We had a moment to chat with Smoova. Music artist and clothing line owner out of NY. Check out his full interview below and let us know what you think about the article here.

Where are you from and explain life growing up?
I’m from Brooklyn, New York. I had hoop dreams starting as early as I can remember. My father sings professionally so I grew up around music.

When did you decide you wanted to start your own business?Thanks to my father I’ve had desires of owning my own business since I was at least 5 years old. During my childhood he owned his own construction company and a restaurant. He always preached why it was important to be a business owner.

What exactly do you offer as far as services and why would a company / artist want to work with you?
I own a clothing line called Rich Dropout and our website is www.richdropoutz.com  This is a streetwear brand that offers Men, Women, and Kids apparel as well as other Accessories. I also own a recording studio. Aside from recording services for artists, we have space for podcasters. We also offer Mixing & Mastering for songs and podcasts. I’m a producer and an artist myself as well so I also have instrumentals available and I write for other artists. I’ve done production for artists such as French Montana, Remy Ma, NORE and many others.

How do you plan on continuing to grow? I am currently working on putting the right team together to help scale the business. At this point I personally do all of the work, from engineering and production to garment and website design and everything in between.

Has the current COVID-19 situation affected your business in any way? Yes, I was forced to ban physical access to the studio for a few months but that gave me time to focus on Rich Dropout LLC and take the brand to another level. During that time we still offered production as well as mixing and mastering services to clients.

What advice would you give to a young entrepreneur who wants to start
their own business?
First do your research. Then do more research. Make sure you know what you’re getting yourself into before you commit. This includes the risks associated with being in a given field as well as the laws that govern the state in which you plan on doing business. Also make sure you have some money set aside to invest in your new business, not just for equipment, but to cover state and publication fees when legalizing your business. After you do that, GET STRAIGHT TO WORK!!! NO PROCRASTINATION!!! There’s a lot to be done.

I understand you’re an artist, so what got you into music?
My father gets all that credit. 

First song that really boosted your career?
“DAB IN IT” was my first solo song that was played on HOT 97

How did you get your name Smoova?
It used to be King Smoove. One day I was in the studio with a bunch of people and the topic of discussion became about how so many people seemed to have popped up with the name as I became more popular. So my bro Feve said while laughing, “It’s a lot of Smoove’s but you’re Smoova tho”. Thats been my name ever since.

Who is your biggest music inspiration? It’s more like what is my biggest inspiration. And the answer to that question is Life. Although, one time I used Sza as my muse. While watching an interview she did with Kerwin Frost, I caught myself having a groupie moment. I think I was in love for a good 2 minutes. lol. But I decided to embrace those feelings and see what I could create. Its like I had more confidence about being vulnerable. I ended up calling the song “SZA” and its currently available on ALL major streaming platforms. (itunes, amazon, pandora, spotify, shazam etc)

Most expensive jewelry piece? Yellow Gold / Diamond St Michael Slaying Dragon pendant on a plain Miami Cuban chain

What has been the most difficult part of being a music artist? Finances. When I began making music I was broke and soon after got an internship at a recording studio. I learned a lot and mastered my craft but I worked for free or very little money. I couldn’t afford to shoot videos or buy nice clothes when it was time to go to an open mic or something. My finances had to catch up to my talent level. But now that I am one of the best engineer/ producer/ artists in Brooklyn, I would say that the route I took was worth it. The journey isn’t over though.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
FORTUNE 40 UNDER 40. Following in SOME of Kanye’s footsteps
In your opinion, what is your favorite song you’ve done to date? – new or old.“Nuh Ready” It’s a record I wrote, performed and produced. The reason it’s my favorite is because of the switch that occurs in the second verse. This song was released in 2019 and is also available on all major streaming platforms.

What advice would you give to someone looking to become an artist?
Have fun and be creative but DO NOT neglect the business aspect of this whole thing. Make sure you do research so you know what you’re getting yourself into and have a steady source of income because you will need it.

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