Charles Smith, better known as Blaqstarr or DJ Blaqstarr, is a Baltimore

Baltimore

Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...

, Maryland

Maryland

Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...

 area rapper, singer, producer, and DJ. He is best known for his work with M.I.A.

M.I.A. (artist)

Mathangi "Maya" Arulpragasam , better known by her stage name M.I.A. , is an English singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer, painter and director of Sri Lankan Tamil descent. Her compositions combine elements of hip hop, electronica, dance, alternative and world music. M.I.A...

.

Biography

Blaqstarr experienced local success in early 2000s with the songs "Get My Gun", "Ryda Girl", "Jiggle It", "Hands Up Thumbs Down", and "Feel It In the Air", released via Starr Productions. In 2005, he contributed songs such as "Tote It" to the album Operation Playtime and the songs "Supastarr" and "So Horney" to the album Baltimore Club 9. In December 2005, M.I.A.

M.I.A. (artist)

Mathangi "Maya" Arulpragasam , better known by her stage name M.I.A. , is an English singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer, painter and director of Sri Lankan Tamil descent. Her compositions combine elements of hip hop, electronica, dance, alternative and world music. M.I.A...

 travelled to America to work with Blaqstarr on her second album, telling The Observer

The Observer

The Observer is a British newspaper, published on Sundays. In the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Guardian, which acquired it in 1993, it takes a liberal or social democratic line on most issues. It is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.-Origins:The first issue,...

"I arrived at 9am and he'd been arrested at seven; he was still up from the night before. That's his studio, and it's got a washer-dryer in the back and a sofa bed, that's his whole set-up; that's why he doesn't make it out of Baltimore." "Shake It to The Ground" featured Rye Rye

Rye Rye

Rye Rye is the stage name of Ryeisha Berrain, an American rapper and dancer from Baltimore, Maryland, United States signed to N.E.E.T. Recordings. She is currently finishing work on her debut album, Go! Pop! Bang!, slated to be released some time in 2012.-Early career:Rye Rye began performing at...

, an affiliate of Blaqstarr's in Baltimore, Maryland became a club hit in 2006. Blaqstarr introduced Rye Rye to M.I.A. after the singer asked for a meeting, leading to both touring with the artist and collaborations on her album Kala

Kala (album)

Kala is the second studio album by British musician M.I.A., released in August 2007. The album features musical styles ranging from dance music to alternative hip hop and makes extensive use of South Asian music such as that of the urumee, a drum used in gaana music native to Tamil Nadu, India. It...

which lead to wide recognition. His EP Supastarr was released, its first single being the rereleased "Shake It To the Ground" for which a music video was made, and another EP, titled Shake It To the Ground was also released in 2007.

In January 2008, Blaqstarr released the album King of Roq. He toured with Diplo, M.I.A., Rye Rye, and participated in the Rock the Bells

Rock the Bells

Rock the Bells is an annual hip hop festival that originally took place in Southern California only, but has since toured throughout the world. The concert features a lineup of high-profile alternative hip hop artists, often headlined by a more mainstream artist...

 tour. He also produced and recorded tracks with M.I.A., Mos Def

Mos Def

Dante Terrell Smith is an American actor and Emcee known by the stage names Mos Def and Yasiin Bey. He started his hip hop career in a group called Urban Thermo Dynamics, after which he appeared on albums by Da Bush Babees and De La Soul. With Talib Kweli, he formed the duo Black Star, which...

, Switch

Switch (DJ)

Switch is a UK-based DJ, songwriter, sound engineer and record producer. He is best known for his work with M.I.A. and Santigold.In the fidget house genre, Switch runs his own music label "Dubsided", as well as the label Counterfeet, established in 2006 with fellow producer Sinden...

, and Rye Rye. In June 2008, he contributed a track to the album Hollertronix 8, along with DJ Sega.

In early 2009, Blaqstarr released a single in collaboration with the DJ Diplo titled "Get Off". M.I.A. and Blaqstarr released a song and video "Way Down in the Hole" following him signing to N.E.E.T. Recordings record label. He also produced some of the tracks for the 2009 K-Swift

K-Swift

Khia Danielle Edgerton , better known by the stage name K-Swift, was an American DJ, MC, radio personality and entrepreneur.-Early years:Born to Joseph and Juanita Edgerton, K-Swift was raised in Randallstown, Maryland...

 album Greatest Hits.

In 2009, Blaqstarr was chosen to perform at the People's Inaugural Ball in Washington D.C., one of the pre-inaugural events which took place in the days leading up to the inauguration of Barack Obama

Inauguration of Barack Obama

The inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States took place on Tuesday, January 20, 2009. The inauguration, which set a record attendance for any event held in Washington, D.C., marked the commencement of the four-year term of Barack Obama as President and Joe...

.

Blaqstarr was on the lineup for the SXSW Festival, which took place in Austin, Texas from March 13–22, 2009.

He released an EP entitled "The Divine" on January 25, 2011. It includes 6 songs: "All The World", "Rider Girl", "Oh My Darlin'", "Divine", "Wonder Women", and "Turning Out".

Critical reception

Music critic Chris Richards of The Washington Post

The Washington Post

The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...

, in reviewing the 2008 recording I'm Bangin' 2, wrote, "If Blaqstarr's hallucinogenic odes to sex, drugs and Baltimore don't make him a legend in his day, they should certainly cement his cult status in some dystopian future." Billboard

Billboard (magazine)

Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...

wrote, regarding King of Roq, "Much of the music sounds like standard hip-hop fare but sped up to Alvin & the Chipmunks speed; it's fast, furious and dirty."

EPs

• Supastarr (2007)
• Shake It to the Ground (feat. Rye Rye
  Rye Rye
  Rye Rye is the stage name of Ryeisha Berrain, an American rapper and dancer from Baltimore, Maryland, United States signed to N.E.E.T. Recordings. She is currently finishing work on her debut album, Go! Pop! Bang!, slated to be released some time in 2012.-Early career:Rye Rye began performing at...
  
  ) (Mad Decent, 2007)
• Hollertronix #8 (2008)
• The Divine EP (2011)

Videography

• 2007: "Shake It To The Ground"
• 2009: "S.U.S. (Save Ur Souls)/Way Down In The Hole" w/ M.I.A.
  M.I.A. (artist)
  Mathangi "Maya" Arulpragasam , better known by her stage name M.I.A. , is an English singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer, painter and director of Sri Lankan Tamil descent. Her compositions combine elements of hip hop, electronica, dance, alternative and world music. M.I.A...
  
  
• 2010: "Oh My Darlin'"
• 2011: "Rider Gyrl"
• 2011: "Never Hesitant"

External links

• Blaqstarr at MySpace
  MySpace
  Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
  
  
• [ Blaqstarr at AllMusic]
• Interview, HitQuarters July 2010