SHELBYVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — A Middle Tennessee singer and rapper has been the star of his own TV series. Today, he's sharing a different story: one that changed his life. He's about to launch something to help other people change too.
"This is where I was raised," said country rapper Smo, speaking about his land in Bedford County. "This has been in my family since the 1800s. My cousin operates the cattle farm attached to my property. This is Barbertown is what they call it."
The family land includes an old store.
"My great-grandfather John Benton Barber, he was so good at selling eggs. He extended the building and opened up the General Store called JB Barber and Sons," Smo said.
It was that store where he began recording the music that would launch a career of touring and being the star of a series on A&E, "Big Smo." Smo said everything was moving so fast he didn't consider the way he was living until he felt a heavy pressure on his chest.
"I was right at 400 pounds," he said. "I had to have open heart surgery on that tour, quadruple bypass. It was alcohol. It was bar food. It was a lack of exercise. It was a culmination of bad habits and addictions I had since I was 10, 12 years old."
Smo began a true transformation, beginning with changing his diet, and then extending to exercise. He's just released a new single, "Somethin' Bout Love." He no longer records under the name Big Smo.
"When I dropped the 225 pounds, I dropped the 'big.' I earned that," he explained.
Smo is bringing to his home of Bedford County something new.
"I know everything that's in here," Smo said, standing in a mobile kitchen. "This is my vegan burger wrap. The burger part of this is made with beets, oats, and mushrooms."
In April, Smo is launching a food truck in Shelbyville at 401 N Cannon Blvd.
"Smolicious Mobile Eatery," he said. "It's a plant-based, whole food, oil-free, gluten-free menu that we're offering, and you can't get a menu like that anywhere."
Smo's planning to serve up smoothies, soups, salads, and more.
"And these are the mud tires!" he said, motioning to a plate of cake donuts. "Gluten-free, oil-free."
Smo's hope is he can help someone from his home to live out the same sort of transformation he did.
"My hometown has been my reason for success," Smo said. "I've always had my hometown support me from day one. I want to offer my hometown an option I didn't have. I want to save lives. It's homegrown, grassroots. The change starts here."
Fostering Hope provides Christmas for kids in foster care. I'm delighted to see Fostering Hope expand this year to expand their reach to now include kids in Foster care in metro AND foster kids in East TN hard hit by Helene.
-Bree Smith
