Corbin (musician)
Spooky Black | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Corbin Smidzik |
| Also known as | Spooky Black, Corbin, Lil' Spook |
| Born | February 20th, 1998 (age 18) Baltimore, MD |
| Origin | Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States |
| Genres | |
| Occupation | Singer |
| Instrument | Vocals |
| Years active | 2013–present |
Corbin Smidzik, better known as Spooky Black (and previously known as Lil' Spook[1]) is an American R&B singer from Saint Paul, Minnesota and a member of the hip hop/R&B collective The Stand4rd.[2]
Career
Smidzik gained popularity on the internet through a series of solo releases on the website Soundcloud.[3] His first release Forest was put out in late 2013 and featured more of a hip hop sound with Smidzik rapping on every song, in contrast to his later and more recognized R&B-stylized singing.
By 2014, Smidzik was gaining mass exposure with the help of Soundcloud and YouTube. The video for the song "Without You", from the mixtape Black Silk (released in February 2014[4]), went viral, attaining more than a million views on video-sharing websites YouTube and WorldstarHipHop.[1] Noisey declared the video an "instant classic" and published an article titled "Is Spooky Black Going to Take Over the R&B Game?", while Consequence of Sound and Complex magazine named "Without You" one of the best songs of 2014.[3][5][6][7]
Smidzik is noted for releasing his material without promotion, and has frequently declined requests for interviews.[2][3][7] In August 2014, he released the EP Leaving and a music video for its track "DJ Khaled Is My Father".[8] By October, Smidzik was being managed by Canadian producer Doc McKinney.[1] In December, he premiered a new song, "Worn", under the new name Corbin.[9]
Also in 2014, Smidzik and fellow Minnesota musicians Allan Kingdom, Psymun, and Bobby Raps formed the hip hop/R&B group The Stand4rd. They released their self-titled debut album, The Stand4rd, in November 2014, produced entirely by the group and Doc McKinney.[10][11][12] During November 2014, Corbin and the Stand4rd embarked on a US tour, which included a gig at SOB's in New York City where they were introduced by DJ Khaled.[2] The group ended up selling out all seven of the shows on their debut headlining tour.[citation needed]
Discography
- Full-length albums
- Forest (2013)[13]
- Black Silk (2014)
- Other releases
- Leaving EP (2014)
- The Stand4rd (2014) (as a member of The Stand4rd w/ Bobby Raps, Allan Kingdom, and Psymun)
- Couch Potato (2015) (with Bobby Raps)
References
- ^ a b c "Trying to decode MN's viral sensation Spooky Black". Star Tribune. Retrieved 1 September 2015.
- ^ a b c "Spooky Black & The Stand4d Perform at NYC's SOBs - Billboard". Billboard. Retrieved 1 September 2015.
- ^ a b c "Look Meme, I'm Famemeous: The Year the Music Internet Left Blogs Behind". NOISEY. Retrieved 1 September 2015.
- ^ "Spooky Black "Leaving" EP - Mass Appeal". Mass Appeal. Retrieved 1 September 2015.
- ^ "Is Spooky Black Going to Takeover the R&B Game?". NOISEY. Retrieved 1 September 2015.
- ^ "Spooky Black shares new song "Worn" — listen". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved 1 September 2015.
- ^ a b Chris Mench. "Spooky Black "Without You" - The Best Songs of 2014 (So Far) - Complex UK". Complex UK. Retrieved 1 September 2015.
- ^ "PAPERMAG: Meet Spooky Black, He's Kinda Like a Cross Between Yung Lean and King Krule". papermag.com. Retrieved 1 September 2015.
- ^ "PAPERMAG: Spooky Black Changes His Name And Releases "Worn"". papermag.com. Retrieved 1 September 2015.
- ^ Eamon Whalen. "Meet The Minnesota Misfits Behind thestand4rd". The FADER. Retrieved 1 September 2015.
- ^ Max Goldberg. "Spooky Black "Without You" - 11 Songs That Made 2014 The Year of the Rap One-Hit Wonder - Complex". Complex. Retrieved 1 September 2015.
- ^ Zach Frydenlund. "Stream and Download thestand4rd's New Album From Spooky Black, Allan Kingdom, Bobby Raps, and Psymun - Complex UK". Complex UK. Retrieved 1 September 2015.
- ^ Spooky Black - FOREST [Full Mixtape]. YouTube. 14 June 2014. Retrieved 1 September 2015.