Nice & Smooth

Origins

Nice & Smooth brought together Greg Nice, born Gregory Mays on May 30, 1967, and Smooth B, born Darryl Barnes on August 3, 1965, two Bronx rappers. A mutual friend introduced them in the mid-1980s. By then Greg Nice had already been working as a human beatbox for T La Rock, while Smooth B had been sharpening his delivery at neighborhood talent shows. From the start the duo produced their own records, and their debut would become known for its humor and comic rhymes.

Breakthrough and "Funky for You"

After an independent single in 1986, the duo landed with Fresh Records, an imprint of Sleeping Bag Records, which released their self-produced debut album Nice & Smooth in May 1989. The same year they appeared on Big Daddy Kane's "Pimpin' Ain't Easy," putting them in front of a much bigger audience. "Funky for You," issued as a single around 1990, became their first real hit, reaching No. 8 on Billboard's rap chart. Built on loops that WhoSampled traces to the Honey Drippers' "Impeach the President" and Parliament's "Do That Stuff," the track matched hard, familiar breaks with the duo's easygoing, humorous back-and-forth. It became a favorite source for other producers, turning up in records by Gang Starr and Poor Righteous Teachers, and a 2009 remix with Pac Div introduced it to a new generation. The debut album was later included in The Source's list of the 100 best rap albums.

Major-Label Years

Nice & Smooth moved to Rush Associated Labels and Columbia for Ain't a Damn Thing Changed in 1991. Largely produced by the duo themselves, it delivered "Sometimes I Rhyme Slow," their biggest single, which topped the rap chart and reached No. 44 on the Hot 100, plus "Hip Hop Junkies," a No. 5 rap hit. In 1992 they joined Gang Starr on "DWYCK," a posse cut that became one of the most beloved collaborations of the era. Jewel of the Nile followed in 1994, reaching No. 13 on the R&B albums chart, and IV: Blazing Hot appeared in 1997.

Legacy

The duo has kept performing and releasing occasional tracks into the 2010s and 2020s. Their mix of humor and hard drums made them a bridge between the party rap of the 1980s and the sample-rich golden age, and their records remain a well-worn source for samplers and DJs.