Mr. Len

Mr. Len (Leonard "Lenny" Smythe) is a hip hop DJ from Brooklyn, New York. He was a member, with Bigg Jus and El-P, of the underground hip hop trio Company Flow, which disbanded in the late-1990s. Presently he is in a group with Kimani Rogers from The Masterminds named Roosevelt Franklin. He also collaborated with Handsome Boy Modelling School member Prince Paul to produce the faux-doo wop group The Dix.

Upon Company Flow’s disbanding, Mr. Len pursued a solo career with the critically acclaimed release Pity the Fool: Experiments in Therapy Behind the Mask of Music While Handing Out Dummy Smacks on Matador Records in 2001. The album featured cameos by Chubb Rock, Jean Grae, The Juggaknots, Lord Sear and more. After further work with rap ingénue Jean Grae, producing tracks on her 2002 debut album Attack of the Attacking Things as well as touring with her as her performance DJ, Mr. Len made the decision to launch his own label in 2003.

Smacks Records kicked off with the single release "Take Yo Ass To The Store" feat. Mr. Len and Living Legends crew member Murs. Later that year, he joined Kimani Rodgers of The Masterminds to form the group Roosevelt Franklin. They released their debut album Something's Got to Give (Third Earth Music) and their humor-charged live performances garnered them an underground following and unexpected acceptance from the critics.

Mr. Len followed up "Take Yo Ass To The Store" with Class X: A Tribute To Company Flow, the first full-length release on Smacks Records in 2004. In addition to Mr. Len, the Smacks roster has grown to include R&B/hip-hop hybrid The Dix (members include legendary producer Prince Paul, Mr. Dead, Don Newkirk, Don Richardson, MC Paul Barman and others) as well as Mr. Len’s discoveries Bully Mouth and Kice... Of Course.

If the years since Company Flow are any indication, Mr. Len is working non-stop to establish his musical legacy and is well on his way. "No matter how much I do, how much I accomplish, the next project is always a new beginning.”

User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License and may also be available under the GNU FDL....

READ MORE