Timothy Smoot, better known as the rapper Tim Smooth, passed away in the first hours of the morning today after a long bout with cancer. He was 39 years old.

Photo credit: Aubrey Edwards, http://wheretheyatnola.com.

After recovering from initial treatment for throat and mouth cancer in 2009, Smooth developed lung cancer and returned to the hospital earlier this year. With much support around the city, an assistance fund and benefit parties were set up for Smooth in the Spring.

A graduate of L.W. Higgins High School in 1989, the rapper quickly became known as one of New Orleans’ best MCs upon the 1991 release of his debut single, “I Gotsta’ Have It,” a standout in the local ’90s hip-hop canon. He followed the hit song with the classic full albums Straight Up Drivin’ Em in 1994 and Da Franchise Player in 1998. His final album, The Invisable Man, was released in 2004.

Smooth was a rapper’s rapper, setting the high bar for lyricism and wordplay in New Orleans’ early hip-hop scene. He was a frequent and imposing presence in MC battles, but was more than capable of switching from braggadocio to socially-conscious tales of hardship and oppression.

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