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D. Smith

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D. Smith (born July 20, 1975) is an American singer-songwriter, reality television personality, and documentary filmmaker. She worked on Lil Wayne’s Tha Carter III, which was nominated for Album of the Year at the 2009 Grammy Awards and won Best Rap Album. In 2016, she made her reality-tv debut on season five of Love & Hip Hop Atlanta.

Her debut documentary Kokomo City (2023) follows four Black transgender sex workers and premiered at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival.

Early life and education

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D. Smith was born to a religious family in Miami, Florida where she fell in love with music through church.[1] She wrote her first song at ten years old for her church choir.[2] By seven years old, she knew she was transgender and often fell asleep praying to wake up as a woman.[1]

She graduated high school and moved to New York City, New York where she began pursuing a career in music.[citation needed]

Career

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In Brooklyn, New York, Smith pursued her music career as a producer and collaborated with singer-songwriter Stacey Barthe.[2] Together, they worked with several artists, including Lil’ Wayne.[3] In 2008, D. Smith produced and sang on the track “Shoot Me Down” for Lil Wayne’s rap album Tha Carter III.[3][4][5] For her work on the song, she won the 2009 Grammy Award for Best Rap Album with other collaborators.[6]

Smith also collaborated with other artists prior to her transition, including Andre 3000, Kendrick Lamar, Lloyd, Katy Perry, and Ciara.[7] In 2014, she came out as transgender, and her music career fell in decline;[8][5] Smith cited her transition as the cause for the break.[9] According to Out, the music industry "stopped returning her calls."[5]

She appeared on season five of Love & Hip Hop Atlanta for eight episodes in 2016, making her the first openly trans woman cast on an unscripted reality tv series.[10] The music artist faced heated discussions with fellow cast members on transgender issues, including Waka Flocka and Lil Scrappy.[11] Despite her intention to portray transgender women as non-confrontational, Smith claims she faced pressure from the show’s production team to be more confrontational; she said “I'm not a confrontational person, and I forced myself to be, and it was a complete, utter disaster for myself.” She left the show later in the season, citing it as a regretful experience.[1]

Following her time on Love & Hip Hop Atlanta, Smith became homeless and relocated back to New York, where she couch-surfed with friends and family, and "looked for what was next."[5][9] During this time, Smith began production on Kokomo City, a documentary following the lives of four black transgender sex-workers. Along with directing, Smith also shot and edited the film herself on a low-budget and without secure housing.[12][5] Her film, which was produced by Harris Doran, Bill Butler, and Lena Waithe, debuted at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival on January 21, 2023[9][5] and won both awards in the Sundance (Next) category.[13] Smith was signed by the Creative Artists Agency the same day.[9]

She was listed as one of 2023's Most Impactful and Influential LGBTQ+ People by Out on their annual Out100 Awards list. She told the magazine, which called her work a "vital breath of fresh air for trans art," that when you start to see "the enemies, you know you’re heading in the right direction. Trust the process and know that us being able to fight is a good thing."[5]

Personal life

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In May 2023, R&B artist Dustin Michael confirmed his relationship with Smith on Instagram.[14]

Filmography

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List of Credits
Year Title Role Format Notes
2006 D. Smith: Cab Driver Actress, Composer Short Film
2015 Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood Self Reality TV Appeared for 1 episode
2016 Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta Self Reality TV Appeared for 8 consecutive episodes
2023 Kokomo City Director, Cinematographer, Casting Director, Editor, Producer Documentary

Accolades

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Award Date of ceremony Category Recipient(s) Result Ref.
Sundance Film Festival 29 January 2023 NEXT Audience Award Kokomo City Won [15]
NEXT Innovator Award Won
Berlin International Film Festival 25 February 2023 Panorama: Best Documentary Film D. Smith Won [16]
Teddy Award for Best Documentary/Essay Film Nominated
Critics' Choice Documentary Awards 12 November 2023 Best Documentary Feature Kokomo City Nominated [17]
Best First Documentary Feature Nominated
Best Score D. Smith Nominated
Best Cinematography Nominated
Best Editing Nominated
IndieWire Critics Poll 11 December 2023 Best Documentary Kokomo City 1st Place [18]
Chicago Film Critics Association Awards 12 December 2023 Best Documentary Film Won [19]
Las Vegas Film Critics Society 13 December 2023 Best Documentary Nominated [20]
Indiana Film Journalists Association 17 December 2023 Best Documentary Won [21]
[22]
San Diego Film Critics Society 19 December 2023 Best Documentary Nominated [23]
Florida Film Critics Circle Awards 21 December 2023 Best Documentary Film Nominated [24][25]
Golden Orange D. Smith Won
National Society of Film Critics Awards 6 January 2024 Best Non-Fiction Film Kokomo City Runner-up[a] [26]
Denver Film Critics Society 12 January 2024 Best Documentary Feature Nominated [27]
Cinema Eye Honors 12 January 2024 Outstanding Non-Fiction Feature D. Smith, Harris Doran and Bill Butler Nominated [28]
Outstanding Direction D. Smith Nominated
Outstanding Cinematography Nominated
Outstanding Sound Design Roni Pillischer Nominated
Outstanding Debut Kokomo City Won
The Unforgettables Daniella Carter, Koko Da Doll, Liyah Mitchell and Dominique Silver Won
Black Reel Awards 16 January 2024 Outstanding Documentary Feature Kokomo City Nominated [29]
Outstanding Cinematography D. Smith Nominated
Outstanding Editing Nominated
Directors Guild of America Awards 10 February 2024 Outstanding Directing – Documentary Nominated [30]
Independent Spirit Awards 25 February 2024 Best Documentary Feature D. Smith, Bill Butler, Harris Doran Nominated [31]
Dorian Awards 26 February 2024 Documentary of the Year Kokomo City Won [32]
LGBTQ Documentary of the Year Won
GLAAD Media Awards 14 March 2024 Outstanding Documentary Won[b] [33]

Notes

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  1. ^ Tied with 20 Days in Mariupol.
  2. ^ Tied with Beyond the Aggressives: 25 Years Later and The Stroll.

References

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  1. ^ a b c D'Souza, Shaad (2023-07-19). "Kokomo City director D Smith: 'A lot of trans documentaries are snoozefests'". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-10-07.
  2. ^ a b "Kokomo City". DC/DOX. Retrieved 2023-10-07.
  3. ^ a b "Transgender Producer D. Smith Talks Working On Old & New Music With Lil Wayne [Video]". 2016-07-11. Retrieved 2023-10-07.
  4. ^ Billboard Staff (2016-07-04). "Watch CeeLo Meet Transgender Producer D. Smith on 'Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta'". Billboard. Retrieved 2023-10-07.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g Rude, Mey. "D. Smith". Out. Archived from the original on October 27, 2023. Retrieved November 20, 2023.
  6. ^ "Winners! A Complete List From the 2009 Grammys". E! Online. 2009-02-09. Retrieved 2023-10-07.
  7. ^ "D. Smith". Genius. Retrieved 2023-10-07.
  8. ^ Debruge, Peter (2023-01-27). "'Kokomo City' Review: Trans Sex Workers Reframe Their Narrative in D. Smith's Raucous Doc". Variety. Retrieved 2023-10-07.
  9. ^ a b c d Donnelly, Matt (2023-01-30). "Breakout Director D. Smith, Who 'Lost Everything' When She Transitioned, Just Conquered Sundance". Variety. Retrieved 2023-10-07.
  10. ^ Grobar, Matt (2023-01-21). "D. Smith, Director Of Sundance-Premiering Documentary 'Kokomo City,' Signs With CAA". Deadline. Retrieved 2023-10-07.
  11. ^ "L&HH 's First Transgender Cast Member Shuts Down Hate From Waka Flocka". BET. Retrieved 2023-10-07.
  12. ^ Felperin, Leslie (2023-08-01). "Kokomo City review – Black trans women tell truths of light and dark side of sex work". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-10-07.
  13. ^ Debruge, Peter; Donnelly, Matt (2023-01-27). "Sundance Winners: 'A Thousand and One' Takes U.S. Dramatic Jury Prize (Complete List)". Variety. Retrieved 2023-10-07.
  14. ^ Hansford, Amelia (2023-05-10). "Singer Dustin Michael proudly confirms relationship with trans actor D Smith". PinkNews. Retrieved 2023-10-07.
  15. ^ Donnelly, Matt; Debruge, Peter (27 January 2023). "Sundance Winners: 'A Thousand and One' Takes U.S. Dramatic Jury Prize (Complete List)". Variety. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
  16. ^ Scott Roxborough (25 February 2023). "Berlin: French Documentary 'On the Adamant' Wins Golden Bear for Best Film". Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
  17. ^ Davis, Clayton (October 16, 2023). "Critics Choice Documentary Awards: 'American Symphony' Leads Nominations, Taylor Swift's 'Eras Tour' Lands Nod After Record-Setting Weekend". Variety. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
  18. ^ Blauvelt, Christian (December 11, 2023). "2023 Critics Poll: The Best Films and Performances, According to 158 Critics from Around the World". IndieWire. Archived from the original on December 21, 2023. Retrieved December 11, 2023.
  19. ^ Tallerico, Brian (December 8, 2023). "Killers of the Flower Moon, Oppenheimer, Poor Things Lead CFCA Nominations". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved December 8, 2023.
  20. ^ Neglia, Matt (December 13, 2023). "The 2023 Las Vegas Film Critics Society (LVFCS) Winners". Next Best Picture. Retrieved January 21, 2024.
  21. ^ Rogers, Nick (December 12, 2023). "Nominations Announced for the 2023 Indiana Film Journalists Association Awards". Midwest Film Journal. Retrieved January 21, 2024.
  22. ^ Neglia, Matt (December 17, 2023). "The 2023 Indiana Film Journalists Association (IFJA) Winners". Next Best Picture. Retrieved January 21, 2024.
  23. ^ Anderson, Erik (December 15, 2023). "San Diego Film Critics Society (SDFCS) Nominations". AwardsWatch. Archived from the original on December 15, 2023. Retrieved December 15, 2023.
  24. ^ Anderson, Erik (December 13, 2023). "Florida Film Critics Circle (FFCC) Nominations". AwardsWatch. Retrieved December 14, 2023.
  25. ^ ""The Boy and the Heron" flies high with Florida Film Critics". Florida Film Critics Circle. Retrieved 2023-12-21.
  26. ^ Lewis, Hilary (January 6, 2024). "Past Lives Named Best Picture by National Society of Film Critics". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 6, 2024.
  27. ^ Neglia, Matt (January 12, 2024). "The 2023 Denver Film Critics Society (DFCS) Winners". Next Best Picture. Retrieved January 21, 2024.
  28. ^ Carey, Matthew (October 19, 2023). "'The 1619 Project,' 'Nothing Lasts Forever' Lead Charge As Cinema Eye Honors Announces First Round Of Documentary Nominations [Full List]". Deadline. Retrieved November 17, 2023.
  29. ^ Complex, Valerie (December 15, 2023). "Black Reel Awards Nominations: 'The Color Purple' And 'Rustin' Dominate". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 16, 2023.
  30. ^ Buchanan, Kyle (January 10, 2024). "Christopher Nolan Continues Momentum with Directors Guild Nomination". The New York Times. ISSN 1553-8095. Archived from the original on January 10, 2024. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
  31. ^ Blauvelt, Christian (December 5, 2023). "'American Fiction,' 'May December,' 'Past Lives' Lead 2024 Indie Spirits Noms". IndieWire. Retrieved December 5, 2023.
  32. ^ Kaloi, Stephanie; Roe, Mike (February 26, 2024). "LGBTQ+ Critics Awards 2024: Greta Gerwig Wins Director of the Year, 'All Of Us Strangers' Takes Top Film Prizes". TheWrap.
  33. ^ Pedersen, Erik (January 17, 2024). "GLAAD Media Awards Nominations Revealed". Deadline Hollywood.
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