The mark of any great entertainer -- no matter the genre or the medium -- is an entertainer who finds a way to connect with their audience. Big Smo is one such artist. Even before he found success as a major label recording artist with Warner Music Nashville, Big Smo was touring the country building up a loyal and dedicated fan base, a fan base that connected with his brand of Country music, a new genre hybrid with Rap music that we like to call Rural Rap.
Smo's talent as an artist and as a personality brought the charismatic entertainer to the attention of A&E Television, a network looking for a new southern personality driven program to partner with their iconic Duck Dynasty. They found that man in Big Smo and his self-titled TV show, one of the summer's biggest new TV Shows with consistently strong ratings. The show aires its season finale ("Mr. and Mrs. Smith") tonight at 10:30/9:30 central.
Over the next few days we'll have more of our conversation but in this exclusive discussion below, we talk about the program and the biggest element that Big Smo believes has been the key to his success and what he's most proud of, his fans, or Kinfoke.
Matt Bjorke: How did you come to film the "Big Smo" show with A&E?
Big Smo: Well, I had a curiosity for it, a good management team, and A&E had Swamp People and then Duck Dynasty so you could say they were looking for more ‘rednecks.’ So, I guess it was all about good timing, a lot of people believing in a new genre of music and a new artist to make it all happen. I guess they rolled the dice and luckily the universe allowed it to land on me.
Matt: And if you didn’t have your family that was as charismatic as you are, it made the show much easier...
Yeah, my whole team - which includes my family - we’re all working for the same goals here and everyone understands that. It makes everything easier to do and for success to happen when you
Matt: How awesome is it for you to be able to have your final episode of the season be about your wedding?
Smo: It’s a blessing to be able to experience our wedding more than once, to do it, to film it and watch it be aired and shared with everyone else. It’s also really cool to have it professionally filled. It's the ultimate wedding video.
Matt: How Special is it for you to be able to share the show with your fans, the Kinfoke?
Smo: It’s bigger than a fan base, they’re a family. To watch them grow and to see them support each other as well as the music we put out, the things we share, we’ve got the support of an amazing. It’s really awesome to have that kind of support behind you. They don’t treat it like musicians and fans. They treat it like family helping with family.
Matt: Which makes the Kinfoke name perfect.
Smo: Yeah. Years ago when I was out with Insane Clown Posse, I got to witness their fans, the Juggalos and juggalettes, their fans are proud to carry that name and be given a title where they can go out and represent. So That’s when I came up with the concept for my fans, and what they mean to me. Kinfoke” was perfect for me, because you have your family which is your parents and siblings and then you have your aunts and uncles and cousins and such, those are your kinfoke. Giving my fans a title was one of the best moves I’ve ever made because instead of them being random fans carrying multiple flags and jerseys, they put on Kinfoke jerseys and fly Kinfoke flags. They’re proud of who they are. And That makes me proud as an artist, to see that I’ve helped facilitate a following like that, one that holds relationships not just with me as the artist but with each other.
Matt: Yeah, and it seems to me that a lot of artists want what the Kinfoke represent for you but they don’t know how to do it, or what to call ‘em.
Smo: What makes me the most proud is that they have used the music I’ve made to support each other, to use the music as first aid, the music with prayer and support with each other. If someone in the fan base falls down, there’s another one in the Kinfoke there to pick them up. We pick each other up and move forward together. They’ve been one of the biggest things that I’m proud of in doing what I do.
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You can catch the season finale of Big Smo's "Big Smo" Show on the A&E network at 10:30/9:30 central. Big Smo's debut album Kuntry Livin' is available at retailers nationwide and features the hit single "Workin'."
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