As one of the most influential producers in the early days of hip-hop, Smith helped propel the genre into the mainstream. From the late 70s through the mid 80s, his innovative work with Whodini, Run-D.M.C., and Kurtis Blow sold millions of records and was at the forefront of shaping the evolution of hip-hop.

Smith produced Escape, the 1984 sophomore album of rap group Whodini, which made history as the first hip-hop album to be certified Platinum and the first hip-hop album to break the Top 40 on the Billboard 200, landing at #35. The lead single, “Friends,” was a big success, reaching #4 on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, with other singles “Freaks Come Out at Night” and “Five Minutes of Funk” also gaining wide popularity. Additionally, Smith co-wrote and produced Whodini’s third album, Back in Black, which was released in 1986 and spawned the popular single “One Love.” The Gold-certified album peaked at #35 on the Billboard 200 and #4 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, with “One Love” climbing to #10 on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.

In 1979, Smith got his start when he was recruited by Robert “Rocky” Ford to help produce, record, and co-write for Kurtis Blow, resulting in the groundbreaking Gold-certified single “The Breaks,” which was one of the first hip-hop records to crack the Billboard Hot 100. Following this success, Smith went on to work with Blow’s manager, Russell Simmons, and Run-D.M.C., eventually co-writing and co-producing the group’s self-titled debut album in 1984. Run-D.M.C. climbed to #53 on the Billboard 200, became the first rap album certified Gold by the RIAA, and is included in Rolling Stone’s list of “The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.” Smith also collaborated on the group’s follow-up 1985 Platinum-selling album King of Rock.

Smith’s lasting impact on hip-hop has been celebrated widely. He was praised by The New York Times in his obituary for how he helped the genre stand on its own by giving it “a sonic jolt, a sound that would give it escape velocity out of disco’s orbit.”