Markuann Smith: Creating his own lane in Millennial Hollywood TV & Music artwork
Million Dollar Mindset

Markuann Smith: Creating his own lane in Millennial Hollywood TV & Music

  • S2E38
  • 27:25
  • April 12th 2019

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. 

Million Dollar Mindset

The Million Dollar Mindset Podcast peers into the mental makeup, work ethic, & passion of the brightest & influential minds in the world of business/entertainment. The MDM Podcast is hyper-focused on illuminating the positive culture of brands & impactful digital products engineered by unconventional entrepreneurs.