D Smoke is the stage name of Daniel Farris, who penned songs for such artists as Jaheim, Pussycat Dolls, and Ginuwine before finding fame as a rapper. ∙ Having grown up in a musical family, Farris spent years teaching music and Spanish at L.A.’s Inglewood High School, while he pursued a songwriting and recording career on the side. ∙ His first album, Producer of the Year, was released in 2006. ∙ Along with with his older brother, R&B artist SiR, he cowrote Jaheim’s 2007 hit “Never,” which topped Billboard’s Adult R&B Songs chart and earned them an ASCAP Award. ∙ In 2019, he was the winning contestant on the TV music competition Rhythm + Flow, taking home a $250,000 prize and relaunching his career as a rapper. ∙ Black Habits—his first full-length release in 14 years—featured appearances from Snoop Dogg and Jill Scott, and hit No. 2 on Billboard’s Heatseekers chart in 2020. ∙ D Smoke received a Best Rap Album Grammy nomination for Black Habits, as well as a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist.