Smooth (singer) facts for kids

Juanita Stokes, also known as Needa S. and formerly Smooth, is an American singer and rapper. She has released several albums and hit songs throughout her career, starting in the early 1990s.

Her Music Journey

Juanita Stokes started her music career in 1990 as MC Smooth. She signed with an independent record label called Crush Music. Her first song, "Smooth & Legit," was a success, reaching number 11 on the U.S. Rap chart. Her first album, also called Smooth & Legit, came out that same year. Her brother, Chris Stokes, and Arabian Prince helped produce it.

Three years later, she signed a big record deal with Jive Records. She then dropped "MC" from her name and became simply Smooth. Her song "Female Mac" started getting attention. Soon after, her second album, You Been Played, was released in 1993.

Big Hits and New Sounds

In 1995, Smooth released "Mind Blowin'," which became a huge hit for her. It reached number 7 on the Rap chart and was her first song to appear on the main Billboard Hot 100 chart. Her third album, Smooth, came out shortly after. This album also had other popular songs like "It's Summertime" and "Love Groove," which were successful in the UK.

Smooth also teamed up with the R&B group Immature. Their song "We Got It" became a hit in 1996, reaching number 37 on the Hot 100 chart. They worked together again on the song "Watch Me Do My Thing."

In 1997, Smooth moved to a new record label, Perspective Records. She started singing more R&B music with different styles. Her song "Strawberries" became her biggest hit yet, reaching number 17 on the R&B chart. Her fourth album, Reality, was released in 1998.

New Name, New Plans

In 2003, Juanita Stokes changed her artist name again to Needa S.. She released two songs, "Sensitive" and "Baby's Mama." However, her fifth album, What?, was never officially released.

In 2013, it was announced that Needa S. would be part of a BET reality TV show called Hip Hop Sisters. The show was about six female rappers trying to restart their music careers. Other famous rappers like MC Lyte and Lil Mama were also on the show.

About Her Life

Juanita Stokes has two daughters. Her first daughter, Earanequa Carter, was born in 1990. Her second daughter, Jaysa Charles, was born in 2001.

Albums

Here are the studio albums Smooth has released:

• Smooth & Legit (1990)
• You Been Played (1993)
• Smooth (1995)
• Reality (1998)

She also had an album called What? (2003) that was planned but never released.

Singles

Here are some of the songs Smooth has released as the main artist:

• "Smooth & Legit" (1990)
• "You Gotta Be Real" (1990)
• "Where Is The Money" (1991)
• "Female Mac" (1993)
• "You Been Played" (1993)
• "Mind Blowin'" (1995)
• "It's Summertime (Let It Get Into You)" (1995)
• "Love Groove (Groove With You)" (1996)
• "Undercover Lover" (1996)
• "Love & Happiness" (1996)
• "Strawberries" (1998)

Songs Where She Was Featured

Smooth also sang on songs by other artists:

• "We Got It" by Immature featuring Smooth (1996)
• "Watch Me Do My Thing" by Immature featuring Smooth and Ed from Good Burgers (1996)

Promotional Songs

These songs were released to promote her albums:

• "Blowin' Up My Pager" (1995)
• "He Thinks She Don't Know" (1998)
• "Virginity" by TG4 featuring Smooth (2002)
• "Sensitive" featuring Da Brat & Jhené Aiko (2003)
• "Zoom" (2004)