| Luv 4 Rent | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | October 28, 2022 | |||
| Recorded | 2021–2022 | |||
| Length | 50:59 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Producer |
| |||
| Smino chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Luv 4 Rent | ||||
| ||||
Luv 4 Rent is the third studio album by American rapper Smino. It was released on October 28, 2022, with Zero Fatigue under license to Motown. The album includes guest appearances from J. Cole, Doechii, Fatman Scoop, Cruza, Lucky Daye, Phoelix, Cory Henry, Ravyn Lenae, Lil Uzi Vert and Reggie. [1]
On November 16, 2021, Smino announced he signed a new record deal with Motown in partnership with his independent label Zero Fatigue. [2] In an article with Billboard , he spoke about the inspiration of the album saying "album No. 3 on the way, it's all about love and how you can use/lose your heart in the process." [3]
The album contains production from Monte Booker, Phoelix, Groove, Kal Banx, Childish Major, and Cory Henry, among others. His first two studio albums were primarily handled by Booker and didn't contain samples, however this album makes use of samples including "Knock Knock" by Monica on "No L's". The song "90 Proof" was originally planned to be on J. Cole's album The Fall Off , but Smino later asked for the song back. He explained, "I thought about it and the whole time I knew it would be great for me, being on J. Cole’s album. When I was wrapping up the tracklist, though, I just felt like something was missing, and I put "90 Proof" right after my intro and it just sounded like they were meant for each other. So I just called Cole and asked him if I could get the song back and he let me." The first version of the song "Pro Freak" used the sample from J. Cole's "January 28th", but the owners didn't clear the sample. Later, DJ Dahi and Childish Major remade the final beat. [4]
Childish Major also produced "Pudgy". Smino explained how Lil Uzi Vert got on the song saying they were in the studio with Saba and No I.D., and went outside to smoke. Lil Uzi Vert was in the next room and had just posted their song "I Deserve," so he and Smino already had a relationship. "I told him I had this song where I say his name in the hook, and he really wanted to hear it. I start playing it, and he starts turning up to it. I left the studio because I had a dinner to go to and I gave him the file. The restaurant was about 30 minutes away, and as I’m getting out of the car after leaving the studio and getting to dinner, Uzi calls me and plays his verse for me. I didn’t even make it to my meal before he sent me that verse." The album's outro "Lee & Lovie" was produced by Groove when he was in L.A. and saw a video playing that sample on a Sunday morning, which inspired him to inspired him to make the beat and sent it to Smino. [4]
Smino revealed in an interview that he was working on two versions of this album between 2020 and 2021. "I started working on pt. 1 of Luv 4 Rent the day I got off the bus from the Hoopti tour. That day, I made a song called "Luv 4 Rent" that's still coming out, but that was on pt. 1. But on this version that's coming out right now, we started working on this probably in 2021." He continued to say, "Pt. 1 is like a B-side, but I didn’t like it as much because it’s more like a movie. It’s mad cinematic, so instead of the deluxe, I’m going to drop pt. 1 like the prequel. It’s going to explain what happened that led me up to this." [4]
The album's artwork contains Smino and his friends outside doing their hair in front of a mirror. He explained the inspiration of this cover saying "There were a few things that inspired this cover art. First, I always get my hair done on my [album] covers. I wanted to show that I’m doing my own [hair] on this cover because it’s supposed to represent self-care and self-love. I always had someone else taking care of my shit, or may have been putting my crown in the hands of other motherfuckers. But I can take care of my own crown too." He also explained the theme of this album saying, "Self-love is definitely a big theme on this album, and I also think another way to interpret it is I was leading other people to self-love, too. One big thing I like about my fans is they always tell me that I make them want to be themselves. That’s the best type of inspiration I think I can leave. I want to make niggas want to look inward instead of outward to other shit." [4]
In 2020, Smino announced his third studio album was planned to be released after the mixtape She Already Decided , however was faced multiple delays. [5] He released a number of singles that ended up not making the album in 2021 including the song "MLK Dr", which teased the album title in the music video. [6] On May 18, he released the single "Rice & Gravy" with Monte Booker. [7] On November 11, Smino released the single "I Deserve" featuring NOS. [8] On December 7, 2021, he announced the title of his third studio album, Luv 4 Rent, while performing "I Deserve" and an unreleased song called "Black Luv Ain't Dead" on the YouTube Original series What Say What?!. [9] [10]
On September 30, 2022, he released the first official single from the album, "90 Proof" with J. Cole. [11] On October 10, he announced the album's release date in a trailer narrated by Bootsy Collins. [12] On October 21, he released the second single, "Matinee", while also revealing the album's tracklist. [13] [14]
On October 11, Smino announced that he will be co-headlining a tour with JID in support of the album. The "Luv Is 4ever" Tour includes 39 dates and is scheduled to take place between January and March 2023. [15] [16]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [17] |
| HipHopDX | [18] |
| Medium | 6.4/10 [19] |
| Pitchfork | 7.7/10 [20] |
Luv 4 Rent received generally positive reviews from critics. TiVo Staff for AllMusic notes that "Smino continues his blend of several generations of rap styles, R&B, neo-soul, and even hints of psychedelically bent pop, delivering some of the strongest articulations of his sound to date." He continued to state that Luv 4 Rent "draws heavily on a Kendrick Lamar influence for its vocal performances and melodic structuring," noting that the "album experiments with combining electronic production elements." Concluding his review, he stated that the "lyrical themes of love, intimacy, and fraught relationships carry the majority of" the album. [17] HipHopDX 's Lauren Floyd notes that "Smino often uses his own voice as an instrument, moving through different octaves seamlessly." She continued to write that Luv 4 Rent is a "repeat offender in wooing many hearts with its delicate production and its highs and lows," concluding her review by noting that the album "can't whole-heartedly be labeled as a no skip album," however, "every song does its part, building on top of the next to create a distinct memorable experience listen after listen." [18]
Writing for Medium , Josh Herring wrote that "it’s evident from the first three tracks alone that the artist is vocally versatile bringing an impressive range of tones for every mood." He notes that the album consists of "impeccable flow[s]," however, "minimalistic" and "shallow lyrics." He stated that "there are some good moments in this album" but "it lacks any appealing or attention-grabbing tracks." [19] Heven Haile for Pitchfork noted that "Luv 4 Rent is a meditation on the mind maze of romantic, platonic, self, and familial intimacy." Haile wrote that "across two studio albums, Smino has mastered sultry falsettos, funkafied productions, and clever wordplay." Continuing her review, Haile stated that "moments of vulnerability are almost swept under his rapid-fire punchlines" and "there’s a tension of wanting a woman to hold him down." Concluding her review, she noted that "Luv 4 Rent is a collection of sobering realizations amid porch-top ciphers, humid Midwestern summer block parties, Sunday after-service family gatherings, and late-night Backwoods-sponsored hookups," and that the project is "lively, raw, and a bit hectic." [20]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "4rm Da Source" | Monte Booker | 1:42 | |
| 2. | "No L's" |
| Kal Banx | 2:55 |
| 3. | "90 Proof" (with J. Cole) |
|
| 3:28 |
| 4. | "Pro Freak" (with Doechii & Fatman Scoop) |
|
| 4:29 |
| 5. | "Ole Ass Kendrick" |
|
| 2:24 |
| 6. | "Louphoria" (with Cruza) |
|
| 3:46 |
| 7. | "Blu Billy" |
| Monte Booker | 2:42 |
| 8. | "Matinee" (with Kal Banx) |
| Kal Banx | 3:08 |
| 9. | "Modennaminute" (with Lucky Daye & Phoelix) |
|
| 4:47 |
| 10. | "Defibrillator" |
| Groove | 3:33 |
| 11. | "Garden Lady" |
|
| 3:31 |
| 12. | "Settle Down" (featuring Cory Henry & Ravyn Lenae) |
|
| 3:03 |
| 13. | "Pudgy" (featuring Lil Uzi Vert) |
|
| 2:16 |
| 14. | "Curtains" |
|
| 6:24 |
| 15. | "Lee & Lovie" (featuring Reggie) |
|
| 2:52 |
| Total length: | 50:59 | |||
Credits adapted from Tidal. [21]
Musicians
Technical
| Chart (2022) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 [22] | 50 |
| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard) [23] | 28 |
Symere Bysil Woods, known professionally as Lil Uzi Vert, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. Born and raised in Philadelphia, they gained initial recognition following the release of the commercial mixtape Luv Is Rage (2015), which led to a recording contract with Atlantic Records, to whom they signed under DJ Drama's Generation Now imprint.
Christopher Smith Jr., better known by his stage name Smino, is an American rapper. Smino is the founder of the musical collective Zero Fatigue with Bari, Monte Booker, Jay2, and Ravyn Lenae. He is one third of the supergroup Ghetto Sage, with Saba and Noname. Smino is signed to Downtown Records and Interscope.
Telefone is the debut mixtape by American rapper Noname. Originally announced in 2012, the mixtape faced numerous delays and was finally released four years later on July 31, 2016, as a free digital download. It features guest appearances from Saba, Ravyn Lenae, Raury, and Smino among others.
Bucket List Project is the debut studio album by American rapper Saba. It was released on October 27, 2016 by Saba Pivot, LLC.
"Everybody Dies" is a single by American rapper J. Cole, released on December 5, 2016 along with his single "False Prophets". The two songs were previously previewed on the documentary Eyez.
blkswn is the debut studio album by American rapper Smino. It was released on March 14, 2017 with Zero Fatigue under license to Downtown Records.
Ravyn Lenae Washington is an American R&B singer-songwriter from Chicago who is currently signed to Atlantic Records and the Three Twenty Three Music Group. She is also a member of the musical collective Zero Fatigue. Her debut EP, Moon Shoes, was released independently in 2015 and reissued by Atlantic Records in 2016. Her follow-up EP, Midnight Moonlight, was released in 2017. In addition to performing at several music festivals, Lenae has also toured with SZA on her Ctrl Tour and Noname on her Telefone Tour.
Cameron Osteen, better known by his stage name Cam O'bi, is an American record producer, singer-songwriter and audio engineer. He has produced for Chance the Rapper, Vic Mensa, Mick Jenkins, Noname, J. Cole, Bas, Saba, and Isaiah Rashad. His upcoming debut album is titled Grown Ass Kid.
This article catalogs the songwriting, musician, and production credits for Steve Lacy-Moya, better known as Steve Lacy. Lacy began his career as a guitarist and producer for the Los Angeles-based R&B/soul band, the Internet, and as a solo artist in the mid-to-late 2010s. His debut project, a song series titled Steve Lacy's Demo, was released in February 2017 and his debut album, Apollo XXI, was released in May 2019.
Room 25 is the debut studio album by American hip hop recording artist Noname. Recorded in about a month's time, the album chronicles the two years since the release of Noname's debut mixtape Telefone, most notably her move from Chicago to Los Angeles and an intense, short-lived romantic relationship.
Eternal Atake is the second studio album by American rapper and singer Lil Uzi Vert. It was released through Generation Now and Atlantic Records on March 6, 2020. The album features a sole guest appearance from American singer Syd. The production was handled by Bobby Raps, Brandon Finessin, Bugz Ronin, Chief Keef, Oogie Mane, TM88, Wheezy, and others. It is their first project since their debut studio album, Luv Is Rage 2 (2017). The album was supported by the singles "Futsal Shuffle 2020" and "That Way", which later appeared as the album's bonus tracks.
Noir is the second studio album by American rapper Smino. It was released on November 8, 2018, with Zero Fatigue under license to Downtown Records and distributed by Interscope Records.
Zero Fatigue is an American musical collective and independent record label with a split-base in both St. Louis, Missouri and Chicago, Illinois. The collective was founded by Smino and includes artists and producers Monte Booker, Ravyn Lenae, JayBaby TheGreaty, and Nosidam. The label is run by Chris "Classick" Innumerable.
Zoi Harris, better known by her stage name Jean Deaux is an American musician. She is known for her involvement in multiple genres and creative mediums. Her debut EP Krash was released in October 19, 2018.
"Bean (Kobe)" is a song by American rapper Lil Uzi Vert featuring fellow American rapper Chief Keef. Produced by Pi'erre Bourne, it was released on March 13, 2020, as the third track off of the deluxe edition of Uzi's album Eternal Atake, titled Lil Uzi Vert vs. The World 2. The track peaked at number 19 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Ahmanti Booker, professionally known as Monte Booker is an American producer from Chicago, Illinois. He is part of the musical collective Zero Fatigue, and has worked with artists such as Smino, Ravyn Lenae, Noname, Saba, Mick Jenkins, Sango, Ari Lennox and JID, among others.
"His & Hers" is a single by American record collective Internet Money, featuring American rappers Don Toliver, Lil Uzi Vert, and Gunna. It was released on May 13, 2021, and was produced by Internet Money members Taz Taylor, Nick Mira, Alec Wigdahl, Pharaoh Vice, and Cxdy,.
Expensive Pain is the fifth studio album by American rapper Meek Mill. It was released on October 1, 2021, through Atlantic Records And Maybach Music Group. The production on the album was handled by multiple producers including Boi-1da, Tay Keith, Vinylz, 30 Roc, Cardo and Sevn Thomas among others. The album also features guest appearances from Lil Baby, Lil Durk, Kehlani, ASAP Ferg, Moneybagg Yo, Giggs, Young Thug, Vory, Lil Uzi Vert, and Brent Faiyaz.
Hypnos is the debut album by American singer and songwriter Ravyn Lenae. It was released on May 20, 2022, through Atlantic Records. The album includes guest appearances and production from Monte Booker, Steve Lacy, Kaytranada, Fousheé, Mereba, Smino, Sango, Luke Titus, IAmNobodi, Phoelix and Teo Halm. The artwork of the album was shot by Quil Lemons.
The Forever Story is the third studio album by American rapper JID. It was released on August 26, 2022, through Dreamville and Interscope Records. The album features guest appearances from Kenny Mason, EarthGang, 21 Savage, Baby Tate, Lil Durk, Ari Lennox, Yasiin Bey, Lil Wayne, Johntá Austin, Ravyn Lenae, and Eryn Allen Kane.