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AllHipHop.com: If you were a part of Dr. Dre’s camp, how did Puffy come into the fold?

Smitty: I was staying out there in California, working with Aftermath and Dre. Meanwhile, I am generating a little bit of a buzz. Again, C-Love and Charlie advocated for me on my behalf. They tell Puffy about how much talent I had during his visit for the taping of Jay Leno, and he wanted to meet me. A few days later, I flew to New York and began working with Puff at Bad Boy. I was an instrumental part of songs such as “Shake Ya Tailfeather” featuring Nelly & Murphy Lee from the Bad Boys 2 Soundtrack and B2K’s “Bump, Bump, Bump.” ...

AllHipHop.com: You have had your share of “almost” and “could have” situations. How did you feel once you were finally signed to J Records?

Smitty: After all that has happened, I had an incredible buzz surrounding me. I was finally beginning to be noticed for the artistry that I exhibited beyond the writing. I was courted by a few labels including Bad Boy Records. However, I signed with J, because Clive Davis showed me the most genuine love. He understands what it takes to make an artist successful. He believes in artist development, but he also believes in actually putting you out an artist. Everything that has happened to me has only made me a stronger person, and if I had to do it all again, I would do things the exact same way.