A Fresh Daily discussion on the merits of Smoke DZA is long overdue. Hailing from Harlem, Smoke DZA lives the Lo-life of train rides into swank Manhattan Polo stores to gaffle the coveted apparel. It's a lifestyle that's been prevalent since '88 (probably earlier than that) and was popularized in rap by artists like Raekwon and most notably Thirstin Howl the III. Oddly enough, Thirstin Howl the III, known as Big Vic Lo in the streets, never made the “Ralph Lifshitz” connection on his numerous Lo-related songs.
In addition to putting the Lo culture back into the hip hop lexicon, Smoke DZA is part of the new generation of rappers dedicated to fine herbals. He keeps good company with his fellow smokers Curren$y, Big K.R.I.T. and Mac Miller, while Ski Beatz, K.R.I.T. and Hi-Tek curate sounds that appeal to his laissez-faire delivery. His alter ego in haze is named George Kush, who made his debut on DZA's George Kush Da Button mixtape. The mixtape is getting a Deluxe Edition re-release soon, while DZA's new project, THC (The Hustler’s Catalog), is also due in the near future. Hi-Tek-produced the first offering from it, which is called “The Early Days of George”.
