Jorja Smith Biography

Jorja Smith is a British singer-songwriter who following the release of her debut single, Blue Lights, scored a collaboration with Drake on his album More Life.

Early Life

Jorja Smith was born in Walsall, England on June 11, 1997. A classically trained child, Jorja wrote her first song Life is a Path Worth Taking when she was 11. Her father had a career in music and was part of the neo-soul group, Second Nature.

Career Beginnings

Growing up she was influenced by Mos Def, Lauryn Hill, and Amy Winehouse. Jorja formed the music group called OGHORSE and started releasing music through the internet. Her music was in part a social commentary mixed with personal issues. At 18 years old she released her first debut single Blue Lights, through SoundCloud. Nonetheless, the track Where Did I Go? featured by Maverick Sabre was the one that offered her a unique opportunity. The single caught the attention of famous rapper Drake.

Success

In late 2016, Smith finally released her first EP entitled Project 11. Soon she was invited by Drake on his UK Tour, held in Birmingham and London. In addition, Jorja was asked to be featured on two songs on his 2017 album More Life. She issued the track Beautiful Little Fools on International Women’s Day. The song’s title is a reference to The Great Gatsby.

Photo credit: A Nation of Billions