Joe Smooth

Joseph Lorenzo Jr. Welbon, known professionally as Joe Smooth, was born on 9 May 1963 in the United States of America. A self‑taught musician, he began producing electronic tracks at age 12 and entered the Chicago club scene as a DJ in his teens, gaining early recognition at venues such as Smart Bar, Limelight, and Charlie Club. In the late 1980s, Smooth released the single "Promised Land", which became a house music milestone; the track peaked at Number 56 on the UK Singles Chart in February 1989 and later appeared in the 2004 video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas on the fictional radio station SF‑UR. The same year he issued the album Rejoice, featuring the hit "They Want to be Free". Smooth continued to influence the genre throughout the 1990s and beyond, collaborating with artists across pop, R&B, and dance such as Destiny’s Child, Whitney Houston, and New Order, and earning gold and platinum certifications for his work. In 2015 he founded the record label Indie Art Music, which merged with the Atlantic Traxx Group in 2023 to form IAM TRAXX, expanding his impact on contemporary electronic and dance music.