All About Solange Knowles' Son Daniel 'Julez' Smith Jr.

Solange Knowles and her ex-husband Daniel Smith welcomed their son in 2004

Solange Knowles is a multi-hyphenate star who sings, acts and produces, but she also has another role: mom.

Knowles welcomed her son, Daniel "Julez" Smith Jr., with her ex-husband Daniel Smith in October 2004, when she was 17. The high school sweethearts were married for three years before divorcing in 2007. During an interview with Honey magazine in October 2009, the “Dreams” singer opened up about their co-parenting relationship and occasionally contrasting parenting philosophies.

“It definitely has its challenges because there are some things that I’m a lot more strict about,” Knowles explained. “I won’t let him own a video game. No TV in the bedroom — he can only watch a few hours a day. He comes back and tells me these stories about the Wii, and I have to be like, ‘It’s just a Wii, calm down.' ”

However, the singer also shared that the different home environments provided their son with a “good balance” in life.

“I feel really good that [Smith and I are] able to do it together because there are some things that I don’t understand, and as much as I try to get out there and throw the football, I always get hit in the head with it,” Knowles added.

Knowles has continued to release music since giving birth to Julez, including her critically acclaimed album A Seat at the Table, but she has said she prioritizes being a mother over her career.

"[As] soon as you find out you’re welcoming a child, your life is changed drastically. You have definitely more morals. You definitely have more of a conscience, and your first priority is your child,” she told the Dallas Morning News in September 2008. "At the end of the day when all of this is over, I just want to make sure my son is happy with me as a mom first. Everyone else as an artist and everything else comes second, third and last."

From where he grew up to his love of basketball, here’s everything to know about Solange Knowles’ son Daniel "Julez" Smith Jr.

He was born in 2004

Knowles and her now ex-husband Smith welcomed their son, Julez, on Oct. 18, 2004. In May 2017, the “Cranes in the Sky” singer reflected on becoming a mom at 17 while simultaneously dealing with the death of a childhood friend in an essay for Teen Vogue.

“Seventeen will be the hardest year of your life,” she wrote, addressing her younger self. “It will grow you up almost immediately. You will lose your best friend whom you love so much to gun violence in a single moment, and give birth to a new one within a year."

She added, “You will be terrified, and it’s ok that you don’t know what the future holds. Some people will count you out because of the decision you’ve made to bring another life into the world so young, but you made the decision out of love and will live with the decision in love.”

Julez grew up in a few different states

Knowles and Smith tied the knot before she gave birth to Julez and moved to Idaho, where her then-husband was attending college. During an appearance on The View in September 2008, the singer said that while the move was "definitely a change" from her life at home in Houston, Texas, it made her a better mom.

"As a mother, it was the best thing I could have ever done. Because I was so young, I felt like people thought [I was] going to … hand over Julez and [have them] figure it out for me,” she said. "By me moving there and being isolated and not having a nanny and babysitters and aunties and a cousin up the street, I really focused on having that bond with him."

After the pair divorced in 2007, Knowles and Julez relocated to Los Angeles. The singer told Harper’s Bazaar in March 2014 that she made the move because she “had to stabilize our lives and stay in one place.” Knowles and her son later moved to a brownstone apartment in Brooklyn before settling in New Orleans.

"I've thought about moving to New Orleans for years but just never had the courage to do it,” the star told the magazine. “Now my son is at that age where he's really establishing friends and a community, so I feel like this is a good time to try it out."

He has four siblings

Julez is Knowles’ only child, but he has four siblings from Smith’s other relationships: Saniya, Klover, Legend and Five.

The father of five often posts tributes to his children on social media and shared a group snap in October 2021 with the caption, “family over everything.” Smith also celebrated National Son's Day in March 2020 by posting a photo of Julez with his brother Legend in anticipation of the arrival of his youngest son, Five.

“National son day I love u 2 so much,” Smith wrote in the caption. “God couldn’t have blessed me with 2 better sons and one on the way. thank u lord.”

Julez was the face of a kids’ toy line

When Julez was 3, he became the face of a line of hip-hop-inspired toys called Baby Jamz that was sold exclusively at Walmart. Knowles was also involved with the toy line and told Essence in October 2007 that she joined the business because of her son’s music interests.

“Baby Jamz is a passion project for me inspired by my son, who loves hip-hop music,” Knowles said. “I wanted to do a children’s album, which I talked about in the media a couple of times. This toy company that wanted to launch an urban toy line reached out to my father about me. I ended up giving them a lot of ideas and became an executive on the account.”

He performed a dance with his mom at her wedding in 2014

When Knowles married her second husband, music video director Alan Ferguson, in New Orleans on Nov. 16, 2014, she and Julez performed a dance to “No Flex Zone” by Rae Sremmurd at the reception.

The singer posted a since-deleted video of their dance on Instagram and opened up about their special moment that almost didn’t happen because of an allergic reaction she had following the wedding.

“Shout out to Benadryl yo, lol,” Knowles wrote in the caption. “NOTHING was gonna stop me from having my mother and son dance with Julez. My baby killed it and will forever remain my favorite dance partner of all time. My heart will forever smile reliving the feeling our lil happy feet together.”

He plays basketball

Julez comes from a musical family, but he has said his main passion is basketball. In a June 2019 interview with 97.9 The Box, a Texas radio station, the then-14-year-old revealed that basketball was his main focus at the time.

“Basketball. That’s my life like that’s all I do, basketball and school,” Julez said.

The teenager cited Allen Iverson as his all-time favorite player, with LeBron James and James Harden being his top players at the time. Julez also shared that he “would definitely love” to play college basketball for UCLA or Texas Tech University.

He’s interested in music

While Julez told 97.9 The Box that he doesn’t desire a career in the music industry, he said he still enjoyed making songs as a hobby.

“I produce a little bit. I make beats. So, it’s something I find fun. I don’t really think I would take it that far, but you know, as a side job, do that,” Julez told the radio station. “But it’s fun, though, I like producing.”

Speaking with PEOPLE in May 2015, Knowles shared that while she’s proud of her son no matter what, she would prefer him to have a regular job rather than take up the family business.

“I’m gonna be supportive of whatever he does, but I’m hoping he wants to be a professor of some sort,” she said. “I mean, every parent wants their child to be fulfilled in whatever they do and be happy, so if he chooses to take this direction, then I’m going to support him. You know, it would be nice to see him do something a little more regulated.”

Julez celebrated his 19th birthday in 2023

To commemorate his 19th birthday in October 2023, which coincided with his high school graduation celebration, Julez' grandmother, Tina Knowles, shared a video on Instagram.

"Happy Birthday Julez ! And happy Graduation !" his grandmother wrote. "We love you and are so proud of you ❤️This is the song Happy Birthday when you get a bunch of singers together. The party was Great @solangeknowles you did that !!!"

He has supported his aunt, Beyoncé

On Nov. 25, 2023, Julez paired up with his grandmother to attend his aunt Beyoncé's premiere for her movie, Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé.

Tina shared a photo of herself and Julez on Instagram, writing, "My Handsome grandson @iamjulezjsmith styled by @shionat Both in Dolce and Gabbana."

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