We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Smoke Delgado a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Smoke thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.
Growing up I was always creative. I use to always sketch and color etc. I was weird with it through. Everything would have to be exact. From outlining my drawings with markers to shading with colored pencils, which had to be sharpen. The moment I knew I was destined to be a creator was when I was in the 5th grade. I got really close with my art teacher, and I would get fabric from the art class, with permission of course. I would use my action figures as manikins to sew little shirts and pants with thread and needles haha. I’ve been creating ever since.
Smoke , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
Firstly, I go by Smoke Delgado. Some call me Javier, but my mom doesn’t like that haha. I am what you call a Jake of all trades. I am a curator, a musician, a producer…. I’m in the process of launching a skate company “Clergy”. I do a little of everything, but music is my bread and butter. I recorded my first song when I was in the 6th grade as a joke at my homie house. We use a rock band mic, it was a horrible setup, but we made it work. It came out eh, but I was like… I kinda like this, so I made it a hobby. I remember being in summer school my 11th grade year. I was sitting at my desk listening to Dom Kennedy, and thought to myself I can do this shit. I went to my God mom house and recorded a full project called “Boyish Smile”, which was entirely produced by the homie Raybandz, whom happened to be in summer school with me haha. Honestly what sets me apart from most is, I’m myself. I can’t find a soul that can be Javier, and vice versa. We’re all unique. Obviously some people lack originality, but hey… It’s a compliment to the source. You’re inspiring someone. I create what I like. I create what I want. I take pride in my progress. If you listen to my music or anything I do, you can hear or see my progress. Growth is everything. Can’t be out here stagnant. I want to show everyone that the impossible is possible, as clique as that sound. I come from a broken home, but I still managed to live beyond society statistics. I want to inspire the world, and I want nothing but the best for you.
We’d love to hear your thoughts on NFTs. (Note: this is for education/entertainment purposes only, readers should not construe this as advice)
NFTs are cool… but I’ll pass. I invest into stocks. That’s the furthest I’ll go.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
For me, it’s presenting the finish product. It’s like hey look what I got for you haha. It’s a present. I’m sharing my personal thoughts and life experiences with you. Its free game. It’s a gift.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @smokedelgado
- Twitter: Smokedelgado
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UC5ZyRCeRbichCA2A1LzeC6g
Image Credits
Image 1. Tevin Harriot Image 2. Earl Rivers