J. Cole
Sep 15, 2013

"Crooked Smile" is a song by American hip hop recording artist and record producer J. Cole, released June 4, 2013, as the second official single from his second studio album Born Sinner (2013). The song was produced by Cole himself and Elite. The song samples Jennifer Hudson's "No One Gonna Love You" and features guest vocals from R&B group TLC. The song has since peaked at number 37 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.
The single features the R&B group TLC whom have not released any new material in over eight years since the release of their single "I Bet (feat. O'so Krispie)", which was released in 2005 as part of the digital special limited edition of their compilation Now and Forever: The Hits, and as a promotional cut from their reality series R U the Girl. An editor from Billboard commented on the song saying: "The Born Sinner track is an uplifting ode to all those who continue to hold their heads up, especially women, and the importance of inner beauty.
J. Cole performed the song, along with his other single "Power Trip" from his second album, at the 2013 BET Awards in June of this year.