Markuann Smith is the definition of American Hustle in every aspect. From his birth to Hollywood Markuann Smith is impacting the Millennial culture of Music and film. Pay close attention to this amazing interview and listen for the "MAJOR KEYS" of success! Hey Siri, play the Million Dollar Mindset Podcast.
From a very young age, Markuann Smith knew that failure was not an option, and always used that as his motto. Born in Harlem, New York, Markuann spent a majority of his time in Queens, attending Far Rockaway High School and, later on, Garden State Academy. Considered a "no man's land", Far Rockaway was certainly a learning experience. While the average kid was going away to camp, Markuann and his peers were pouring out liquor and hoping to survive the tough summers.
While the streets were rough, his household did not offer much of an escape. Markuann's mother worked three jobs to maintain their lifestyle, so in a sense he raised himself. His resentment caused him to rebel and he bumped heads with his stepfather quite often. Because of these actions, Markuann's mother kicked him out of the house at a very young age, forcing him to mature faster than he anticipated.
While it seemed that all hope was lost, reprieve presented itself at the perfect time. While in high school, Markuann's brother, Father M.C., got a record deal with Uptown MCA records - one of the most popular Hip Hop and R&B labels of the early 1990s - at the start of the New Jack Swing era. He began touring - taking Markuann with him - exposing Markuann to the likes of Tupac, Toni Tony Tone, Digital Underground and Boyz II Men to name a few.
He started off as a roadie where Sean "Diddy" Combs - who went from intern to top executive at the label - taught him how to be a hype man and get the crowd excited. It was then that Markuann truly caught the entertainment bug. Upon returning home from tour, he attended Morgan State University where he minored in Theater.
Although the tour triggered the bug, Markuann always had a passion for acting. As a child, he was exposed to many different types of films because he spent a lot of time alone at home, and movies were a constant companion. This exposure nurtured his love for the craft of film, as he considered those movies an escape from his reality.
He worked very hard, and his dedication has paid off. Markuann has had roles on the "Chapelle Show", as well as movies such as "Juice", "Poetic Justice" and "Code Blue", and the award-winning short film "A Good Day to Die". He has also hosted the All Hip Hop TV segment on the AllHipHop.com website, and was recently tapped to be featured in the upcoming VH-1 series starring rapper Pepa, entitled "Let's Talk About Pep". Markuann's ultimate goal is to move people: whether its to laugh to cry, it's all about the emotional connection.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
The Burden
The Burden is a documentary series that takes listeners into the hidden places where justice is done (and undone). It dives deep into the lives of heroes and villains. And it focuses a spotlight on those who triumph even when the odds are against them. Season 5 - The Burden: Death & Deceit in Alliance On April Fools Day 1999, 26-year-old Yvonne Layne was found murdered in her Alliance, Ohio home. David Thorne, her ex-boyfriend and father of one of her children, was instantly a suspect. Another young man admitted to the murder, and David breathed a sigh of relief, until the confessed murderer fingered David; “He paid me to do it.” David was sentenced to life without parole. Two decades later, Pulitzer winner and podcast host, Maggie Freleng (Bone Valley Season 3: Graves County, Wrongful Conviction, Suave) launched a “live” investigation into David's conviction alongside Jason Baldwin (himself wrongfully convicted as a member of the West Memphis Three). Maggie had come to believe that the entire investigation of David was botched by the tiny local police department, or worse, covered up the real killer. Was Maggie correct? Was David’s claim of innocence credible? In Death and Deceit in Alliance, Maggie recounts the case that launched her career, and ultimately, “broke” her.” The results will shock the listener and reduce Maggie to tears and self-doubt. This is not your typical wrongful conviction story. In fact, it turns the genre on its head. It asks the question: What if our champions are foolish? Season 4 - The Burden: Get the Money and Run “Trying to murder my father, this was the thing that put me on the path.” That’s Joe Loya and that path was bank robbery. Bank, bank, bank, bank, bank. In season 4 of The Burden: Get the Money and Run, we hear from Joe who was once the most prolific bank robber in Southern California, and beyond. He used disguises, body doubles, proxies. He leaped over counters, grabbed the money and ran. Even as the FBI was closing in. It was a showdown between a daring bank robber, and a patient FBI agent. Joe was no ordinary bank robber. He was bright, articulate, charismatic, and driven by a dark rage that he summoned up at will. In seven episodes, Joe tells all: the what, the how… and the why. Including why he tried to murder his father. Season 3 - The Burden: Avenger Miriam Lewin is one of Argentina’s leading journalists today. At 19 years old, she was kidnapped off the streets of Buenos Aires for her political activism and thrown into a concentration camp. Thousands of her fellow inmates were executed, tossed alive from a cargo plane into the ocean. Miriam, along with a handful of others, will survive the camp. Then as a journalist, she will wage a decades long campaign to bring her tormentors to justice. Avenger is about one woman’s triumphant battle against unbelievable odds to survive torture, claim justice for the crimes done against her and others like her, and change the future of her country. Season 2 - The Burden: Empire on Blood Empire on Blood is set in the Bronx, NY, in the early 90s, when two young drug dealers ruled an intersection known as “The Corner on Blood.” The boss, Calvin Buari, lived large. He and a protege swore they would build an empire on blood. Then the relationship frayed and the protege accused Calvin of a double homicide which he claimed he didn’t do. But did he? Award-winning journalist Steve Fishman spent seven years to answer that question. This is the story of one man’s last chance to overturn his life sentence. He may prevail, but someone’s gotta pay. The Burden: Empire on Blood is the director’s cut of the true crime classic which reached #1 on the charts when it was first released half a dozen years ago. Season 1 - The Burden In the 1990s, Detective Louis N. Scarcella was legendary. In a city overrun by violent crime, he cracked the toughest cases and put away the worst criminals. “The Hulk” was his nickname. Then the story changed. Scarcella ran into a group of convicted murderers who all say they are innocent. They turned themselves into jailhouse-lawyers and in prison founded a lway firm. When they realized Scarcella helped put many of them away, they set their sights on taking him down. And with the help of a NY Times reporter they have a chance. For years, Scarcella insisted he did nothing wrong. But that’s all he’d say. Until we tracked Scarcella to a sauna in a Russian bathhouse, where he started to talk..and talk and talk. “The guilty have gone free,” he whispered. And then agreed to take us into the belly of the beast. Welcome to The Burden.