A lokacin da ta ke da shekaru 14, ta canza sunanta zuwa Zadie. Mahaifiyar Smith ta girma a Jamaica, kuma ta yi hijira zuwa Ingila a shekarar 1969. Iyayen Smith sun saki lokacin da take matashi. Tana da 'yar uwa, dan'uwa, da' yan'uwa biyu (daya shine rapper da kuma dan wasan kwaikwayo na Doc Brown, ɗayan kuma shine rapper Sky Lucz). A matsayin yaro, Smith yana son rawa na rawa, kuma a lokacin shekarunta, ta yi la'akari da aiki a cikin kiɗa. Yayin da Smith ke jami'a, ta sami kuɗi a matsayin mawaƙin jazz, kuma tana son zama ɗan jarida.
Yvonne Bailey ta yi