly special because it did what a label couldn’t.”
This led to nominations at the 2021 GRAMMYs for Best New Artist and Best Rap Album for his debut, ‘Black Habits.’
In retrospect, D Smoke realizes that the vast range of his musical talents may have hindered his progress rather than accelerated it, “If the industry is like a clear layer of Saran wrap, all those talents are trying to break through. But with one pen of bilingualism, you can break through completely.” He identifies that Rhythm + Flow succeeded because he found his niche in literacy, “I didn’t show up with a bass guitar or a drum kit. It was more about being the ‘Spanish and English speaking Black dude from Inglewood.’ Boom, one sentence, eight words.” Now, with all his talents combined, he has great potential for longevity in the industry.
While music is significant to D Smoke, family always takes precedence. When we spoke, he was in his car waiting to meet SiR for a workout. Having collaborated on each other’s music frequently and shared a close brotherly bond, he reflects on their current dynamic: “We shared the same bedroom for 15 of our 18 years together. There’s a fun aspect to our relationship and also the respect we have for each other as adults.” This deep-rooted trust allows them to understand when to collaborate and when to give each other space, “We prioritize our brotherhood over our musical partnerships. When we do collaborate, we aim for quality and do it thoughtfully.”
However, during SiR's tenure with TDE before D Smoke gained recognition through Rhythm + Flow, Smoke had to adopt a humble perspective as the older brother, “I became the
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Inglewood is more than just a neighborhood for D Smoke; it truly embodies his identity both personally and artistically. Everything he engages in reflects this connection.