Photo: Steven Othello Brown
Smoke DZA has worked with hip-hop's most prolific artists over the years. Now he's recruiting some of those acts to help him inspire fans to vote in every election.
On Monday, November 2, the New York native delivered his new EP, Smoke DZA and Popular Democracy Presents: We Outside, via RFC Music Group. The six-track project, executive produced by Mike & Keys, features politically charged songs like "Exact Change" with newcomers Fergie Baby & Kai Ca$h and "Statue of Limitation" with Benny The Butcher and WhoIStevenYoung. DZA also taps Big K.R.I.T., Beanie Sigel, Styles P, Reuben Vincent, Chip tha Ripper, and Bun B to throw down on the EP.
"I wanted to use my voice as a different instrument and really do something with substance. Not to say that I don't do things with substance as it is, but it's a different kind of substance," Smoke DZA tells iHeartRadio. "This project in particular is focusing on the culture. What's happening in my community. What's happening to people around me. Some things may not personally directly affect me, so to speak, but it affects people around me, which affects me ultimately. So I wanted to use my voice and my influence in a way to rally people and get them moving for a bigger cause and not just standing on the soapbox pointing my finger saying, 'You should vote.' It's more so highlighting the reasons why you should."
Smoke DZA understands the frustration voters have been feeling recently because he's seen it firsthand. The 42-year-old rapper has gotten more involved with politics and has met with potential voters on both sides of the aisle. In 2024, DZA participated in the Vote or Else campaign spearheaded by Marvin Bing and Pastor Mike McBride. He appears on the outro of the cultural initiative's compilation project, Vote or Else, which also features Beanie Sigel, Freeway, Jay Electronica, and others. On his song "Touch The Ground," DZA repeats his grandfather's favorite quote, "Knowledge is power." He continues to offer more guidance and inspiration to those who are heading to the polls.
"America is in s**t right now," DZA explains. "The only way we can make change in some of these places is to vote and put other powerful people that's actually controlling the, I won't even say the narrative, but just in place to make a change by being empowered. First and foremost, if you are going to vote, I suggest that you educate yourself in the best way that you can. Speak to people that's actually well versed in the area of things that affect you: food inflation, ICE, deportation. It's a lot of things that are bigger than the presidential vote. It can all be changed. The change can start in your neighborhood, in your community."
Smoke DZA teamed up with production duo Mike & Keys to cook up his brand-new EP. The seasoned rapper has been down with Money Mike and J-Keys for years. He said their chemistry in the studio is so good that he only wants to work with the Grammy-nominated duo going forward.
"I feel like I'm the best when I'm produced by actual producers, and these guys have been my favorites for a very long time," DZA says. "And not only my favorites, these are my brothers. We locked in on a bunch of other things, so it makes it easier for our working relationship to exist because we have a personal relationship. That's Coach Mike and Coach Keys."
"This was an easy thing to do," Money Mike says. "He's good at point guarding the music. We just present it to him and it kind of works out. When you make music with your friends, it's really easy to do."
Music will always be a part of Smoke DZA's life, but he says he's been slowly venturing away from the studio to focus on his other aspirations. One of those ventures includes his wrestling promotion, 4th Rope. DZA and fellow rapper Westside Gunn launched the independent hub for wrestling, hip-hop, fashion, and art in October 2024. They've held several successful events since its debut, including their "HEELS HAVE EYES" events. DZA says the wrestling brand is "some of the greatest shit we've ever done in the culture."
Smoke DZA and Westside Gunn are actively preparing for the upcoming 4th Rope and Mass Appeal event, "HEELMATIC." The event is happening November 12 at Melrose Ballroom in New York City. It will feature wrestling matches with Swerve Strickland, Ninja Mack, Rick Sosa, Hype Kuro, and more. Tickets are on sale now.
"[Westside Gunn] is genius in his own right," DZA says. "So to have our camaraderie and our fellowship and be locked in arms and creating one of the biggest wrestling companies, Black-owned wrestling companies to date and breaking the mold and actually inserting ourselves in wrestling history, I think is some of the coolest s**t that I've ever done in my career. And we're not even f**king close to the middle part of this whole experience yet."
Listen to Smoke DZA and Mike & Keys' new EP We Outside on iHeartRadio now!