Spend even a little time with “Smoke,” you can tell he’s a veteran of the road less traveled. Everything about him speaks to a self-made individual who not only knows unflinchingly who he is, but accepts himself scars and all.  It’s a rare unspoken authenticity that’s uniquely refreshing and in stark contrast to the current landscape. As we hear him say in the introduction to the album, “I’m ok with being fucked up… owning yourself, self healing, self love… that’s what it’s all about”.

An artist, producer, cannabis connoisseur and co-owner of his own apparel brand Sun City Rags. It makes sense when you learn he’s part of the fringe artistic Gonzo Family circle of Hunter S. Thompson, Ralph Steadman, Johnny Depp, Bill Murray & Tim Burton.

From first listen it’s obvious he isn’t “new”, he’s just new to us. Having garnered attention & respect from legends like Chuck D, Cypress Hill, Kwame’, Scott Ian, Shavo Odadjian and more, it’s apparent his musical roots extend deep and across genres. 

Smoke is also behind the signature production, bringing psychedelic leaning elements bridging rap & rock influences into an all together undeniable nostalgic yet fresh feeling. It’s visceral and grabs you from the first down beat. When his voice comes through it’s instantly recognizable, raw and unflinching. He skillfully weaves a tapestry of revealing, vulnerable lyrics, cleverly delivered with a raw grit and gravitas that is reminiscent of the golden age of Rap & Grunge.

Adding weight to this tapestry and bringing instant legacy to this work is the addition of 2X Grammy winning guitarist & producer Brent Paschke; notably from Spymob & N.E.R.D. Historically, when we discuss “rap/ rock” it conjures corny images that can easily make one cringe. That’s definitely not the case here. With Brent’s history of lending iconic rock elements to classic Pharrell tunes, it’s no wonder this team can walk a razor’s edge between rap & rock with such authenticity and integrity that it actually works!

Every song on this album is crafted with such incredible attention to detail, it's indicative of the work of a seasoned team with a deep rooted love and understanding of rap, rock and sonics in general. 

Throughout this collection of songs there's moments that conjure thoughts of iconic artists like Run The Jewels, Alchemist, Method Man, Beastie Boys… Though there’s such a strong fingerprint here it constantly reminds us, there is only one Johnny Smoke.