My Friends Are Better Than Yours: A Conversation With Markuann Smith, Executive Producer of Godfather of Harlem

This episode of My Friends Are Better Than Yours features a young man I've known for over 20 years. I've literally watched him grow up from being the younger brother of Uptown Records recording artist, Father MC to sharpening his skills while working at BET. And now, he is not only acting as Junie Byrd in the MGM+ series, Godfather of Harlem starring Forrest Whitaker but also the executive producer of the hit series drama. Markuann Smith is a New York City native who has been working in the industry for over 20 years. He got his start when he went on tour traveling the world with the likes of Tupac, Toni Tony Tone, Digital Underground, and Boyz II Men. Markuann never gave up his dream of becoming an actor. He also worked in reality television as the Presenter of VH1's Let's Talk About Pep, which starred Pep of the legendary hip-hop recording group, Salt N' Pepa. You can even see Markuann on Chappelle's Show, Juice, Poetic Justice, Code Blue, and A Good Day to Die. You can get a more in-depth interview with him from the Black Enterprise interview, ⁠Actor and Executive Producer Markuann Smith Tells the Real Story Behind ‘Godfather of Harlem.’⁠ We got a chance to talk about the recent season of Godfather of Harlem and his journey in the entertainment industry.