I have been paying some attention to Smiley's moves and have a theory that he might have signed a deal with OVO.

OVO and Smiley's relationship is only growing stronger with time. In 2018, Drake posted a list of songs and albums that inspired him while making Scorpion. Smiley's Buy or Buy project was one of them.

Drake has shown a lot of support for Smiley by shouting him out on Tiffany Calver's radio show and Rap Radar, lip syncing his songs on Instagram etc. The beat to No Stylist is almost exactly the same as Smiley's gretzky which is means they have been already been collaborating. Drake shouted out Smiley on Quavo's Flip The Switch. Drake has officially done an unreleased song with Smiley and Booggz.

You can see other OVO members like Roxx in Smiley's IG comment section. Oliver sends Smiley free OVO merchandise.

Smiley returned all the love by shooting one of his videos in an OVO popup shop and regularly reps OVO merch.

Recently, Smiley went to the US and stayed in an expensive condo. He thanked Drake for renting it for him.

The biggest hint that he's signed a deal is his lyric on his 2019 Road To Buy or Buy album, "just signed a lowkey deal".

He continued to tease the deal on the recent El Kuumba tape which is a collaboration between Oliver who he appears to have a close relationship with and some Japanese company. Also, he has the first song on El Kuumba and is the only artist with a second song on it which is second to last from Futsal Shuffle. It appears to Oliver (or OVO) is trying to hard to promote him. My theory is that it was also only put on Soundcloud with no tracklist so everyone has no choice but to hear Smiley.

soundcloud.com/oliverel-khatib/elkuumba-tape-vol-1

In the first song he raps, "I just signed a new deal, it was a mill, I'm in the hills, trust me I'll do it again"
Smiley is too small of an artist to get a million dollar deal from anyone. He doesn't have a hit song yet so the safest assumption is that Drake or Oliver signed him to OVO because they saw see potential in him.

In his second song (45:49), he continues to tease the deal, "picked up a pen signed the deal".

His current are released through "Buy or Buy label group" which consists of his underground rapper friends such as Mksolive, HOMIE, Ryda, etc. It's possible that he signed his friends to his label, and their label is under OVO or possibly Warner Bros.

woi oi

Either a development or management deal

plz stop

I'm thinking it's a management deal with Oliver with how often they interact

40 had a similar deal with AmaalNuux and STWO

Can you see 40 raging to Smiley’s music?

Definitely. I imagine 40 or Oli started bumping him and put Drake onto Smiley's music. Drake doesn't sign OVO artists so its likely that they found him themselves.

Let’s see those credits tomorrow

mans has all of OVO behind him 🤔

this guy sucks balls

but in.

When will Drake learn from signing trash ass niggas

Can’t vibe with dude’s music but wish him the best

He putting on someone who’s buzzing from his city and giving him an opportunity for a better life, what’s the harm here?

Uh the music sucks ?

then don’t listen it’s probably not meant for you

I used to work with a kid that rapped named smiley

Viet tryna use logic in a confrontation

They investing more into Smiley than Plaza

seems pretty clear with the Warner Bros shoutout

you ever seen a deady bodyyyyyyyy

Uh, music is subjective?

Must be the same type of deal they did with Lou Val & ControlRoom3.

After I heard what Thug did for Baby and Gunna I figured out Drake did something similar for Smiley. I rate it.

You either love or hit the drill wave