Crankdat
August's Artist Spotlight
For Christian Smith, the path to becoming Crankdat was never exactly conventional. Born March 2, 1997, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and raised in Youngstown, Ohio, Smith initially envisioned a future in athletics. A talented track and field competitor, he earned a full-ride scholarship to Kent State University, an opportunity many would consider impossible to turn down. But while his future appeared to be taking shape on the track, another passion was becoming impossible to ignore. Smith ultimately walked away from the scholarship to pursue music, trading the pursuit of athletic competition for the energy of the dance floor.
That competitive spirit, however, never left him.
Smith began producing music while still in high school, experimenting with electronic sounds and uploading remixes to SoundCloud. In 2015, he caught his first major wave of attention with a remix of Fetty Wap’s breakout hit “Trap Queen.” What began as an experiment quickly became a turning point. His remixes accumulated millions of plays, putting his name in front of some of the biggest artists in electronic music, including Skrillex and The Chainsmokers, remarkable recognition for an artist still in his teens.
Under the name Crankdat, Smith began carving out a sound that refuses to stay inside a single box. His music moves between dubstep, trap, and drum and bass, combining punishing low-end with melodic hooks and vibrant electronic production. The result is music that feels equally designed for headphones and massive festival stages.
His evolution from remixer to headlining producer has been marked by collaborations and originals that have continued to expand his reach. Tracks like “I Hold Still’ with Jauz, ‘Falling to Pieces” with Marshmallow, and “Big Bang” with DJ Snake have helped establish Crankdat as more than a producer capable of flipping someone else’s record. He has built a wold of his own, one that is centered around maximal energy, experimentation, and impact. That impact becomes even more apparent when he steps onstage.
Crankdat has brought his sound to some of the world’s biggest electronic music festivals, including EDC Las Vegas, Ultra Music Festival, and Tomorrowland. His sets are built around unpredictability, featuring custom edits, unreleased music, unexpected moments, and an ever-changing rotation of guests. Rather than simply recreating the songs fans already know, he treats each performance as an opportunity to create something that can only happen in that room, on that night.
That philosophy was on full display in Los Angeles recently, where Crankdat recently took over the Shrine for four consecutive sold-out nights. Five nights, a packed room, and an audience ready to surrender to the bass is a fitting snapshot of just how far the teenager uploading remixes to SoundCloud has come.
Crankdat has brought his sound to some of the world’s biggest electronic music festivals, including EDC Las Vegas, Ultra Music Festival, and Tomorrowland. His sets are built around unpredictability, featuring custom edits, unreleased music, unexpected moments, and an ever-changing rotation of guests. Rather than simply recreating the songs fans already know, he treats each performance as an opportunity to create something that can only happen in that room, on that night.
That philosophy was on full display in Los Angeles recently, where Crankdat recently took over the Shrine for four consecutive sold-out nights. Five nights, a packed room, and an audience ready to surrender to the bass is a fitting snapshot of just how far the teenager uploading remixes to SoundCloud has come.
Words by Ana Oquendo
Photographed by Steven Esperanza