[INTERVIEW] SMMT Steps Into The Spotlight With Mr. Hollywood

SMMT, born as Jung Sung-min, recently debuted under H1GHR MUSIC in 2022. H1GHR MUSIC is a global Hip-Hop entertainment company founded by Jay Park and Cha Cha Malone. The producer, SMMT, who recently went public has been active since 2020 as a DJ & Producer. He’s also a part of the underground hip-hop crew YELOWS MOB known for it’s members, Sik-K, Groovyroom, Naeezy and Mackidd.

SMMT’s agency reveals that he has released his first producer EP, “Mr. Hollywood”. The Korean producer steps out the booth and debuts into the spotlight for the first time. The track represents a thank you, to the fans and to Sik-K, who has always been SMMT’s side as an advisor, peer and friend. For the official music video, Mr. Hollywood appears in the title track, “Knock Knock,” as he is seen DJing a packed house party, hosting and embracing the role as the protagonist for the first time. This track is composed of a melodic rap by labelmate, pH-1, with the soothing voice of R&B singer, Moon Sujin.

The music video has already garnered over 100K views in a little over a month. Check it out below.

DJ SMMT will be joining Sik-K’s tour in Europe in January 2023.

View our interview with the talented SMMT below!

Please introduce yourself to the readers of HypnoticAsia. 

Hello, my name is SMMT from H1GHR MUSIC. I am a DJ and producer and I just released my first album, Mr. Hollywood.

How did you get into music? 

I got into music during high school after hearing Daft Punk’s album, Alive 2007. That album inspired me to become a DJ and I immediately bought equipment to get started.

Who or what has been your biggest inspiration? 

I have many artists and producers that are inspirations. But what keeps me grinding and motivated are the friends and family around me. I am lucky enough to be surrounded by a crew that are all into music, whether its producing, rapping, singing or any other forms of music. I feel like we are always inspiring each other and challenging one another to always improve and work on ourselves. 

Is there a track you would recommend for those who want to check out your music?

I want to recommend the title track, “Knock Knock.” I tried to recreate sounds from the past but give it a modern twist and this song best represents what I was trying to create. It also features two good friends that I thought would complement the beat best. 

You have a new EP entitled “Mr. Hollywood” that was just released! Tell us all about it!

Mr. Hollywood is my first album and also the first time I’m putting myself out there to the fans. The title is supposed to be ironic since I am usually always behind the booth while my friends are in the spotlight on stage. 

How did you decide which tracks would be included on this specific EP?

I don’t want to make music that has an expiration date. I’ve made a lot of effort into crafting my skills to bring out songs that can stand the test of time. My album is not too old school but also not too trendy. So I curated a set of beats and asked the artists that I thought would complete the tracks as I envisioned it.

We see that you have many big artists featured on your songs on the new EP! What was it like working with these artists? 

Working with these artists was such a good time. Most of them are friends that I’ve worked with before so that was very smooth. And I was fortunate enough to have fellow artists that shared my vision so everything from communication to recording felt natural and organic. 

Would you say your life has changed since joining H1GHR MUSIC? If yes, how so?

My life definitely changed with the support of a label like H1GHR MUSIC. I’m constantly surrounded my artists and friends that are almost like a family. And making a living pursuing one’s passion can be very difficult but being backed by a label and their resources and support definitely alleviated some of that pressure.

If you were not doing music, what do you believe you would be doing instead?

I majored in mechanical engineering so I think I would be working in a field related to automobiles. And I had a dream of opening an auto-repair shop when I was young.

What can we expect to see from you in the future?

Please expect more music and more concerts in the future. The world has spent the past few years without festivals and concerts so I would love to travel again and play my songs for fans all over the world.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to give up music?

Whenever you want to give up, if music is your passion, you will always find a means to support that. Not every artist or musician has the privilege of making a living off their passion so go the extra 10% even if that means working a part-time job to finance your passion or even doing small local gigs to get your name out there. 

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