Mike Smiff Drops Visual For “Go To Ya Head”
Make that money,” Mike Smiff cautions, “but don’t let money make you.” That piece of hard-won advice is right
Make that money,” Mike Smiff cautions, “but don’t let money make you.” That piece of hard-won advice is right there in the chorus of “Go To Ya Head,” the South Florida rapper’s latest single. In one stinging phrase, Smiff pledges allegiance to the grind and demonstrates the perspective and temperance that experience brings. The song is a reminder of Smiff’s status: by the general agreement of everybody who has heard his records, he’s one of the wisest men in rap.
Every bit of that wisdom was earned on the streets of Dade County, a hip-hop crucible where only the finest and most forceful are heard above the clatter. Though the scene has a deserved reputation for hedonism, a Florida emcee can’t just be a party starter. He’s got to have something real to rhyme about. Long before the release of 10 Toes Down, the ferocious 2013 mixtape that spread his fame far beyond the Sunshine State, Mike Smiff was already a legend on the Miami corners for his relentless bars, his plainspoken, diagnostic assessment of the city in which he lived, and his thunderous beats.
“Go To Ya Head” epitomizes the emcee’s approach. It’s a gorgeous production, driven by trunk-rattling 808 kick drum and decorated with airy synthesizer and dazzling soul samples. The emcee barely takes a measure off: he spits flames for two and a half minutes in that tough, fluid, authoritative delivery that has been shaking the Florida pavement for over a decade. He’s the sort of rapper who you’ll never mistake for anybody else: press play anywhere in the track, and you’ll know it’s him. And what is he rhyming about? Lost chances and missed opportunities, the lure of easy cash, kids growing up too soon, bad choices, arrogance, and the seductive quality of life on the street. He knows it because he’s lived it.
In the clip for “Go To Ya Head,” Mike Smiff is so comfortable on the block that he practically defies gravity. Others throw dice in the alleys and cluster on stoops; the rapper floats down the street like a sailboat with a tailwind. He’s in his element, but he’s also sufficiently detached from the dirty business of daily life that his commentary feels incisive. But he’s not merely diagnostic. He loves South Florida and his community, and that affection comes through in every frame. Call this a video homage to a complicated place — one that Mike Smiff knows all about.
Can you walk us through your creative process?
I’m so in love with music, I don’t need a lot to create!! Just some dope beats, a dope engineer, and people in the room that are locked in to what’s going on and not having their own side conversations – all eyes, ears, and minds on money, or GTFO.
You are full of wisdom, why do you share it in your songs?
Because growing up, I got game from my favorite artists; their music gave me perspective and gave me a voice when I didn’t have one, and when my fans listen to me, I want my fans to experience what I felt the first time I heard my top five.
Which comes first, the lyrics or the beat?
Most of the time I feed off the beat, but I definitely have had ideas when I would sit with a producer with and build the beat around my idea.
What was it like working with Counterpoint 2.0?
It was dope because I worked with them years ago when they were first starting, so to come back full circle and see how far we had both come was surreal.
Who or what is your biggest inspiration?
My past is my biggest inspiration and motivation. I promised myself I will not go back to how I used to live; my kids will not have to grow up and go through the things I had to endure.
Was it difficult to create “Go To Ya Head”?
No, because it’s really a reflection of my generation, my neighborhood, and my city – and it’s always easy to tell the truth.
How do you want your fans to feel after listening to “Go To Ya Head”?
I want them to be motivated and be mindful of how they’re living because time flies and it takes 30 days to form a habit, so if you’re not careful, years will fly by and you can be doing your time all wrong.
What’s next for you?
Mike Smiff is about to wake the world up! It’s my time to show the industry I’m the truth.
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