Blaqstarr facts for kids

Charles Smith (born September 30, 1985), known as Blaqstarr or DJ Blaqstarr, is an American rapper, singer, music producer, and DJ. He is well-known for his work with the artist M.I.A..

About Blaqstarr's Music Journey

Early Days in Baltimore

Blaqstarr started making music in the early 2000s. He became popular in his hometown of Baltimore. Some of his early songs included "Get My Gun," "Ryda Girl," "Jiggle It," and "Hands Up Thumbs Down." He released these songs through his own company, Starr Productions. In 2005, he also added songs like "Tote It" to the album Operation Playtime. He also contributed "Supastarr" to the album Baltimore Club 9.

Working with M.I.A. and Rye Rye

In December 2005, the famous artist M.I.A. traveled to America. She wanted to work with Blaqstarr on her second album. Blaqstarr's studio was a simple setup in Baltimore. It had a washer-dryer and a sofa bed.

One of their songs, "Shake It to The Ground," featured Rye Rye. Rye Rye was another artist from Baltimore who worked with Blaqstarr. This song became a big hit in clubs in 2006. Blaqstarr helped Rye Rye meet M.I.A. This led to Rye Rye touring with M.I.A. and working on her album Kala. This helped both Blaqstarr and Rye Rye become more widely known.

Blaqstarr released an EP (a short album) called Supastarr. The first song from it was "Shake It To the Ground," which was re-released with a music video. Another EP, also called Shake It To the Ground, came out in 2007.

Albums, Tours, and Collaborations

In January 2008, Blaqstarr released his album King of Roq. He then went on tour with other popular DJs and artists. These included Diplo, M.I.A., and Rye Rye. He also took part in the Rock the Bells tour, a big music festival.

During this time, he produced and recorded music with many artists. These included M.I.A., Mos Def, Switch, and Rye Rye. In June 2008, he added a song to the album Hollertronix 8. He worked on this with DJ Sega.

In early 2009, Blaqstarr released a song called "Get Off." He worked on this song with DJ Diplo. M.I.A. and Blaqstarr also released a song and video called "Way Down in the Hole." This happened after he joined the N.E.E.T. Recordings record label. He also produced some songs for the 2009 K-Swift album Greatest Hits.

Special Performances and Recent Projects

In 2009, Blaqstarr was chosen to perform at a special event. This was the People's Inaugural Ball in Washington D.C. It was one of the events leading up to the inauguration of Barack Obama.

Blaqstarr also performed at the SXSW Festival in Austin, Texas. This festival took place from March 13 to 22, 2009. He released an EP called "The Divine" on January 25, 2011. This EP included six songs: "All The World," "Rider Girl," "Oh My Darlin," "Divine," "Wonder Women," and "Turning Out." He has continued to release music, including several EPs in 2014 and later.

Blaqstarr's Music Releases

EPs (Extended Plays)

• Supastarr (2007)
• Shake It to the Ground (feat. Rye Rye) (Mad Decent, 2007)
• Hollertronix #8 (2008)
• The Divine EP (2011)
• The Blaq Files (2014)
• Trinity EP, vol 1 (2014)
• Trinity EP, vol 1.5 (2014)
• Moan Her Lease Her (2016)
• M.I.A Aim. (2017)

Mixtapes

• Blaqstarr The Mixtape (2011)

Music Videos

• 2007: "Shake It To The Ground"
• 2009: "S.U.S. (Save Ur Souls)/Way Down In The Hole" w/ M.I.A.
• 2010: "Oh My Darlin"
• 2011: "Rider Gyrl"
• 2011: "Never Hesitant"
• 2014: "Dear Diamond" ft Common