The rapper Daniel Sarpong Boateng, goes by the stage name “Danny Boy Smooth”. His family’s origins stem from Ghana, West Africa but he was born in London, England. He is 24 years of age and was born February 23rd, 1993. He resides in the known home where Hip Hop started”, the Boogie Down” Bronx in New York City, and has been living in there for 21 years now and it has been his home since March of 1996, from the age of 3. Smooth’s reason for moving here with his parents was to reunite with his father’s side of the family being that this is where they had migrated to and also where he had grew up. Despite his relocation at a young age, it never phased his love for music.
Danny Boy Smooth started getting into music even before moving to the states. One of his early memories from his childhood growing up in London was really being fascinated with Michael Jackson. When any of MJ’s songs came on or whenever he had his live concerts on television Smooth would dance and sing to them. This along with other intricate times in his live propelled his love for music.
Danny Boy Smooth had many influences for music growing up. When coming to the states as young child, he brought along a toy piano as well as for guitar. Anytime someone would try to take it from him he would cry until he received it back. His mother was also a singer at church and he also grew up in the church, so you can say it’s always been apart of him having a strong foundation morally as well as musically. All of these influences would only lead him to start creating music of his because of his calling and upbringing he felt he was destined to.
Smooth started experimenting with music and found his passion when he he got into Rap/Hiphop. At the age of 9 was the first time he started recording in the studio with one of his influences, his older cousin Jeffrey. Jeffrey believed in Smooth and wanted the best for him but was afraid he would become another statistic or negative stereotype. He knew it was hard where they presently were living at because when growing up in the Bronx it was either you rapped, played basketball or sold drugs. Growing up in such a dangerous and oppressive community Smooth became a product of his environment and tried all three.
Danny Boy Smooth started playing basketball around the same time he started rapping, he aspired to one day potentially play in the NBA. If it wasn’t for playing organized basketball, he wouldn’t have the discipline nor confidence he has instilled in himself today. Even though he had hoop dreams for the NBA, his calling for music always found it’s way to convict him. He had a decision to make of either be a basketball player or devoted artist to music.
His senior year of high school was coming to an end and so was his hoop dreams. He wasn’t getting the college looks that he wanted and wasn’t getting any basketball scholarships. He was always a student first, athlete second and decided that he would further his education attending St. John’s University and focus on his studies. As his hoop dreams began to dim his love and passion for hip hop remained but grew stronger. He made a decision to break up with basketball.
It was first semester of his sophomore year where he decided that he actually wanted to pursue music as a career. He got introduced in the entertainment/music industry when he started interning for Redd Planet Entertainment as a Productions Assistant. His role was to help score and produce tracks that would play as background behind a web series and also communicate with the actors, hold boom mic to record actors, etc. It was there he met an artist by the name of “Mic Handz” in which he also became his assistant and helped him out with his Indie Label. He got a better sense of the music industry which only fueled him to pursue his dream of music. Moving forward Smooth was able graduate from St. John’s University in 2015, despite all the odds that was against him. His emotions and life story is depicted through his music given him a unique sound. He’s been compared to a J. Cole or Kendrick Lamar type of sound or style of music.
But if you would ask him who he sounded like he would rather say he sounds like himself. He has a tremendous amount of flows and can rhyme on just about every and any record. His sound has a very smooth texture to it and paints pictures through the art of storytelling and conscious rap. He is diversified rapper and is known for his integration of punchlines as well as flowing with melodies. His target audience ranges from High School to College students, but hopes to reach the older generation because he wants his music to be transcendent. What differentiates Danny Boy Smooth from other upcoming artist is that he was blessed to experience to facets of life. Not only is he rapper with a college degree, but he made something of himself coming from a rough background. One could insinuate he seen and almost done it all. This gives him more leverage and an edge to relate to more people compared to those rap artist who just lived on one side of life. The genre of music he performs in is mostly Hip Hop/Rap and he would love to expand into R&B, POP and West African HipLife. Danny Boy Smooth writes his own lyrics. Some venues where he has performed are the Paladium in Queens, Club Pyramid in Downtown Soho, and at the Paper Box In Brooklyn, NY.
When breaking into the industry, Danny Boy Smooth wants to create nothing quality music, selling albums, sold out shows and contributing to the very world he lives in musically. He wants to be known as the Greatest Rapper/Artist of his generation. What he hopes to get out of music are success through positive, consistent work, and a better life for himself, family and friends. He never wants to limit himself so he makes sure he experiments with all sorts of music. He listens to everything, from reggae to pop, r&b, hip hop, blues, jazz, alternative rock, etc.. the list goes on. He promotes himself basically everyday on social media and is currently working on his debut EP, Boy Wonder.
Here, he shows his talents on visuals to his single, “Broken Letter”.
Follow Shamika Sykes on Twitter!
