| Struggle Before Glory | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Studio album by | |
| Released | November 30, 2018 |
| Recorded | 2016-2018 |
| Genre | |
| Length | 33:00 |
| Producer | |
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Exclaim! | 8/10 [1] |
| HNHH |  [2] |
Struggle Before Glory is the lone studio album by Canadian rapper Smoke Dawg. The album received an 8/10 rating by Exclaim! .
Smoke Dawg announced that his debut studio album Struggle Before Glory is due to be released later in the year. However, before the album was officially released, he was shot and killed on June 30, 2018 in front of a nightclub in downtown Toronto. [3] The lead single of the album "No Discussion" featured AJ Tracey and was produced by Murda Beatz. It was released a month after his death on August 13, 2018. [4] Smoke Dawg's posthumous album Struggle Before Glory was released on November 29, 2018. [5] The album features from the likes of Toronto artists Puffy L'z, Jimmy Prime, Jay Whiss and Safe, as well as UK artists Fredo, AJ Tracey and Giggs. [6] Smoke Dawg's younger brother, Young Smoke, provided a tribute on the outro of the album. [7]
The album was rated 8/10 by Exclaim! . [8] The album was described as a "sum up of the late rapper's legacy". [9] [10] [11] Aron A. of HotNewHipHop described the album as a sum up of the legacy of one of the hottest rappers who was emerging from Toronto in the past few years. [2]
Peace of Mind is the debut studio album by Canadian rapper Jay Whiss released via Universal Music Canada. After released a 3 track EP which contained the single "Every Night" which features vocals from Jimmy Prime and Safe and "Dark Cloud" it was said to be served as a prequel to this album. The PE included the single "Dark Cloud" which was also confirmed to be the first single on the album. Peace of Mind was released on March 3, 2020, and was also supported by the singles "Valet" featuring Puffy L'z, "Lay Low" featuring Donnie and "Mind in a Maze". The album received an 8/10 rating by Exclaim!.
Dimitri Leslie Roger, known professionally as Rich the Kid, is an American rapper from College Park, Georgia. After a number of independent mixtapes, he signed with Interscope Records in 2017 to release his debut studio album, The World Is Yours (2018). The album, supported by the singles "New Freezer" and "Plug Walk", peaked at number two on the Billboard 200. His second and third studio albums, The World Is Yours 2 (2019) and Boss Man (2020) peaked at numbers four and 24 respectively on the chart. He has also released the collaborative mixtapes Nobody Safe (2020) with YoungBoy Never Broke Again, and Trust Fund Babies (2021) with Lil Wayne. Furthermore, he founded the record label Rich Forever Music in 2016, and has signed rappers Famous Dex and Jay Critch.
Ché Wolton Grant, known professionally as AJ Tracey, is an independent British rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is from Ladbroke Grove, West London. Tracey rose to popularity in 2016 and was listed by The Guardian in a list of "best new acts to catch at festivals in 2016".
David Orobosa Michael Omoregie, known professionally as Dave or Santan Dave, is a British rapper and actor. He is known for his socially conscious lyricism and wordplay.
Shane Lee Lindstrom, known professionally as Murda Beatz, is a Canadian record producer. He has produced hit singles including "Butterfly Effect" for Travis Scott, "Back on Road" for Gucci Mane, "Nice for What" for Drake, and "Motorsport" for Migos.
Jason Cole Critchlow, known professionally as Jay Critch, is an American rapper, singer and songwriter from Brooklyn, New York City. He signed with Rich the Kid's record label, Rich Forever Music in November 2016, and first gained recognition following his numerous collaborations with the rapper. In a joint venture with Interscope Records, he released his debut solo mixtape Hood Favorite (2018), which entered the Billboard 200 along with his compilation albums with the former label—Rich Forever 3 (2017) and Rich Forever 4 (2019).
Robert Lee Gill Jr., better known by his stage name Reason, is an American rapper and songwriter. He is signed to hip hop record label Top Dawg Entertainment, where he started to gain recognition. His TDE debut, There You Have It, was released on September 28, 2018, a re-release of an album from 2017. His major label debut album New Beginnings was released on October 9, 2020.
Marvin William Bailey, known professionally as Fredo, is a British rapper and singer from Mozart Estate, Kilburn, London. He had a UK number 1 single in 2018 with fellow rapper Dave called "Funky Friday". He has had multiple hits with other rappers such as, Dave, Central Cee, Tory Lanez, Pop Smoke, Stormzy, Headie One and Young Adz.
AJ Tracey is the eponymous debut studio album by British rapper AJ Tracey, released independently on 8 February 2019. It follows his EP Secure the Bag! (2017). The album features guest appearances from Not3s, Jay Critch and Giggs. Tracey embarked on a world tour from March 2019 in support of the album, with the first dates taking place in the UK and Ireland. The deluxe edition was released on 25 October 2019, with five additional songs.
Habib Mohamed, better known by his stage name Puffy L'z, is a rapper and singer from Toronto, Ontario. He is of Somali descent. Puffy L'z released his debut studio album Take No L'z on July 19, 2019, and it received a 6/10 rating from Exclaim!.
Halal Gang is a Canadian hip hop collective based in Toronto, Ontario. The name stems from the preponderance of the group having Muslim origins with East African and Caribbean Canadian roots. Initially the group is said to have stemmed out from a gang participating in criminal activity. The group was established in 2010 as a group of youths from Regent Park inspired to make music. Its original carnation includes Puffy L'z. Mustafa the Poet, Mo-G, Safe and Smoke Dawg.
Mustafa Ahmed, known as Mustafa, formerly known as Mustafa the Poet, is a Sudanese-Canadian poet, singer, songwriter, and filmmaker from Toronto. He released his debut studio album, When Smoke Rises, in May 2021.
Jahvante Jahqwane Sheldon Smart, known professionally as Smoke Dawg, was a Canadian rapper, singer and songwriter from Toronto, Ontario. Smoke Dawg was a part of hip hop collective Halal Gang alongside Mustafa the Poet, Puffy L'z, Safe, and Mo-G who come together with the Prime Boys to make the supergroup Full Circle. His debut and only studio album Struggle Before Glory was released posthumously in 2018.
Prime Boys are a Canadian hip hop collective based in Toronto, Ontario. The original group carnation consists of Jay Whiss, Jimmy Prime and Donnie and the trio released their debut studio album Koba World on July 27, 2018.
Gordon Edward Phillips III, better known by his stage name Jimmy Prime, is a rapper from Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Jimmy is known for coining "The Six" as a nickname for Toronto and being the frontman of the hip hop group Prime Boys.
Jordan Whiston, better known by his stage name Jay Whiss, is a Canadian rapper and songwriter from Toronto, Ontario. He first gained international attention after the release of the single "Watch This", which appeared on OVO Sound Radio in late 2015. Whiss also appeared on the Noisey documentary 6IX RISING (2017), which showcased hip hop culture in Canada. He is one-third of the hip hop collective Prime Boys, alongside Jimmy Prime and Donnie. Prime Boys released their debut studio album Koba World on July 27, 2018; the album received a 9/10 score by Exclaim!. Whiss was also featured in the short film Remember Me, Toronto (2019) by Mustafa the Poet.
Koba World is the debut studio album by Prime Boys. It was released on July 27, 2018. The album was originally slated to be titled Prime Forever but was renamed to Koba World as a dedication to their best friend, Kosi Modekwe aka Koba Prime, who was killed earlier in the year with Halal Gang member Smoke Dawg. The album received a 9/10 score by Exclaim! and was heavily produced by Murda Beatz. It was supported by the singles "Hold Me Down," "Sopranos," "Tinted" and "Come Wit It".
Take No L'z is the debut studio album by Canadian rapper Puffy L'z. It was released on July 19, 2019, and received a 6/10 rating from Exclaim!.
"Dinner Guest" is a song recorded by British rapper, singer, songwriter and record producer AJ Tracey featuring British rapper MoStack. It was released as a single on 29 April 2020 as the lead single from the former's second studio album Flu Game (2021). The song peaked at number 5 on the UK Singles Chart, spending a total of 12 weeks in the top ten. The song features a sample of "Push the Feeling On" by Nightcrawlers.
When Smoke Rises is the debut studio album by Canadian musician and poet Mustafa. It was released on May 28, 2021, through Mustafa's Regent Park Songs imprint. The album was produced by frequent collaborator and executive producer Frank Dukes with contributions from James Blake, Jamie xx, and Sampha, among others. The songs "Stay Alive", "Air Forces", "Ali", and "The Hearse" were released as singles prior to the album's release. The album is self-described as 'inner city folk music' and is thematically centered on Toronto's Regent Park community.
