Entertainment
Posthumous debut album from slain Toronto rapper Smoke Dawg released
The 21-year-old captured the attention of the local hip-hop community after joining Drake on his 2017 European tour.
Toronto rapper Smoke Dawg’s posthumous album arrived on Friday, exactly five months after he was killed in a brazen shooting.
“Struggle Before Glory” marks the debut full-length record from the performer, born Jahvante Smart, who was considered one of Toronto’s rising young rappers.
The 21-year-old captured the attention of the local hip-hop community after joining Drake on his 2017 European tour.
His 13-track album features numerous guest appearances, including British artists Fredo and Giggs.
Toronto rappers Safe and Puffy L’z — both part of the Halal Gang artist collective where Smoke Dawg forged his early career — also feature on tracks.
Smart was one of two men killed on June 30 in Toronto’s entertainment district. The other was Ernest Modekwe, brand manager for hip-hop collective Prime Boys.
Toronto police have issued a warrant for the arrest of 22-year-old Abdulkadir Handule in the fatal shooting and a 16-year-old boy who can’t be named because he is a minor.
