De Los Golpes Aprendí

"The hardships are more beautiful when you give them meaning". Smith has gone through a lot throughout his life. But rather than feeling sorry for himself, he focuses on what he can learn from each set back. Every punch that life has thrown at him has made him a better person. The video shows Smith performing in his neighbourhood among his friends and family. It also shows him working on the Bogotá bus, where he performs his songs every single day. You cannot control the circumstances, but you can control how you respond. And Smith responds with perseverance, creativity and gratitude.

Homenaje a la 15 ft. Susana Fergusson

For many years, Smith called "la 15" his home. In the media the neighbourhood was better known as "El Bronx" and infamous for its high crime and consumption rates. Consequently, the municipality decided to evict all its inhabitants, tore down its buildings, to replace them with a "creative district". Former inhabitants and artists like Smith, have however not been included in the development of this new creative centre. This song is a homage to a neighbourhood, and a protest against the government's treatment of the people that called it their home.

Poder Existir

Hip Hop is the reason that Smith was able to turn his life around. It's what gives him the motivation and the strength to wake up every day and say no to crime, no to drugs, and put bread on the table the honest way. The video takes us back to Smith's past, showing us the transformation he has gone through because of his music. Smith exists because he raps!

Panteón

Panteón is a song of reflection. Smith writes lyrics every single day. He has this inner necessity to write down his feelings, his thoughts. It's how he reflects, understands and proceses. It is how he relates to his inner world and to the outer world. It is how he gives meaning to life and specifically the hardships. In this video, we are invited into Smith's inner world. We don't see him rapping this time. He takes us on a walk through the city, thinking, reflecting, writing.

Rap es Fuego

Rap es Fuego is a homage to the thousands of rappers in Colombia and elsewhere that work incredibly hard but remain undervalued by society. Rappers are forced to perform in public busses. They are expected to perform for free at events. They get ignored by popular magazines and radio stations. Yet rap has been a major source of strength for many people. It gives a voice to those that are not heard. It reflects the feelings of those not cared for. And it shows realities that are hidden. Rap is bottom-up art. And it is a force that has been and will always resist the power of the elite. Rap is fire!

Dalia Negra

Love songs are not very common in hip hop. Yet Smith included two love songs in this album. Dalia Negra however, is a brutally honest song about the dark side of love: jealousy, distrust, possessiveness. In the video we see Smith with a black flower, representing the dark side of love. Yet, it is another example where Smith does no walk away from the hardships. He confronts them, learns and walks away a stronger person.

Hay Mucho Por Decir

Now we get to see what it is all for. Rapping in the public busses, displaced, homeless and rehabilitating. Smith conquered everything for only one thing: his family. In this song Smith expresses his gratitude and his love for his girlfriend and two children. They are his fuel. They are his purpose. They make everything worth it.

Hoy Me Levante ft. Pablo Fergusson

We finish this album on a happy note. In his songs, Smith talks with honesty about the harshness and beauty of life in Bogotá. But in the end, the only thing we can control, is our state of mind. To wake up every day with a smile, ready to take on the world, regardless of how much money you have in your pocket. Because in this album,  Smith has shown us what really matters in life: to love and be loved; to inspire and be inspired; and... to make great music!

Smith Freesoul

Smith Freesoul is a rapper from Bogotá who blends underground rap with reggae and sentimental beats, rhyming about life on the streets, love and politics.

As a teenager Smith lived many years on the streets of the notorious neighbourhood "El Bronx", where drugs, poverty and crime conquered the lives of its inhabitants. At times, Smith got pulled in by his surroundings. And when "El Bronx" was evicted and torn down by the government, he lost his "home". But in rap Smith found a way out. A way to express his feelings, a way to raise his voice, and way to regain the inner strength to stay on the right path and take care of his family. Every day, Smith wakes up early in the morning to rap in the transmilenio bus, offering passengers entertainment on their way to work. But his songs are more than mere entertainment. Smith writes new lyrics everyday, and not a single word is without meaning and purpose. He gives a voice to those who live on the streets and in the slums. Those who are ignored, silenced and discriminated. With his sentimental songs and his catchy reggae hooks, Smith makes sure we want to hear them.