Corbin, Lil' Spook, whatever you wanna call the guy - he's got one consistent factor although his alias is constantly changing: loads of talent. Widely known as Spooky Black, Corbin Smidzik has been slowly but steadily climbing his way to the top. The St. Paul native is seemingly the exact opposite of what his environment is expected to produce. His tracks are all R&B driven, with a blunt, sensual element. Some consider the sexually charged lyrics to be out of place for someone that's not even legal yet, but I think his age in addition to his experience brings on yet another layer of individuality. His literal angelic voice combined with lo-fi production makes him Our Latest Obsession. The bonus track titled "DJ Khaled Is My Father" off of his September EP, Leaving, was sent to me by a friend when it was uploaded to Soundcloud and I was a bit skeptical. I thought it was going to be another one of those kids in their bedrooms that just learned how to use Garage Band, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that I enjoyed the track. This led me to listen to the rest of Leaving, and it ended up being one of my favorite releases of 2014. Personally, it seems like an honest but enhanced telling of the teenage mind. It's true to form from start to end and definitely posed itself as a soundtrack for the fall season to many.

[embed]https://soundcloud.com/spookyblack/sets/leaving-ep[/embed]

His latest release is titled "Worn," and was released under the name Corbin. As he stated on his Twitter account, he no longer wants go by Spooky Black, but by his first name. Worn was produced by Minnesota collective, The Stand4rd. The collective includes Corbin himself, along with Psynum, Allan Kingdom, and Bobby Raps. In November, the group performed at New York venue Sound of Brazil to a sold out crowd during their first ever tour. If that wasn't already wow-worthy, DJ Khaled himself showed up to introduce the collective to the eager audience

[embed]https://soundcloud.com/spookyblack/corbin-worn-prod-by-wedidit-thestand4rd[/embed]

Spooky Black is an artist to watch in 2015. If last year is any indication of his future, I can't wait to see him touring nationally and being recognized even more for his unfiltered talent. The youth movement is alive and underway, and I consider Corbin to be a great addition.

For more on Spooky Black, visit his website or follow him on Twitter. You can get tickets to his show with Psynum in London here!