Bri Smilez: Where Hip-Hop Meets Purpose, Power, and Positivity
written by
LUCIANO LAYNE
Bri Smilez embodies the kind of presence that doesn’t wait for your attention, it commands it. Her voice is low and sultry, her cadence sharp, bending between hip-hop bravado and gospel conviction in a way that feels almost dangerous. People have called it “where hip-hop meets scripture,” a nod to Lauryn Hill, but it’s not mimicry. Bri carves her own lane, her own sermon.
It’s been like this for her since she was four. That’s when she stepped onstage at a local talent show and ripped through Salt-N-Pepa’s “Shoop.” Most kids her age were shyly twirling microphones like toys; Bri turned hers into a platform. That moment was ignition far beyond cuteness, and for Bri, everything pointed toward the stage.
By 2018, Bri Smilez was everywhere. Youth conferences, church programs, women’s seminars—fifty-plus shows in a year, the kind of grind most artists can’t stomach. Then came the Christian Hip Hop Cruise to the Bahamas, where she was one of the only female MCs in the lineup. She took that stage like it was hers and didn’t look back. Not long after, she was trading sets with Sevin, Bizzle, Bryann Trejo, and HOGMOB. Even The Temptations shared a
—bill with her. Her name started bouncing between platforms—Dash Radio’s “God’s House of Hip Hop”, Trackstarz, HisHop Radio. Then in 2019, she landed her first acting role in Rhyan LaMarr’s “Stayed Down” series, sharing screen time with Hemky Madera, Yancey Arias, Twista, and Social Club Misfits. This lane opened more opportunities for her to shine. She then made history on three national Invasion Tours, the lone woman on stage, blazing through sets with 1K Phew, Steven Malcolm, Datin, and Miles Minnick.
And then came the breakthrough. In 2025, her single “Dirty,” broke wide, crashing through playlists with a gospel-reggaeton swing that made it impossible to ignore. The song cleared a quarter million streams and landed her first plaque—a trophy that felt less like a reward than a warning shot. Soon after came “Down,” with Wingy Danejah, climbing to #21 on the iTunes Top 200 Reggaeton chart.
On September 13th, 2025, she took a detour most artists wouldn’t risk: New York Fashion Week. On the runway, she carried the same fire she brings to the mic—controlled, magnetic, a little defiant. It wasn’t just a modeling gig; it was a flex. Proof that she could bend industries to her will.
Bri Smilez’s constant movement and energy within the business has become one of her most admirable traits. The industry is a machine designed to chew women up, to make them smaller, softer, easier to digest. However, she refuses to fall victim to familiarity, instead choosing to build women up and, telling them not to trade values for validation. The message is clear - there is no need to shrink neatly to fit a smaller window of acceptability.
Now backed by the prolific manager, Luciano Layne, in a joint venture with Alpha Recording Group, Universal Music Group, and Virgin Music Group, Bri Smilez’s momentum is set to amplify. But for Bri, the deal isn’t about industry clout. It’s about amplification—getting her sound, her vision, her fire to as many ears as possible without compromise.
The truth is, Bri Smilez doesn’t look or sound like someone angling for stardom. Stardom feels too small. She’s building something bigger—a movement stitched together with faith, grit, and authenticity. Each track, each show, each step onto a runway or into a studio is less about proving she belongs and more about reminding you that she was always supposed to be here.
The world needs more artists who are not only talented but also rooted in purpose, and Bri Smilez is proving to be one of them.
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