1. Payback

Smiley Locz is a young Hispanic hip-hop artist out of Manteca, California. Born Christopher Christensen in 1990 in Fremont, CA, it seemed like he was destined for the gang life. With his older siblings already involved and both his mother and father struggling with addiction, it was almost unavoidable that he would grow up surrounded by that lifestyle.

In 2000, at the age of nine, Christopher was moved from the Bay Area to the Central Valley, to a town known as Manteca. By age twelve, he began hanging out with the Nortéños, following in the footsteps of his older siblings. Around this time he picked up the name “Smiley” because he always laughed and smiled, whether he was intoxicated or sober.

Smiley always had a strong passion for hip-hop and rap music. He grew up listening to artists like Eminem, Tupac, Brotha Lynch Hung, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, and more. His love for hip-hop pushed him to start writing lyrics at home and at school every day. After class, he’d hit the block and either freestyle or show his homies whatever he wrote.

At fourteen, Smiley got his first real opportunity to record inside a small studio built in a friend’s garage. From that moment on, he became addicted to the mic. A close friend named Gonzoe encouraged him to add “Locz” to his name to make it sound more like a real rapper’s name rather than just a nickname.

In 2006, Smiley Locz got the idea to remake a rival gang’s song, “Lean Like a Cholo,” turning it into something that fit his own lifestyle and identity. That’s when “Lean Like a Norteno” was created. Smiley had no idea how big the song would become — he simply put it online for free download. By 2007, “Lean Like a Norteno” had grown into one of the biggest Norteño songs out, becoming a sort of anthem for Nortéños everywhere.

Today, Smiley Locz is running his own independent label, Stay True Entertainment. The label continues to grow and develop local talent such as Yung Smokz, Gonzoe Locz, and Fluincie. Smiley has worked with many artists across the area including Prinse Faim of RND, The Factor, Bo Banga of Drezze Mezze, Sandbox Ent., Yung Stax, Lil G of Grind2Shine, as well as out-of-area artists like Kurt Diggler, Thizz Ent, The Dragons, Chente Croleone, Bobby Tek, Nutty Knockz, and others.

Smiley Locz and Stay True Entertainment continue to release new music and expand their influence throughout Northern California and beyond.