The Drake-approved MC breaks free of musical and geographic boundaries

Alexander Eli Morand comes by his nom de rap—Smiley—honestly. Even when the Drake-approved Toronto MC is popping off about street struggles and girl trouble over atmospheric OVO beats, he exudes an excitable energy and tongue-in-cheek attitude that turns frowns upside down. The quick-hit mixtape Don’t Box Me In functions as a status update on how Smiley’s life has changed ever since his Drizzy collab “Over the Top” blew up in 2021, and whether he’s reaffirming his loyalty to his Pelham Park homies on “Budge” (“This for all the dogs/I’ll never do a Michael Vick”) or fending off gold-digging girlfriends on “6ixSideKids” (“All you do is talk, bitch/Go start a podcast”), Smiley filters his self-aggrandising bravado through a sly sense of humour. But true to its title, Don’t Box Me In exemplifies Smiley’s desire to break free of both geographic and musical boundaries: On “Spill the Tea”, he bids his hometown adieu to pursue his world-conquering ambitions while floating off into the sunset on a dreamy Sean Leon/River Tiber sample.