 Let's talk one on one, one on one. Yeah, we gon' talk, we gon' have fun. We be on fire, we be live lit. It's a unique hustle, big shit, big shit, big shit. It's a unique hustle, nigga, big shit. Check it, check it, check it. It's a unique hustle. It's your boy, E-C-E-O, and I'm here with the lovely official, Mr. Mako. What's up? Not my day, I walk one. How you doing? Good, bless. Oh, whoa, I started, yo. I'm blessed. Yeah, we started now. Yeah, we got a special guest in here today, man. Smoky214, man. Yes, sir, yes, sir. You from Dallas? Yeah, I'm from Dallas. You got the 214 on there, but it didn't look like when I look at your page, you from everywhere. Yeah, I be a little bit of everywhere, I don't like to, yeah. Then when I hit you up, you say you're going to California. Work, man, yeah. You're leaving us. Man, look, I be... Nigga, my daddy left me, nigga. I despise when niggas leave me, man. Nah, man, I ain't never left the city behind me. Yeah, don't leave me, because I'm coming to LA, nigga. I be top 10. I'm out, man, yeah, for sure when you pull up you good out there. Word is bond, I promise you. So, I just went looking at all the things that you do, I seen you play basketball, I seen you model, man. You do music? Yeah, I do music. Everything, so you got all these genres going on. What's up with that, man? Yeah, man, well, I actually started... You think you Jamie Foxx? Nah. Yeah, yeah. And Jamie actually a cool dude, man. You've made him in person? Nah, definitely. He be having parties in LA, so I'll be with me every while. Dang. So, okay, cool. So, how did it all start? Well, I started out as a professional basketball player, so, you know, I played college, yeah, I played college baller. I would, too. Oh, where? But not like you, nigga. Don't try that, man. Yeah, but now I play professional, I played in Europe a year. Okay. And then when I came back, I actually went to LA to play in the Ju League, which is sponsored by Nike. Wow, that's big. Is that what you always wanted to do from your kid? Yeah, from a kid I always wanted to play in the NBA, so that was pretty much what really inspired everything that prospered from that one dream for real. Yeah. And how did you branch off into everything else? Well, I'm not gonna lie, I got a lot of like messages on Instagram, too. Like, you know, that platform was built in just about modeling, and like, you know, I used to try to take pictures and going to LA just kind of opened my eyes. I was walking on the beach one time and the lady came up like, yo, I really want to take pictures of you. I got my clothes in the car and I was like, I'm cool. And then she was like, I'll pay you. I got a hundred. And I was like, yo, pay me. Forget your move. Yeah. Right there. Yeah, that's where it all started right there. I was like, whoa, like, that was easy money for real. All right. So you didn't go to the agency like at Dillard's or at one of these stores and try to perform as a model and get picked. Oh, nah. You know, that's how most people do it down here. You know what I'm saying? For Kim Dawson agency, you have a lot of big reputable agencies here in Dallas. Well, I actually have a crazy story about Kim Dawson. I had before I went to LA, I had went to a little casting they had and they did sign me. And when I went in to actually meet them in person from the pictures and they seen I had tattoos below my elbow, they took back the picture. They started hating. Yeah. That was hating, man. So who was it the dudes you talked to a girl? It was a girl. How long ago was that though? That was 2016. Sometime they tried to make you angry. That's still pretty recent because I know that model agencies have changed their outlook on a lot of especially tattoos over the years. Yeah, especially now. Back then it was like, you couldn't have any tattoos. Of course, yeah. Now you have a lot more models who are coming up with tattoos. Yeah, it's more open and more acceptable for sure. So do you think that, so the basketball thing, when you started doing that, when you first, how did you know you was good? Did your dad play ball? How you gonna just play basketball? You know what I'm saying? You tall, but my brother tall, that nigga gonna play basketball. I got tall late, man. I ain't, I got tall late. Oh, you're a late groomer. Yeah, I'm a late groomer. So how did you know it? Man, it's something I always wanted to do. So just, I mean, that's what I always did. For fun, I didn't play games, I didn't do nothing but go outside and play basketball. And I actually, I set the record. I'm from Sherman, Texas. So yeah, I set the record down. I was about to say, are you from the States? That ain't about three people in Sherman. Yeah, you set the record down. We can go and set one at night. We got the best athletes in the state. No, no, no, no. Who else came out of Sherman that's big? Well, my cousin Cameron Clark is the number one player in the state. Yeah, but what about, what about Pro? You were, you were talking pro talk. We were talking about your husband. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Your cousin. Yeah, he playing pro right now. He's in the back right now. So you can't really trust him. Hey, that's not taught yet. It's true. What team you play with? I'm not sure. I just, I don't talk about smoking. Hey, I can barely pronounce them from the team overseas today. But you know what though? I know a lot of people who prefer to go overseas and play because they say that they earn more money overseas than even with the NBA. Is that true? It just depends. I mean, honestly, going to the NBA makes your stock bigger. So then if you go there first and then you go overseas, then yeah, you probably have more freedom. You wouldn't be locked into a role like you would be. But how many people actually go to NBA then go overseas? I've seen more people just go overseas first. Some of them do it, don't they? The thing is, you probably don't notice it because they just kind of vanish in your eyes with what they're doing. For Montberry, he went to Java, didn't he? Oh, no, yeah. He did it the right way. He did it the right way though. He didn't got a bag, yeah. Yeah, I mean, it's a, it's a, it's a whole different level, man, when you're playing pro ball versus in, you know, high school and college. What was, what, some of them guys press you, nigga, just talk about that a little bit for us. I know, man. I ain't gonna lie to you. I'm nice, man. So you ain't play with them boys? No, I play with them boys. I'm talking, you know, other country, I'm talking about, they, you know, they're gonna try to pre, but it's a lot of American players over there too, right? No, yeah, you get like probably two Americans per team. Like they only allow like two. Them boys talking fun and getting up and getting, come on with it. Yeah, yeah, yeah. How do they talk trash? I mean, it's just different language. So it's like. You can understand what they were saying. Yeah, I mean, it's, it don't pay me too much. What's your average? How many points? About 19 points, like seven to six. It's dope. I'm a point guard. So yeah, I'm a tall point guard. Yeah, I was about to say. Man, that's dope, man. But how different is, how different is the basketball game with aggression and everything overseas compared to here? They get away with a lot more stuff. So it's, it's something you gotta really adapt to. It's more fundamental. Like, you know, everybody know what they're doing. Like shooters know they're gonna lock in and shoot, defensive player know they're gonna play defense. So, but I'm a scorer, man. So, you know, I really get the job done. You would shoot it. You don't even take it to the, to the hole at all. You know, she think you can shoot nigga. That's a, that's a, that's how you eat that. You don't even take it to the hole at all. You heard him. No, I was top 10. It was Sarkill. No, no, no. She actually got a good eye. She got a good eye. So you shoot from, you from, from the brim. Yeah, I was actually top 10 in a percentage in a D1, my junior year for a three point percentage. Yeah, like 44. So I couldn't really shoot that thing. Okay. Let's talk about the music a little bit, man. You, I mean, do you, okay, you gonna crawl, you cross and over to the movement. It's kind of funny. It's catching the crossover, you know, the crossover. But when did you start to do that? Because you did the basketball first, then the modeling came second. Yeah, I've been modeling. So I've been under my contract with Wilhelmina actually for about, going on three years now. So I've been modeling over all, probably about five years total. That was dope. How hard was it for you to get a contract with them? It was a really extremely hard, the number one agency in the nation. So you went and found them or did they come and find you? It was, I could say I actually booked, I booked some major things. Like the night I booked the big Nike campaign that was globals and Times Square. So with me having my face in there and then like reaching and then like getting the middleman to reach out to them, it's kind of like, you know, like. When you were young, did you ever foresee this stuff happening for you like it did, you know? Never, I could never, I could, you know what I mean? My story could never be like, no one could have ever thought this was gonna happen. It was crazy. To for me to be the face of Jordan in 2018 cause they only have one lookbook a year. So I got the front cover of that. I did a Gatorade commercial. I've done a Porsche campaign. I've done, you know, Adidas, it's just countless things. I just, you know. You couldn't have wrote it down. You couldn't have thought this through. You should go back to Kim Dawson and say, see? What you think? Damn, nigga Kim Dawson, you missed out on a good thing. Nah, I take the humble route, man. Well, I'll hit them up and post your pitch on there. They see it, man. They see it. So do you, back to the music. So what, when did you feel like you had something in music? What make you think you, you? The funny thing about music, man. It's Dallas, man. Yeah, I love Dallas. You be jigging and stuff. What you do? You're a dancer. I buggy, man. I gotta leave now. I put it up for this show. But now my whole life though, I always freestyle, man. Like that's always been one of my favorite hobbies. Yeah. So even in college, I remember little frats used to invite me over just to freestyle when they drinking and stuff. So it's something I always wanted to do, but I never wanted to mix it with my basketball. Coaches is not, you know, it kind of came along at the right time. You know, I actually just started a year ago. Really? Yeah, just a year going. I was really inspired when I dropped my, I dropped a freestyle and it, it did like, it did about 30,000 streams in the first week. And I was shook. I was like, damn. I see you. I mean, your numbers is up on Instagram. You're looking real special out here, man. I mean, I know it's bringing the pain. I already know how you get down. I see now, you know, they in your DM, ain't they? Ah, man. Yeah, let's be real about it. They in your DM. You can tell me. I mean, man, they in there for a reason. I don't be doing too much. So you don't mess around like that. Yeah, you lying, Steph. I see it, baby. I got him now. No, I'll be busy, but I don't want to. I'm booked and busy. So when you, when you look at like, like who do you, who was your inspiration when it comes to the music? When it comes to the music, man, I really just, I do like a lot of music. I like a lot of artists. Mode three was actually one of my favorite artists. Mode three? Yeah, that recently passed away. Yeah, he was one of my favorite artists. I mean, don't try to be like everybody else. Everybody say mode three when he gone. I'm not cloud chasing him, but as far as just like, I'm saying the story, like, you know what I'm saying? I fucked with the story. But did you go to the concerts? Did you go spend money with, be real? No, I ain't gonna, I ain't gonna front. I wasn't even here. I ain't been here. You know what I'm saying? Oh, you were traveling a lot. But you like this music, you used to listen to it. Nah, I mean, cause me being in New York, me being in LA, you know what I'm saying? Like I'm always gonna be true to the South cause they don't listen to the same music. They don't even really listen to the little babies like that in the West Coast. Like they really don't. So. Yeah, no, I know it. I already know I argue with them every time they come on the show. I done been up there arguing with them. I went to Cali a few weeks ago, talking, I'm getting New York next, nigga, my homeboys up there. I go straight to them with it. I'm crazy. They shouldn't never gave me no microphone. Nah. You're right. Well, now one of my favorite artists though in the last like five years to be honest with you that really inspired me just to go on with life was probably Wife and Luchi. Oh, you like him? Yeah, his first music is which me well taped. Like that's something I really banged down. I actually got to meet him. You know what I'm saying? I really met a lot of people. Was it before he would start going and getting in trouble or after? What, when I met him? Yeah. I met him before, like right before that happened. Okay, you know. Yeah, because you see it in the eye that he was gonna cut up. I couldn't have called that, you know what I'm saying? Nah, I don't even know what the deal is with what happened. But I do know it went viral the fact that he had got into some mishap. Nah, I mean, I get credit when credit do so, you know what I'm saying? Nah, you name it some good one. Mo3, YFN, them dudes with top notch in the game, period, you know? So I want to know who is your top three artists of all time that are alive? Any genre? Nolah. Number one. I ain't gonna lie. Number one, I'm gonna go. I'm going Lil Wayne off top. Lil Wayne? Okay. I grew up on Lil Wayne, man. I can't repeat no silence right now. Number two. Number two. I'm gonna go Tupac. Tupac. Yeah, that's what I'm going to say. That's what everybody say. I love Tupac. No, he does. Number three. Number three. That's a hard one. That's always the hardest one. That's hard, man, but uh. Mo3, nigga, you just said, you don't give him the crown. Top three all the time, I'm gonna go Drizzy. You gonna drink? Yeah. Do you really listen to him like that? On a consistency level, it's crazy. The nigga got that bag, he got that money. Nah, I mean, I'm just talking about his music. He got that money too, it's business matters. Top three, business matters. You got a billion, I'm with Kanye. I'm sorry. Nah. He was just being real with you. I'm gonna rock with the one, we got, you know, who doing that business too. Cause the music is one thing, but I think it's important. You don't think the business. You need that money. Is it important? No, 100% it's not just talent. It's definitely business. It's marketing behind this. It's a lot more once I got into it, you know, that, you know, your friends will tell you like, yo, just go rap. You gotta like, okay? Like it costs money to go rap. But you have. No, anything that you do, you have to build a brand. Because even, you know, being a basketball player, they always say, what if you, you know, introduce yourself, what are you gonna do after that? You have to learn how to invest that money that you're making to make it grow. No, you understand. So do you think, you feel like it's a little bit easier for you cause you was in sports and then you was in modeling and now you're doing the music cause you got a custom, you got a base following you. No, 100% yeah. I mean, with my following, you know, it definitely helps by me. I'm also big like, you know, I've done a lot of networking, you know, a lot of big cities too. So, you know, just with my networking, I have the people, you know, that have around me. I just feel like, you know, it was the right time for me to go about it. You know what I'm saying? Man, I just, you know, the one thing I can say about when I see you guys in Dallas and how things are moving here, man, I'm proud of the city to see, you know, everybody pushing, you know what I'm saying? 100%. Trying to make people recognize that we bring it in this city. I mean, a lot of times, and we gotta get more organized and structured with it as well. Niggas can't be running off to California and everywhere leaving. Let's see, you know what I'm saying. I feel like they don't need to come with support though. Like, they gotta support, you know what I'm saying? Do you feel like the city is where it needs to be? Or what do you think we can do to make it better? Me personally, I do think that we have, like, one of the most talented cities. Like, you know, I've been saying that for years. Like, you know what I mean? I think that people are really just not catching on because, you know, as y'all can see in the pandemic, all the people who started moving here, you know, they starting to catch on. But I do think we could do better at just supporting each other, just having events. You know, me being in other cities, I just see how they come together, like, you know, just from released parties, like, to have events just for networking so you can actually meet and, you know, instead of keeping it off the internet. Well, Smokey, man, I definitely appreciate you coming on the show, man. You're a dope dude, man. When I see in your page, you know, I say, dang, I need to get this dude on here. And then you say, I'm leaving. And I say, okay, well, you know how I go, man. I gotta grab you before you go. Nah, it's fashion week coming up in New York and in LA, so, you know, I'm gonna do a few shows. Who do you look up to in the fashion industry? Um, look up to? I mean, I'm not even gonna lie and say I look up to no one, cause it's like, you know, like, I really, you know what I'm saying? What I did and what I've done has been like, so unique. You know, just me talking to the people I've even worked with, you know what I'm saying? I look to really inspire other people. Oh, really? You're trying to set the bar? Yeah, cause everybody know where I, that know me, know where I came from. So that's just inspiration and stuff to let you know you can do what you want to do if you, you know what I'm saying? Really, truly go after it. Are your parents in your life? How do they feel about where your achievements today? Yeah, I have both of my parents in my life. They're not together, but I do have both of my life. I'm not gonna lie. Really don't speak too much on like, you know, my achievements, you know, it's just, it's really genuine. Like they really don't look at me like, like, you know they don't really even look at that stuff. They really think I'm their little boy. Like, you know what I'm saying? So it'd be, it'd be crazy. Like, you know. I'm gonna hold you too. When I come to Cali, man, we gonna run this bag. You know what I'm saying? So I just did like a lot of interviews out there within the last three weeks. So yeah. No, 100% now we tied in. Yeah, so when you come out there, it's definitely good, man, for sure. Well, hey man, we love you, brother. Like I always say at the end of the show, man, and I appreciate you for coming on the show, man. And I, and like I said, I'm gonna run back up on you, man. You better be ready. I don't play basketball. I mean, I'm in these streets. Hey man, I'm out here, man, for sure. I got my people with me for sure. Oh, really, man. You already know what it is. Thank you so much. We love you, bro. I love, man, for sure. It's been another great segment of Boss Talk 101. And we out.