Smiley
Smiley (Smiley but I'm No Friendly): Detroit's Pioneering Female Rapper
Smiley (born Lynette Michaels) is a pioneering female rapper from Detroit, Michigan, who played a significant, though often regionally focused, role in the city's early hip-hop scene. She is best known for being one of the first female rappers from Detroit to release an album and gain a national presence in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
The Bryant Records Era 💿
Smiley was a key artist for Bryant Records, the independent Detroit label owned by Joel H. Bryant Jr., which was also the home of the popular group Detroit's Most Wanted (D.M.W.).
Debut and Hit Single: Smiley achieved her biggest success with the single "Smiley But Not Friendly" (also stylized as "Smiley but I'm No Friendly"), which earned her a 100 single in the early 1990s.
National Exposure: The music video for "Smiley But Not Friendly" gained traction outside of Detroit, receiving airplay on national platforms like BET's Rap City and Yo! MTV Raps, a rare feat for an independent artist from the city at that time. The song's popularity was notable on video jukebox systems like The Box, with fans reportedly mailing her their phone bills after racking up charges requesting the video.
Discography: Smiley released several albums under Bryant Records between the late 1980s and early 1990s, including The Smile Gets Wild (1990). Her lyrical style was noted for being assertive, confident, and a "devastating lyricist" who championed self-reliance.
Post-Music Career 🎤➡️📺
Smiley eventually transitioned out of the full-time rap scene, embarking on a diverse career that kept her in the public eye:
Spokesmodel: She worked as a spokesmodel and product specialist for major companies like Chrysler Corporation and Subaru of America throughout the 1990s, traveling globally for auto shows.
Television Host: She hosted and coordinated for the Ebony Fashion Fair before returning to Detroit to create and host her own music video show, The Smiley Show, which ran on cable for about seven years and became a top-rated local program.
Radio Executive: Smiley later moved into the radio industry, taking on executive roles such as Music Director and Program Director for Radio One Detroit stations in the 2000s.
Smiley's career highlights her importance as a foundational female voice in the Detroit hip-hop movement, demonstrating that independent artists from the Motor City could achieve success and influence before the major-label breakthrough of the later 1990s.
The following video is an example of the hip-hop music released from Detroit's Most Wanted on Bryant Records, the same label that released Smiley's music:
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