Today we’d like to introduce you to Giadon “The Don” $mith.
Hi Giadon “The Don”, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I graduated from Springfield Central High School in Springfield Massachusetts in 2020 and decided to pursue higher education at Keiser University. This was during the COVID Pandemic, so after completing my first year, I decided not to continue. I came back home to Springfield, MA to save up and move to Miami to start my music career. I lived in North Miami Beach off of Ives Dairy Road for 3 months and once I gained stability, I got into a car accident which totaled my vehicle and caused me to go back home again. Plan B is to proceed with Plan A so I saved up and moved to Fort Lauderdale in February 2024. Since then, I’ve planted my roots and became a part of a beautiful artist community that I only have intentions of contributing to.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It hasn’t been a smooth road but it has been a fulfilling and strengthening one. I never had to leave home, and that’s a reason I left. I knew to grow to be the man I aspired to be I need to get out snd do it on my own, so I’ve been through slight homelessness, a $20,000 going to $200, and I’m on my 4th car in 4 years now and it doesn’t have AC but this is all to humble me for the blessings that are coming and a test of my faith to see if I believe YAH will do His part as I do mine. At the end of the day, it only gives me more material and inspiration to write about.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a lyricist, a writer focused on contributing to and increasing the lyricism in the Hip-Hop, R&B, and Pop scene. I specialize in sharp, structured storytelling and high-level lyricism. I am dedicated to saying things in the most creative, thought-provoking way possible in ways that connect people. I work and collaborate with artists to help get both our thoughts out, along with giving songs to artists that I do not have the tools to put out myself. I want my name up there with Cyhi The Prynce, The Dream, and Drake. The goal is local to global. I invite artists in South Florida to work with me as I’d love to work with them. I don’t charge an up-front fee, I charge a percentage of the track to show my dedication to the craft and to receive the fruits of our labor off the backend.
I am most proud of my resilience and my refusal to let adversity dictate my journey. Moving across the country to build a music career hasn’t been a straight line, especially after a severe car accident totaled my vehicle and forced me to temporarily reset back home. Bouncing back from that, saving up again, and successfully planting my roots in Fort Lauderdale is my proudest achievement. It proved to me that my vision is unbreakable. Self-determination has been instilled in me since I was a child and I’m a living example of it today. Artistically, I’m proud of this gift I am blessed with to be such a wordsmith. It actually impresses me sometimes because, it didn’t have to be me. It’s like a sixth sense I can’t turn off in my brain. It is a gift, and like all gifts, it’s meant to be shared.
What sets me apart from others is the way I think. I find joy in saying things in a way that connects two or more things, to make the listener or the reader expand THEIR thought process. I look at lyricism like I look at people. If I can make 2 things connect that wouldn’t have anything to do with each other if it wasn’t for me, then I can connect people who wouldn’t have things in common if it wasn’t for my music. Unity is the goal. I am simply a vessel. A bridge.
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
I write most of my work in my Notes app on my phone and I record melodies in the Voice Recorder app as well.
Currently, the best ways to reach me and view my work are on my Instagram @giadon.the.don I have some of my pieces posted on my Reels section. I write lyrics as the captions to all my posts as well.
My Facebook page is my name, GiaDon Smith.
My email giadonsmith2@gmail.com and my phone number are attached to my social media profiles as well.
I am looking into processes for drafting books and starting a blog so my art can be shared with even a greater audience.
Pricing:
- Performances – $100 + travel
- 0 Up-Front Fees for Collaborations
- Features/Joint Projects – 50%
- Songwriting Collaborator Fee – 50% of the track
- Full Song Written Fee – 60-80% of the track
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/giadon.the.don/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/giadon.smith/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/giadon-smith-ba2a43218?utm_source=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=member_android
