''Struggle Before Glory'' is the debut studio album by Canadian rapper

Smoke Dawg Jahvante Jahqwane Sheldon Smart ( – ), known professionally as Smoke Dawg, was a Canadian rapper, singer and songwriter from Toronto, Ontario. Smoke Dawg was a part of hip hop collective Halal Gang alongside Mustafa the Poet, Puffy L'z, Safe, ...

. The album received an 8/10 rating by ''

Exclaim! ''Exclaim!'' is a Canadian music and entertainment publisher based in Toronto, which features in-depth coverage of new music across all genres with a special focus on Canadian and emerging artists. The monthly Exclaim! print magazine publishes 7 ...

''.

Background

Smoke Dawg announced that his debut studio album ''Struggle Before Glory'' is due to be released later in the year. However, before the album was officially released, he was shot and killed on June 30, 2018 in front of a nightclub in downtown Toronto. The lead single of the album "No Discussion" featured AJ Tracey and was produced by Murda Beatz. It was released a month after his death on August 13, 2018. Smoke Dawg's posthumous album ''Struggle Before Glory'' was released on November 29, 2018. The album features from the likes of Toronto artists

Puffy L'z Habib Mohamed (born August 2, 1995), better known by his stage name Puffy L'z, is a rapper and singer from Toronto, Ontario. He is of Somali descent. Puffy L'z released his debut studio album '' Take No L'z'' on July 19, 2019 and it received a 6/1 ...

, Jimmy Prime,

Jay Whiss Jordan Whiston (born ), better known by his stage name Jay Whiss, is a Canadian rapper and songwriter from Toronto, Ontario. He first gained international attention after the release of the single "Watch This", which appeared on OVO Sound Radio ...

and

Safe A safe (also called a strongbox or coffer) is a secure lockable box used for securing valuable objects against theft or fire. A safe is usually a hollow cuboid or cylinder, with one face being removable or hinged to form a door. The body and ...

, as well as UK artists

Fredo Fredo is a masculine given name, and diminutive of Alfredo or Federico, which may refer to: People * Getúlio Fredo (born 1954), Brazilian football manager * Fredo Santana (1990–2018), stage name of American rapper Derrick Coleman (born 1990) * ...

, AJ Tracey and Giggs. Smoke Dawg's younger brother, Young Smoke, provided a tribute on the outro of the album.

Critical reception

The album was rated 8/10 by ''

''. The album was described as a "sum up of the late rapper's legacy". Aron A. of HotNewHipHop described the album as a sum up of the legacy of one of the hottest rappers who was emerging from Toronto in the past few years.

Track listing

# LLSD 2:01 # Automatic 3:28 # Three of a Kind (featuring

Jay Critch Jason Cole Critchlow (born February 25, 1998), known professionally as Jay Critch, is an American rapper, singer and songwriter. He was formerly signed with Rich Forever Music. Early life Jason Cole Critchlow grew up in the Clinton Hill neighb ...

) 3:57 # Fountain 1:53 # Bricks (featuring Giggs) 3:03 # Snow 2:51 # No Discussion (featuring AJ Tracey) 3:01 # These Games (featuring

) 2:41 # SB4G Interlude 1:09 # YND (featuring Safe & Jimmy Prime) 4:13 # That's a Lot (featuring

) 2:44 # Dead to Me 3:22 # Smokey World (Bonus Track) Young Smoke 2:06

References

{{Authority control Smoke Dawg albums 2018 debut albums Albums published posthumously