Icewear Vezzo

October 31, 2024

Fast Facts
Background
Career Timeline
Why We Love
Surprising Facts
FAQs

Chives Smith, better known as Icewear Vezzo, was born On October 31, 1989. Hailing from Detroit, Michigan, he is a well-known singer and rapper best known for his mixtape trilogy “The Clarity,” his first album, released in 2012. He started his career in Green Guyz and, as a solo artist, has released the Billboard-charting “The Clarity 3: Fully Blown” (2014), the Motown-released “Clarity 6” (2018), and “Rich Off Pints,” among numerous other hits (2021). Let’s toast to this shining light right here.

Fast Facts

Full Name:

Chives Smith

Nickname:

Icewear Vezzo

Birth date:

October 31, 1989

Age:

Zodiac Sign:

Scorpio

Height:

5' 4"

Relationship Status:

Married

Net Worth:

$500 thousand

Background

Icewear Vezzo was born Chivez Smith on October 31, 1989, in Detroit, Michigan. He has strong ties to the Midwest, particularly Minnesota, where some of his close relatives and siblings created the rap group Green Guyz. With the consent of the original group, Smith ran his Detroit-based version of Green Guyz, but after garnering some local influence, the rising MC chose to go it alone.

He released his debut album “The Clarity” in 2012, followed by “The Clarity 2: Can’t Stop the Count,” which featured ‘Money Phone.’ His 2013 mixtape “The City Is Mine” included that track as a breakout song. In 2014, Smith’s Green Guyz cohort Webbo was one of the guests on “The Clarity 3: Fully Blown,” which charted on Billboard’s Heatseekers chart. On Halloween, his birthday, he also released the “Solitaires: Drank God” tape. In 2015, he brought out “Clarity 4: I Can’t Fall Off Kicked,” which was followed by the smash single ‘Moon Walken;’ the full-length album “Moon Walken” came out in 2016.

Over the next few years, other initiatives, ranging from “Price Goin Up” through to the first volume of “Robbin Season,” continued to flow. Smith was temporarily associated with Motown during this time, which published the 2018 album “Clarity 6.” During the next few years, he released some of his most commercially successful songs. ‘The Sit,’ which included fellow Detroiter Babyface Ray, was the highlight of “Robbin Season 2” in 2020, while hits like ‘Champions,’ ‘Meg the Stallion,’ and ‘Up the Sco,’ which featured Lil Durk, all rapidly surpassed one million streams. Smith continued to ride the wave of popularity with “Rich Off Pints,” a full-length album featuring Lil Yachty, Trippie Redd, and Dreezy. He is married to Kiara Marie. The pair met thirteen years ago and instantly fell in love. Today, they are married and have two children, a son named Vito Smith and a daughter named Navy Smith.

Career timeline

2012-2014

The Trilogy Album is Launched

The singer and rapper is best known for his mixtape trilogy “The Clarity,” “The Clarity 2,” and “The Clarity 3.”

2013

The Breakout Single Debuts

‘Money Phone’ is released as part of the album “The Clarity 2.”

2018

Vezzo Signs With a Record Label

On Vezzo’s birthday, October 31, he announces on his YouTube channel that he’s signed with the Motown Record label.

2020

The Album is Launched

"Robbin Season 2" included the single 'The Sit Down,' the highlight of the album.

Why We Love Icewear Vezzo

His sound is unique
Vezzo’s sound has always been described as an upper-level Detroit basement or Detroit trap. On tracks like 'Band Up' and 'Light Show,' he uses humorous couplets, but it's his ability for making irresistible street anthems like 'Money Phone' that has made him the most recognizable.
He is confident
Vezzo is as brazen as his music is bold and arrogant. He's well aware that the truths he's discovered in his life are what set him apart from other hip-hop artists.
He loves his family
While in prison, he revealed that the reality of being a first-time parent away from his child served as a wake-up call for him, as his first child had only recently been born. He eventually realized that, as much as he enjoyed the streets, his love for his family was stronger.

5 Surprising Facts

He was sentenced to prison
Vezzo was convicted of a felony gun charge in 2017 and sentenced to 20 years in prison; he was released in 2018.
He performed at Summer Jamz
Vezzo performed at Detroit's Hot 107.5 Summer Jamz show two years in a row after leaving prison.
He wrote songs while in prison
Domonique, his manager, began booking shows and studio sessions as he neared the conclusion of his term inside, so he would be able to hit the ground running when he was released.
He’s a first with Motown
He's the first Detroit hip-hop artist the label has signed.
He nicknamed himself
By the age of 16, he had adopted the name 'Young Vez' and was trying to manage his street life with his budding rap career.