R.I.P. Tim Smooth

Rapper Tim Smooth died at age 39, early this morning, after a long battle with cancer.

Born Timothy Smoot – and known as “the Knight from Kennedy Heights” - the rapper was considered a pioneer of New Orleans hip-hop. He established his reputation as an MC while still a teenager; in an interview last year, he recalled sneaking out of L.W. Higgins High School in Marrero at lunchtime to battle other rappers on their school’s playgrounds. In 1991, he released his first single, “I Gotsta Have It,” for Dallas-based Yo! Records, and label-hopped after that, putting out albums on Houston’s Rap-A-Lot label and the local indies Big Boy and Mobo.

At Big Boy Records, he met and mentored Mystikal. During a respite from his illness, Smooth made an appearance on the mic with his old friend during a House of Blues concert last December. "Had I never met Tim, I would be a totally different artist," Michael "Mystikal" Tyler told Times-Picayune music writer Keith Spera today.
"He even co-wrote the title cut with me on 'Mind of Mystikal.' Thanks for the memories."

News of the rapper’s death spread rapidly today via blog and social-networking sites. The newly-formed hip-hop collective New Orleans Union for Entertainment posted a tribute on their web page. DJ EF Cuttin, a longtime friend of Smoot’s, wrote a heartfelt obituary on his site. “I hope they remember how he was – he was a friend to everybody, everybody loved him,” said his sister, Nicole Smoot.

“He never had a fight in his whole life, and he was 39 years old. He was a happy person. He was always cracking jokes, and even with the cancer, he never didn’t have a smile on his face.”

Funeral arrangements for Smoot are pending.