Rhymefest
Che Armond Smith (born July 6, 1977), better known by his stage name Rhymefest, is an American rapper and songwriter from Chicago, Illinois. He is best known for his work with fellow Chicago rapper Kanye West, with writing credits on his songs including "Jesus Walks" (which won Best Rap Song) in 2004 and "New Slaves" in 2013. He also co-wrote "Glory", for Common and John Legend in 2014, which received a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song and an Academy Award for Best Original Song. As a recording artist, he signed to Mark Ronson's Allido Records, an imprint of J Records in 2006, where he released his debut album Blue Collar in July of that year. Career Born Che Smith in Chicago, Illinois, Rhymefest started off battle rapping at events such as JumpOff and ScribbleJam against acts like Eminem and Chalk. Smith co-wrote "Glory" alongside John Legend and Common, for the 2014 motion picture Selma. The song received the 2014 Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song and the 2014 Academy Award for Best Original Song. Che has expanded his gifts beyond the borders of music. The subject of the Showtime and Break Thru Films documentary, "In My Father's