GODFATHER OF HARLEM: MARKUANN SMITH
HarleM, new york | MarkUANN sMITH
INTERVIEW KIM “GOODLOOK” seabROOK PHOTO/VIDEO BIG VEGG
“SELLING A SHOW IN HOLLYWOOD IS NOT AN EASY TASK, YOU’RE ACTUALLY WALKING INTO A ROOM AND ASKING SOMEBODY TO COMMIT 60 MILLION TO 100 MILLION. EVEN IF SOMEBODY IS COMMITTING A DOLLAR THEY WANT TO KNOW WHAT’S THEIR ROI, MEANING THEIR RETURN ON INVESTMENT.”
BORN IN HARLEM, NEW YORK, MARKUANN SMITH, IS NO STRANGER TO STRUGGLE AND UNDERSTANDS THAT SUCCESS COMES AS A RESULT OF PREPARATION AND HARD WORK. MINORING IN THEATER AT MORGAN STATE UNIVERSITY, HE HAS A PASSION FOR TELLING AFRICAN AMERICAN SUCCESS STORIES. VALIDATED RECENTLY SAT DOWN WITH MARKUANN SMITH AT DA MATRIX STUDIOS IN BRONX, NEW YORK TO DISCUSS THE SACRIFICES ON THE JOURNEY TO SUCCESS, RESEARCHING AND PRODUCING “GODFATHER OF HARLEM” AND MORE.
VALIDATED: YOU ARE THE EXECUTIVE PRODUCER OF “THE GODFATHER OF HARLEM”. FOR THOSE WHO MAY NOT KNOW, PLEASE DESCRIBE YOUR ROLE AS AN EXECUTIVE PRODUCER?
MARKUANN SMITH: WELL AN EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, BASICALLY I DID A LOT OF THE HEAVY LIFTING FOR GODFATHER OF HARLEM, FROM THE RESEARCH PROCESS OF GOING TO THE SCHOMBURG MUSEUM, MAKING SURE THE AUTHENTICITY OF WHAT'S BEING TOLD, THAT YOU GUYS SEE IT AND BELIEVE IT, THAT ITS 1963 HARLEM. FROM THE WAY SOMEONE CARRIES THEMSELVES, DRESSING WISE, THE NARRATIVE OF THE NATION OF ISLASM, TO THE ITALIANS. BEING ON SET EVERYDAY WORKING WITH THE FIRST AD (1ST ASSISTANT DIRECTOR), THE DIRECTORS, BEING IN THE STUDIO DOING COLOR CORRECTION, DOING LOOP GROUP, DOING ADR (AUTOMATED OR ADDITION DIALOG REPLACEMENT). ALSO, I’M AN ACTOR, I’M FEATURED ON THE PROJECT AS WELL, SO YOU KNOW, I JUGGLED BOTH ASPECTS.
VALIDATED: THIS PROJECT TOOK YOU 18 YEARS TO EXECUTE. WAS IT 18 YEARS FROM HEARING THE STORIES ABOUT BUMPY JOHNSON, TO PUTTING IT TOGETHER, THEN SHOPPING IT TO NETWORKS, WHAT WAS THE PROCESS OF GETTING THIS FILM ON THE TV SCREEN?
MARKUANN SMITH: WELL THE PROCESS STARTED OFF FROM A LADY BY THE NAME OF MARGARET JOHNSON, WHO IS LIKE MY GODMOTHER. MARAGRET LIVED UP IN LENOX TERRACE AND I REMEMBER THIS WAS LIKE 2002 WHEN I USE TO GO UP THERE EVERY SUNDAY TO MEET WITH HER AND SHE WOULD TELL ME THESE MAGICAL STORIES ABOUT HARLEM AT THE TIME ABOUT WHEN SHE WAS A YOUNG GIRL SHE WOULD WAKE UP AND HEAR SAM COOKE’S VOICE COMING OUT A TRANSISTOR RADIO, ONE OF HIS TOP 10 SONGS, OR WALKING DOWN THE STREET TO SUGAR RAY ROBINSON’S BARBERSHOP AND SEEING NAT KING COLE GET A SHAPE UP, OR WALKING PAST 125TH STREET SEEING JAMES BROWN NAME ON A MARQUEE. SO SHE USE TO TELL ME ALL THESE MAGICAL THINGS ABOUT 63 AND HARLEM BUT SHE ALSO USED TO TALK ABOUT HER GRANDFATHER, WHO’S NAME WAS ELDRIDGE RAYMOND JOHNSON, WHO CAME UP HERE FROM CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA AND MIGRATED TO HARLEM BUT HE WAS A GEECHY. HE’S ALSO NOTORIOUSLY KNOWN AS THE PUBLIC KNOWS HIM AS BUMPY JOHNSON. SHE JUST WANTED THE STORY OF HER GRANDFATHER SLASH FATHER TOLD, A STORY THAT NO ONE HAS EVER TOLD BEFORE. LIKE HE WAS A POET, HE READ SHAKESPEARE, HE READ NEECHY. HE WAS ABLE TO SIT DOWN WITH THE MOB, I’M TALKING ABOUT THE ITALIANS FROM PLEASANT AVE, LIKE LUCKY LUCIANO, MIA LANSKY, BUGSY SIEGEL, FRANK COSTELLO, THESE GUYS THAT YOU SEE IN YOUR MOVIES LIKE “MOBSTERS” AND “THE GODFATHER”, HE REALLY RAN WITH THEM, HE WAS THE LIANSAN FOR THE ITALIANS AND THE AFRICAN AMERICAN HARLEM. HE WAS LIKE THE BRIDGE, THE TUNNEL AND SO SHE WANTED THE REAL STORY OF HER FATHER TO BE TOLD.
VALIDATED: STRUGGLE AND SUCCESS COME HAND IN HAND, EVERYONE’S STRUGGLES ARE CLEARLY NOT THE SAME. SOME PEOPLE’S PERCEPTION OF SUCCESS ARE TOTALLY DIFFERENT FROM OTHERS, WHAT DID YOUR JOURNEY LOOK LIKE AND HOW DO YOU RELATE TO BOTH THE STRUGGLE AND SUCCESS?
MARKUANN SMITH: UM, THE STRUGGLE IS REAL WHEN YOU HAVE NO ONE THAT’S BELIEVING IN YOU AND THERE’S A LOT OF NAYSAYERS. IT’S LIKE A MOVIE I SAW CALLED “PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS” AND YOUR DREAMS ARE ALL YOU GOT. YOU GOT TO PROTECT THEM WITH EVERYTHING THAT YOU HAVE AND I MADE A PROMISE TO THIS LADY THAT I WOULD GO OUT THERE BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY AND CREATE AN AVENUE FOR HER LEGEND OR HER STORY TO BE TOLD OF WHO HER FATHER WAS. BUT GOING ABOUT DOING IT, YOU KNOW, I HAD A LOT OF STRUGGLE, IT WAS TIMES WHERE I DIDN’T KNOW WHERE I WAS GOING, WHAT I WAS DOING… IT WAS JUST CRAZY. YOU KNOW I STATED IN NUMEROUS INTERVIEWS, PEOPLE WANT SUCCESS BUT THEY’RE NOT REALLY READY FOR SUCCESS. I’LL SAY THIS UNTIL I TURN BLUE, YOU KNOW, YOU WANT SUCCESS BUT YOU’RE NOT WILLING TO EAT BALONEY SANDWICHES, RAMEN NOODLES AND TUNA FISH, RIGHT? YOU WANT SUCCESS BUT I KNOW I GOT A MEETING AT NETFLIXS, AND THIS REALLY HAPPENED TO ME ON A MONDAY AT 9 O’CLOCK AND I JUST FLEW BACK IN FROM L.A. AND I CAN’T AFFORD TO GET BACK ON THAT FLIGHT. SO I GOT A BUDDY PASS AND I’M HOPING THAT THEY HAVE ROOM ON STANDBY FOR ME TO GET ON THAT PLANE TO MAKE THAT MEETING AT NETFLIX. SO SUCCESS BRINGS... YOUR JOURNEY MEANS EVERYTHING TO ME. AS AN ARTIST AND CREATOR MYSELF, I LOOK UP TO PEOPLE LIKE SAMUEL JACKSON, WHO WAS ADDICTED TO DRUGS AND HE ROSE ABOVE THAT OR CHARLES DUTTON, WHO WENT FROM JAIL TO YALE AND TIM ALLEN FROM “HOME IMPROVEMENT”, WHO WAS INCARCERATED FOR COCAINE DEALING AND HE’S YOUR POSTERBOY FOR WHITE CAUCASION ACTORS FOR ALL THESE CHRISTMAS MOVIES. SO YOU KNOW, THAT’S WHAT SUCCESS MEANS FOR ME, THE JOURNEY MEANS EVERYTHING.
VALIDATED: YOU CONSIDER YOURSELF AN INTROVERT AND EXTROVERT, HOW DO YOU MAINTAIN BALANCE WORKING IN THIS INDUSTRY?
MARKUANN SMITH: WELL, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN’T BE TOO MUCH OF AN INTROVERT, YOU HAVE TO BE AN EXTROVERT BECAUSE YOUR NETWORK IS YOUR NET WORTH. YOU HAVE TO GO OUT THERE, YOU HAVE TO NETWORK, YOU HAVE TO MEET PEOPLE BUT EVERY PLACE, YOU DON’T HAVE BE EVERY PLACE. LIKE EVERY PARTY OR EVERY SPOT, THAT DOESN’T MEAN YOU HAVE TO BE THERE. SOMETIMES YOU MAY WANT SOME SECLUSION, YOU KNOW, PEACE OF MIND, YOU KNOW WHAT I’M SAYING. I NOTICED YOUR SIGN SAID “PEACE OF MIND, THAT’S THE BAG.” THAT’S THE REAL BAG, PEACE OF MIND IS THE REAL BAG. SO, YOU KNOW, THAT GIVES ME PEACE OF MIND WHERE I CAN BE IN THE HOUSE RESEARCHING NEW PROJECTS, WORKING ON MY CRAFT, WORKING ON MY LINES, GOING THROUGH SCRIPTS AND GOING TO THE RIGHT PLACES, NOT EVERY PLACE. THAT’S WAY I SAY I’M AN INTROVERT AND NOT AN EXTROVERT.
VALIDATED: YOU ALSO WORKED AT BET WHERE MANY PEOPLE WOULD LOOK AT YOU LIKE THAT’S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY, HOWEVER, WITH THAT OPPORTUNITY CAME SOME DISAPPOINTMENTS ESPECIALLY WITH THE TAKEOVER FROM VIACOM. CAN YOU EXPLAIN?
MARKUANN SMITH: YEAH, IN LIFE THERE’S A LOT OF DISAPPOINTMENTS. THIS IS NOT A BET BASH AND I BELIEVE I’VE LEARNED A LOT FROM WORKING AT BET BUT IT ALSO HINDERED ME. SOME WORKPLACES THEY LET YOU KNOW THERE’S A GLASS CEILING AND THAT’S AS FAR AS YOU CAN GO. AND THAT'S HOW I FELT THERE, I FELT THAT I WAS BEING SUPPRESSED, I FELT LIKE I WAS BEING STAGNATED AND WHEN YOU GET COMFORTABLE THAT’S A DANGEROUS EMOTION TO BE COMFORTABLE. YOU KNOW YOU CAN GO TO WORK EVERYDAY AND 12 O’CLOCK YOU GO TO LUNCH, QUARTER TO 1 YOU GET A SMOKE BREAK, YOUR BOSS IS SAYING WHY YOU NOT BACK AT 1 O’CLOCK. I DIDN’T WANT TO LIVE MY LIFE LIKE THAT, I DIDN’T WANT TO WAKE UP SUNDAY MORNING REGRETTING GOING TO WORK ON MONDAY. EVEN THOUGH I WORKED AT WHAT PEOPLE SAID WAS A REAL PRESTIGIOUS PLACE BUT I WASN’T AT A PLACE WHERE I WAS FEELING CREATIVE. I FELT LIKE I WAS JUST DOING, I WAS SURVIVING, I WASN’T LIVING.
VALIDATED: I’VE READ THAT YOU LIKE TO DO STORIES THAT TALK ABOUT US BECAUSE CLEARLY OUR STORIES NEED TO BE HEARD AND TOLD AND AS YOU STATED THIS IS OUR TIME, A NARRATIVE FOR US. DO YOU EVER SEE YOURSELF DOING FICTIONAL WORK?
MARKUANN SMITH: ABSOLUTELY, I THINK NARRATIVES ARE NARRATIVES WHICH EVER WAY THAT IT COMES. YOU FEEL WHAT I’M SAYING? I PERSONALLY LIKE TO TELL OUR NARRATIVES OF THE STRUGGLE, OF HUMAN CONNECTION, OF EMOTION. I LOVE SCIENCE FICTION, I LOVE FANTASY STORIES BUT WHAT REALLY GRAVITATES ME WHEN I’M TELLING STORIES IS A TRUE CONNECTION. HOW SOMEBODY TAKES NOTHING AND MAKES SOMETHING BECAUSE WE ALL MIGRATED HERE, WE ALL IMMIGRANTS. THE UNITED STATES WAS BUILT ON IMMIGRANTS AND I LOVE TO HEAR SUCCESS STORIES, AND TELL THESE STORIES AND INSPIRE PEOPLE. NOW IF I GOT TO TELL A STORY ABOUT LUKE SKYWALKER AND IT INSPIRES SOMEBODY, HEY, I’LL TELL A STORY ABOUT LUKE SKYWALKER. BUT I LIKE TO TELL STORIES THAT I KNOW, THAT RESONATES WITH ME.
VALIDATED: LET’S TALK ABOUT YOUR BROTHER FATHER MC, HE TOOK YOU ON THE ROAD WHICH KEPT YOU OUT OF THE STREETS. HOW OLD WERE YOU AT THAT TIME AND WHAT WAS THE EXPERIENCE LIKE?
MARKUANN SMITH: I WAS ABOUT 16, 17. I WAS ON THE ROAD WITH MY BROTHER. THEY USE TO CALL HIM THE CHICKEN MAN BECAUSE HE USE TO WORK AT KENTUCKY FRIED CHICKEN BUT HE STILL DRESSED FLY. MY BROTHER HAD THE DALLEYS, DAPPER DAN AND EVERYTHING BUT HE CHOSE TO WORK AT KENTUCKY FRIED CHICKEN TO STAY OFF THE STREETS. SO PEOPLE USE TO TEASE HIM ALL THE TIME BECAUSE THEY USE TO SEE HIM WITH THE FLOUR ON HIM, YOU KNOW KNOW, COMING OFF FROM WORK THEY’D CALL HIM THE CHICKEN MAN. WHEN HE GOT THE DEAL WITH ANDRE HARRELL OVER AT UPTOWN MCA RECORDS HE DECIDED THAT IT WOULD BE BETTER FOR ME TO BE ON THE ROAD WITH HIM BECAUSE I WAS IN AND OUT OF JUVENILE FACILITIES, OUT OF SPARFORD, LINCOLN HALL, THINKS LIKE THAT. ME BEING ABLE TO TRAVEL, HIM GIVING ME AN OPPORTUNITY TRAVEL THE WORLD SHOWED ME THAT THERE WAS MORE THAN THIS SQUARE BOX THAT I LIVED IN. IT WAS MORE THAN 5 OR 6 HOUSES PROJECTS FIGHTING WITH EACH OTHER. I WAS ACTUALLY ABLE TO DJ QUICK, 2ND II NONE, AMG, HI-FIVE, SALT-N-PEPPA, SO I WAS ABLE TO SEE A DIFFERENT PART OF THE WORLD THAT I WOULDN’T HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SEE.
VALIDATED: WHAT’S YOUR BROTHER DOING NOW?
MARKUANN SMITH: HE’ RELAXING MAN, HE INVESTED HIS MONEY RIGHT. HE’S ROASTING TOMATOES IN HIS BACKYARD, GROWING PEARS AND ORANGES, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN. HE’S LIVING GOOD, HE’S STILL CREATIVE THOUGHT, HE’S REAL CREATIVE.
VALIDATED: WHAT DO YOU MISS MOST ABOUT OUR ERA BACK IN THE DAYS WHEN YOU WERE OUT THERE WITH YOUR BROTHER?
MARKUANN SMITH: MUSIC WAS FUN, IT WAS NO ANIMOSITY, IT WAS NO EGO. WHEN I WAS ON THE ROAD WITH LIKE HEAVY D AND GUY WE LOOKED OUT FOR EACH OTHER. EVERYBODY WAS COMING FROM SOMEWHERE TRYING TO GO SOMEWHERE SO IT WASN’T ALL ABOUT ONE PERSONS BETTER THAN ANOTHER. WE LOOKED OUT FOR EACH OTHER, WE SUPPORTED EACH OTHER. IT WASN’T AS… I’M NOT GOING TO CALL THE MUSIC NOW RATCHET BECAUSE OUR MOTHERS AND FATHERS WOULD CALL OUR MUSIC RACHET GROWING UP. I GREW UP IN THE 90’S BUT I JUST FELT IT WAS MORE OF A COMMODITY.
VALIDATED: GIVE US SOME INSIGHT ON THE SOUNDTRACK, I HEARD THE SOUNDTRACK IS PRETTY HOT?
MARKUANN SMITH: OH YEAH, WE GOT A DOPE SOUNDTRACK. SWIZZ BEATZ IS THE EXECUTIVE MUSIC PRODUCER, THE TITLE TRACK IS WITH RICK ROSS, DMX AND SWIZZ BEATZ, IT’S CALLED “JUST IN CASE”. THE SOUNDTRACK IS UNDER SONY/EPIC RECORDS, SYLVIA RHONE, BIG SHOUTOUT TO HER, WHO’S BEEN A CHAMPION. ZEKE LEWIS UP AT EPIC RECORDS, ERICA… YOU KNOW IT’S A REAL GREAT SOUNDTRACK WHERE WE’RE BRINGING THE CONTEMPORARY AND MIXING WITH THE MUSIC OF THE PAST. SO YOU MAY HEAR SAM COOKE BUT YOU’LL HEAR RICK ROSS, YOU MAY HEAR MARTHA AND THE VANDELLA’S BUT YOU’LL HEAR DMX OR YOU MAY HEAR JIDENNA OR EMELI SANDE, YOU KNOW, SO IT’S BRINGING ONE DEMOGRAPHIC AND MEETING IT WITH ANOTHER DEMOGRAPHIC AND COMING IN THE MIDDLE, LIKE THE GREAT GRASPY.
VALIDATED: THANKFUL TO HAVE BEEN ABLE TO WATCH THE FIRST EPISODE OF GODFATHER OF HARLEM. I APPRECIATE SEEING HARLEM AND ITS AUTHENTICITY COMPARED TO NOW AND THE GENTRIFICATION. WHAT WAS THAT FEELING LIKE TO BE ABLE TO BRING THAT BACK TO LIFE?
MARKUANN SMITH: WELL, EVEN BEFORE ACTUALLY SEEING IT ON SCREEN BUT JUST LIVING IN THE MOMENT OF WHEN WE’RE SHOOTING A PRODUCTION, SEEING ALL THE PICTURE CARDS, REBUILDING LENOX LOUNGE AND SHOOTING IN PARIS BLUES. PARIS BLUES IS THE SAME PARIS BLUES FROM FIFTY YEARS AGO, YOU KNOW, AND FINDING LITTLE NOOKS AND CRANNIES IN HARLEM THAT HAS THE SAME ARCHITECTURE ALIKE WHETHER IT BE STRIVERS ROW OR UP IN 125TH STREET. WE TRIED TO BRING THAT SAM VIBE SO YOU WOULDN’T SEE THE GENTRIFICATION THAT YOU SEE NOW.
VALIDATED: WHAT IS YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE AMAZING FOREST WHITAKER AND HOW DID HE GET THE ROLE OF BUMPY JOHNSON?
MARKUANN SMITH: FOREST, THAT’S MY BIG BROTHER LITERALLY. PLENTY OF NIGHTS HE’S CALLED ME, WE READ LINES TOGETHER. HE’S BEEN A MENTOR TO ME SPIRITUALLY, EMOTIONALLY, YOU KNOW, HE’S BEEN THERE FOR ME WHEN TIMES I’VE BEEN LIKE “YO, I’M TIRED MAN!” HE JUST SAID, “KEEP PUSHING!” HE GOT THE ROLE OF BUMPY JOHNSON, ACTUALLY HE DIDN’T COMMIT TO PLAYING BUMPY AT FIRST. HE COMMITTED TO PRODUCING AND WORKING WITH US UNTIL 10 OR 11 DRAFTS LATER THAT CHRIS BRANCATO, WHO CREATED THE TV SERIES “NARCOS”, HE DID ABOUT 11 DRAFTS. WHEN FOREST FINALLY READ THE LAST DRAFT, HIMSELF AND HIS MANAGER JOANN CALANOVA AND JIM ATCHINSON, MY PARTNER AND IT WAS LIKE, “THIS IS DRAFT, I WANT TO COMMIT TO IT.” AND THEN PAUL EINSTEIN, YOU KNOW, PAUL EINSTEIN IS THE OTHER CO-EXECUTIVE PRODUCER.
VALIDATED: BUT YOU WERE SAYING YOU DIDN’T EVEN WANT FOREST WHITAKER AT FIRST?
MARKUANN SMITH: I DIDN’T BELIEVE IT, I COME FROM A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE SELL YOU LEPRECHAUNS AND UNICORNS. YOU COULD TELL ME A ZEBRA WITH NO STRIPES RAN DOWN 125TH STREET, I’M NOT GOING TO BELIEVE IT. IT’S A BACKSTORY WITH THAT, I DIDN’T EVEN KNOW AT THE TIME THAT FOREST WAS REALLY DEEPLY INVOLVED. I JUST GOT A CALL THAT SAID, “HOW WOULD LIKE FOREST WHITAKER INVOLVED?”, I JUST SAID, “YEAH, WHATEVER!” AND I HUNG UP THE PHONE. BUT AS I FOUND OUT THAT IT WAS MORE REAL, THEN I WAS, “OKAY, I GOT YOU.” HE’S DEFINITELY A GOOD CHOICE.
VALIDATED: YOU WERE TOLD BY ONE EXECUTIVE, AFTER RECEIVING A DEAL WITH ABC THAT “AS AN ACTOR, AND AN EXECUTIVE PRODUCER YOU WOULD BE BETTER OFF GETTING STRUCK BY LIGHTNING, TWICE” BEFORE YOUR VISION WOULD SEE THE LIGHT OF DAY. WHAT WOULD YOU TELL THAT PERSON TODAY?
MARKUANN SMITH: I SEE HIM EVERYDAY, THAT’S MY EXECUTIVE PRODUCER AND WRITER, CHRIS BRANCATO. HE SAID HE’S GOING TO HAVE TO KISS MY BROWN BEHIND ON SUNSET BOULEVARD BECAUSE THIS IS REALLY HAPPENING. BUT CHRIS WASN’T REALLY BEING NEGATIVE, HE WAS JUST TEACHING ME HOW TO MANAGE EXPECTATIONS. IN THIS BUSINESS YOU HAVE TO MANAGE YOUR EXPECTATIONS BECAUSE YOU CAN’T BE HAPPY UNTIL THE CHECK IS CLEARED AND YOU STILL HAVE TO MAKE SURE AND WORK EVERYDAY. HE WAS JUST GIVING ME THE RAWNESS AND TRYING TO SAVE ME FROM THE BUMPS AND BRUISES HE WENT THROUGH 50 YEARS OR 40 YEARS AGO WHEN HE STARTED WORKING WITH WARREN BEATTY AND DICK WOLF AND ALL THESE AMAZING OTHER CREATORS. SO HE WAS JUST TRYING REALLY TO PROTECT ME BUT I AM A PERSON THAT WHERE I COME FROM I DIDN’T HAVE A PLAN B SO LIGHTING DOESN’T SCARE ME.
VALIDATED: WHAT WOULD YOU TELL YOURSELF 18 YEARS AGO AND WHAT DO YOU TELL OTHERS TODAY WHO NEED THAT ENCOURAGEMENT WHILE FOLLOWING THAT PASSION?
MARKUANN SMITH: WELL 18 YEARS AGO THERE’S NOTHING I COULD’VE TOLD MYSELF BECAUSE I KNEW 18 YEARS LATER THAT I WOULDN’T BE GIVING UP. IF I DECIDED TO GIVE UP THEN IT WOULD BE SOMETHING TO TELL ME BUT I WOULD TELL PEOPLE OUT THERE YOU JUST HAVE A TOUGH SKIN, DON’T BE IN YOUR FEELINGS BECAUSE SELLING A SHOW IN HOLLYWOOD IS NOT AN EASY TASK, YOU’RE ACTUALLY WALKING INTO A ROOM AND ASKING SOMEBODY TO COMMIT 60 MILLION TO 100 MILLION. EVEN IF SOMEBODY IS COMMITTING A DOLLAR THEY WANT TO KNOW WHAT’S THEIR ROI, MEANING THEIR RETURN ON INVESTMENT. SO YOU CAN’T HAVE, ALL YOUR EGO AND EVERYTHING HAS TO DROP AT THE DOOR. AND WHEN YOU’RE TELLING STORIES THERE'S AN ALPO IN EVERY HOOD, THERE'S A RICH PORTER IN EVERY HOOD, THERE'S A MARTIN LUTHER KING BOULEVARD IN EVERY HOOD AND A MALCOM X BOULEVARD IN EVERY HOOD… WHATS THE STORY THAT YOU’RE TRYING TO SELL THAT CUTS THROUGH THE FOG, THAT SEPARATES YOUR STORY FROM EVERYBODY ELSE'S? ONCE YOU HAVE THAT THEN YOU’RE ON YOUR WAY BUT JUST DON’T FEEL THAT, “OKAY, I HAVE A STORY.”, THAT “MY STORY’S GOOD.” GET SCREEN MAKING FOR DUMMIES, SCREENWRITING FOR DUMMIES, YOU KNOW, LEARN THE BUSINESS BECAUSE IT’100% BUSINESS, IT’S NOT 50% BUSINESS, IT’S NOT 60%, IT’S A 100% BUSINESS BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY THE PEOPLE YOU’RE WORKING WITH THEY WHAT TO KNOW WHAT THE RETURN ON THEIR INVESTMENT IS.
VALIDATED: SO WHAT CAN WE EXPECT NEXT FROM YOU?
MARKUANN SMITH: RIGHT NOW I’M WORKING ON THE LARRY DAVIS PROJECT. LARRY DAVIS IS ACTUALLY FROM THE BRONX, I’M WORKING ON IT WITH HIS FAMILY AND I’M WORKING ON SUGE KNIGHT'S SCRIPTED SERIES AND DOCUMENTARY AS WELL. I HAVE A FEW THINGS THAT I’M ACTUALLY EXCITED ABOUT IN THE FUTURE AND “GODFATHER OF HARLEM” SEASON 2, GOD WILLING.