Smooth – Male Artist of the Year 2011

Even though Joshua Montillano started rapping at the age of 13, he only got serious about his talent when he turned 16. While the first three years were dedicated to rapping with Tupac, Biggie Smalls and Ja Rule, Joshua started to create his own lyrics after that. With only three years of serious rapping behind him, he has come a long way.

Joshua, who uses the rap alias Smooth is based in Sydney, Australia. The aspect of music that attracts him the most is the manner in which he can free his mind and release his emotions with rapping. However, he started looking at it as a career option when he was exposed to 351 Camp, a place that facilitates ‘Musicians Making a Difference’. This is where he networked with the Australian music community and found his marketing manager, Robert Wu.

The first album that Joshua has created is called Beyond Opposites which he debuted at the 2011 Valley Festival at Penrith. And this was only one of the many events that he headlined in through the year. Among the 20 events that he has performed in, Joshua feels that the 2011 Strathfield Spring Festival performance that he managed with the help of Robert Gunnwas probably the most notable of all. This is where he performed along with Dance Crew and Natalie Colavito from X Factor. The memories of the crazed crowd and the manner in which he received many more offers after the event make the performance an extremely relevant and special one for Joshua.

Star Central Magazine sees the future in this bright and talented musician who thinks that this award is great but is the first in a long series of awards that he plans to bag. He sees his music being licensed in movies, games and media content too. He also envisages that he will be touring internationally and not limiting his talent only to Australia or the virtual world.

Someone who enjoys playing console games, watching television, meeting new people and socializing with friends, Joshua is dedicated and perseverant about his goal. In all the initial rejections that he faced, his family, marketing manager Robert Wu, his crew (along with John Estella and Vincent Ines) and his team (Nathanael Balido and D Minor) have always been at his side and encouraged him to keep him motivated. He thanks all his supporters and fans online for all the encouragement that they have provided; something that has kept him motivated in times of distress.

You can catch Smooth on Facebook (www.facebook.com/smoothmusic), Youtube (www.youtube.com/smoothmusicnow) or follow him on Twitter (www.twitter.com/smoothmusicnow)