Rhymefest, whose real name is Che Smith, is a rapper from Chicago. He originally pursued a degree in elementary education and even served as a substitute teacher. However, he eventually decided to pursue music instead. He earned his reputation as being charismatic, intelligent and humorous on the circuit as a battle rapper. On December 20, 2001, he released a mixtape, an unofficial album, entitled "Raw Dawg" that included three tracks produced by Kanye West, who himself had just reached a peak of notoriety after producing several tracks for Jay-Z's "The Blueprint." In 2002, Rhymefest decided to sign his record contract with friend and collaborator Mark Ronson's Allido Records. This was despite an offer on the table from West to sign with his record company.
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