Rising Star: Smokedope2016
By Xavier Chavez
Discovering new music is a hobby many others and myself enjoy. Personally, I love to listen to the underground hip-hop scene and see how subgenres and artists rise and fall within the genre. In fact, since the new year started I have been absolutely addicted to the rapper known as Smokedope2016 (SD2016).
Although his name might sound silly and un-serious at first glance, his work proves the opposite considering his rise in the industry.
SD2016 is an artist that could be categorized as being in the cloud rap genre, which features heavy auto-tune and very ethereal-sounding beats. His specific style is what makes him stand out; reminiscent of both the late 2000s and early 2010s frat rap genre which is also known as party rap.
This style features easy rhymes and a laid-back attitude and was once dominated by rappers such as Wiz Khalifa, Mac Miller and Asher Roth before both the genre and artists faded away in popularity. The nameless, faceless persona brings another level of intrigue for fans, as his mysteriousness leaves people wanting more information about his past.
With three projects under his belt, his newest “THE PEAK” charting 9th on Spotify’s album debuts in the United States, he now has a sizeable discography to choose from.
If you were to dive into his discography, I believe the best place to start is with his third project, “2016” which was released Dec. 1, 2023. Hits like “Damian Lillard” “Know Dat” and self-titled “2016” were a constant in my playlist and are the highest streamed tracks off the record.
This project serves as a good baseline for what to expect from him, as he chooses a clear direction sound-wise. His following projects still follow the same formula but include more experimentation in his vocal inflections and beats that may be similar to the popular Swedish group, Drain Gang.
If you are not a fan of the lyrical content of partying and heavy drug use that is common in the rap scene, let me introduce you to his other alias: Fairfieldd. This other stage name has songs from him back when he started in 2022. The sound is eerily similar to the late artist known as Lil Peep.
Both used softer, guitar beats with songs talking about their love life, bringing a more heart-felt message to the listener. This kind of versatility between emo rap and cloud rap will extend his music career and will provide him with more fans across the board.
His throwback image allows him to reach a larger age range, due to the current revival of the "Swag Era." This era features slice-of-life pictures that have classic Instagram filters, commonly used by adolescent millennials back in 2012 up to Gen Z in 2016.
We all know that aesthetics play a huge role in artistry and he has found his niche with both the music and image he presents. The nostalgia he uses for this era provides an easy connection to a younger fan base that might miss mundane life as a kid as he mentions in various songs such as "Khalifa" where he states, "I could go back to them days, Playin' COD and just hoopin'.
Hype man pumps up crowd at Smokedope2016 Concert in Los Angeles California, Jan 31, 2025. Photo by Xavier Chavez
SD2016 rise to popularity is shown by more than just streaming numbers as he had just headlined his first show Jan. 31, 2025 at the 1720 Warehouse in Los Angeles California.
This show featured trap artist Tenkay and electro-clash artist, Anna Luna as opening acts. Tickets were sold out and over one-thousand people were in attendance. As the concert night was ending with the final pieces of merch being given out to fans, I got the inside scoop from the hype man at the merch stand that a music video was being filmed at an afterparty nearby.
Just a week later, the music video was released for “In Da Party”, a personal favorite of mine, Feb 6 with visuals depicting a, you guessed it, party. Possibly the first music video with the new, viral LeBron x Hennesy bottle.
Furthering his growth, he had an Interview set up with underground rap internet host “MaskedGorilla” which was dropped on Feb. 7 2025 on their YouTube channel. Clips were also posted on their TikTok page. In the past month, SD2016's Instagram has jumped up by 64% and Spotify has escalated to an extra 20,000 listeners.
A new album, concert, music video and interview within three weeks of each other is a recipe for upcoming success for any artist and SD2016 will certainly achieve stardom in the underground rap scene soon. Not to mention a merch drop and new music on the way according to SD2016 himself.
His ability to create nostalgic themes, create niche references and appeal to a wide array of people allows him to be a true rising star in the music industry.