Smooth Criminal Tee

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Size: M

Brilliance Limited · Limited Art Apparel

Smooth Criminal

07.26.68

They called him the criminal. The industry wrote the crime.

The Work

07.26.68 — the day he was signed into the music industry. For some that was the beginning of the stardom. For others it reads as a life sentence served in public.

He was my favorite artist growing up. I felt a connection to him before I understood why — he was raised a Jehovah's Witness, the same as me, and I heard something in the music that sounded like it knew what that costs. This piece is about how smooth he was. It's also about who the actual criminal was.

The gold teeth are deliberate. They're how the industry markets Black youth in entertainment now — the shine sold back to you as identity while you're being moved as inventory. The portrait asks a simple question: if he arrived in 2026 instead of 1968, what would they have made him look like? Same voice. Same machine. Different packaging.

Printed front and back with a layered DTF process, pressed to order by hand. The illustration, the record, and the press are the same pair of hands. No fulfillment house has ever touched this garment.

What's Included
  • Smooth Criminal Tee — numbered and pressed to order by Tree
  • Numbered collector's art print — the original artwork, matched to your piece
  • Certificate of Authenticity — naming your piece and its number
  • Digital download — "Smooth Criminal," written, produced, and recorded by Tree of Lyfe
Oversized Box Fit
Made To Order
Pressed by Tree of Lyfe
Ten remain. A one-time release, numbered as it's pressed. When these are claimed, the drop closes permanently and will not be reproduced in any form.
The Song

Smooth Criminal

Written, produced, and recorded by Tree of Lyfe · Your download arrives with your order

Details
  • Certificate of Authenticity with your number
  • Numbered collector's art print included
  • 7.0 oz, 30 singles, 100% combed ring-spun cotton, soft-washed
  • Oversized relaxed fit, drop shoulder, side-seamed
  • Reinforced neckline with 1-inch 1×1 ribbed collar
  • Single-needle edge stitch, tear-away label
  • Multi-technique DTF front and back prints
  • WRAP-accredited production
  • Made to order by Tree in the USA
  • Ships in 7–10 business days
Size & Fit

Oversized relaxed fit with drop shoulders, side-seamed. Chest is measured flat, one inch below the arm hole; length from the high point of the shoulder to the hem. All measurements in inches. For a standard fit, size down.

  • Small  · Chest 22  · Length 28.25
  • Medium  · Chest 24  · Length 29.25
  • Large  · Chest 26  · Length 30.25
  • X-Large  · Chest 28  · Length 31.25
  • 2X-Large  · Chest 30  · Length 32.5
  • 3X-Large  · Chest 32  · Length 33.5

All sales are final, so please confirm your size before ordering. Unsure? Email inquiries@blmtd.com and we’ll help you choose.

About the Artwork

A portrait reimagined — the figure as he might have been packaged had he arrived in 2026 rather than 1968. The gold teeth are the argument: the shine the industry sells back to Black youth as identity, while treating the artist as product.

Printed front and back using a layered DTF process for depth and durability. The record that accompanies this piece was written, produced, and recorded by Tree.

Shipping

Made to order and typically ships within 7–10 business days. Tracking is sent by email once your piece leaves the studio.

Domestic US shipping. Rates calculated at checkout.

Returns

All sales are final. Please confirm your size before ordering.

Every order is inspected and packed personally before it ships. If your piece arrives damaged or is not what you ordered, contact inquiries@blmtd.com within 7 days of delivery with photographs and we will replace it.

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Brilliance Limited · BLMTD · Numbered Release Pressed by hand. Numbered as made.
What Arrives

You are not buying a shirt. You are receiving a small body of work.

01
The Garment

Hand-designed and produced in a numbered limited edition. Your piece carries its own number. When the edition is gone, it is gone — never restocked.

02
The Original Poster Art

A numbered print of the original illustration created for this design. Made to be framed, not folded into a drawer.

03
Certificate of Authenticity

A printed certificate naming your piece and its number in the edition, with the story behind the image.

04
An Original Soul-Hop Track

Music written in direct harmony with the design — hip hop soul composed for this piece and no other. Your download link arrives by email once your order ships.

Every piece is sketched, designed, produced, and packed by one artist, one at a time.