Smoke E. Digglera is the former lead singer of now-defunct R&B trio Playa, a group once aligned with (Jodeci member and producer) Devante Swing's Swing Mob. The title track to Playa's 1998 Def Soul debut album Cheers 2 U cracked the top 10 on Billboard's U.S. R&B/Hip-Hop singles & tracks, while the album as a whole (produced by Jomo Hankerson, Timbaland and others) enjoyed consumer and critical acclaim. Playa's Static Major produced and wrote for Hankerson's niece Aaliyah, who became a frequent collaborator as part of the musical collective Superfriends that included acts like Timbaland, Missy Elliott and Genuwine.