Drizz wanted his life to be as clear as the window panes he cleaned.
In fact, when Addryyss Smith started his window-cleaning business, it was one of his proudest achievements, besides the birth of his son, said his sister, Najah Carroll.
“Drizz may not have finished high school but he continued to make a life for himself,” Najah said.
Growing up in the inner city has its challenges and faced his share. Born in North Philadelphia around 33rd and Norris, he spent his youth playing drums in church regularly and sketching pictures. Addryyss liked to draw and this was how he occupied his peaceful time.
At the age of 8, his mother passed away from a serious illness, so, he and his sister went to live with their mother’s sister in West Oak Lane. However, at the age of 15, tragedy struck again when they lost their aunt as well.
Addryyss attended Pennypacker Middle School and Martin Luther King, Jr. High School but the passing of his aunt left him disillusioned with his studies, Najah said.
Still, he had a side hustle selling CDs and DVDs and took some courses at Philadelphia Community College. And that convinced him that he would rather be his own boss.
As he made his own way, his son Mehki came along. Now 8 years old, Mehki still feels his dad’s presence, four years after he was shot, on July 18, 2020, on the 1900 block of Napa Street.
“My dad’s super kind and nice. I know he loves and watches over me,” Mehki said.
Addryss had gone to that block that terrible night because a female friend had called needing help. So this concerned, Christian man went to her aid. The two were sitting in a parked SUV talking when shots rang out. Addryyss was fatally shot, along with the woman in the car. As of the writing of this article, no arrests have been made.
Najah said she was grateful that they had a close relationship, since not all siblings can say that. “I was more like his sister-mother, especially when our mother passed,” she said. “That was the time we were a comfort to each other. But Drizz knew what to say when I needed it, ‘God got us’! That’s what he would tell me often.”
Some of his favorite things to do included cooking, especially seafood and fried rice dishes. He also loved making smoothies. Second to spending time with his Najah, his girlfriend, Aliyyah Miller, and his son, Mehki, nothing made him happier than riding the dirt bike he had purchased a just few months before he was killed.
Aliyyah said she’ll always remember the times they spent listening to R&B music—“and his unforgettable smile.” Her remarks about his character were comparable to his sister’s.
“Addryyss was a real strong, caring person who wanted to make a better life for him and his son,” she said.
Funeral services were held on Monday July 27, 2020 at the Turay Memorial Chapel, 2534 N. 22nd Street, Philadelphia. Addryyss Smith is survived by his son, Mehki, his sister Najah, other siblings, friends, and family.
