Rhymefest

Genres:	Urban & Rap
Descriptive "tags":	hip-hop • rap • chicago • hip hop • underground hip-hop
Decades Active:	2000s
Links online:	MySpace • Official Homepage • Wikipedia

Biography

Che Smith, 1 January 1977, Chicago, Illinois, USA. One of the leading freestyle rappers of the late 90s and early 00s, the aptly named Rhymefest crossed over to the mainstream in 2006 with his major label debut Blue Collar.

Born and raised in the Jeffrey Manor district of Chicago, the young Che Smith had a fractured education but by his late teens was studying radio broadcasting at the city’s Columbia College. During the late 90s he also began rapping on the freestyle battle circuit, gaining the experience that would later hold him in good stead in his music career. He also cemented his friendship with budding rap producer Kanye West, with the duo having first met as teenagers in Chicago. The birth of Smith’s son prompted relocation to Indianapolis where he put his education on hold to help raise his child. He returned to music in the early years of the new millennium, sporting his new moniker and working with West on the Raw Dawg...

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