Big Smoke: Difference between revisions

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Character
Melvin Harris
	{{{caption}}}
Appearances	[[Appearance::Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas]]
Full Name	Melvin Harris
Aliases	Big Smoke; Smoke
Status	Deceased [[Status::Deceased\| ]]
Gender	Gender::Male
Place of Birth	Los Santos
Date of Death	[[Error: Invalid time.\|1992]][[DOD::1992\| ]]
Nationality	American
Home	Ganton, Los Santos; Big Smoke's House in Idlewood, Los Santos,; Big Smoke's Crack Palace
Main Affiliations	Grove Street Families; Sweet; Carl Johnson; Ryder; OG Loc; Big Bear; B Dup; C.R.A.S.H.; Ballas; Los Santos Vagos; Russian Mafia; San Fierro Rifa; Loco Syndicate
Vehicles	Black Perennial; Blue Glendale
Voiced by	Clifton Powell
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Revision as of 17:34, 14 June 2011

This article is about the character. For the mission in GTA San Andreas, see Big Smoke (mission)

Melvin Harris, better known as Big Smoke or Smoke, is a character in the Grand Theft Auto series who appears as a main character in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (set in 1992). Big Smoke appeared as a high ranking member of the Grove Street Families who later joined forces with the Ballas, Los Santos Vagos and Russian Mafia, becoming the biggest criminal in the underworld of Los Santos. He is voiced by Clifton Powell, who has also appeared in Menace II Society.

Character history

Early life

Big Smoke was born in Los Santos, likely in Ganton due to his close relationship with Sweet and Carl Johnson, and he later became a member of the Grove Street Families. He rose through the ranks of the gang until becoming the right hand man of Sweet, being helped by the departure of Carl in 1987 after his brothers death. Smoke also, at one point, lived in Ganton, which may have been from birth, but moved to Idlewood some time prior to 1992, purchasing a house with his 'aunts money' from a will. The Grove Street Families, however, begin to lose influence and status amongst the city gangs, noticing that the Ballas, who control Idlewood, are selling drugs to fuel their rising influence. He then starts trying to persuade Sweet to allow the Grove Street Families to sell drugs, although this fails. At some point Big Smoke forms an alliance with the Ballas and begins to secretly work for them. Smoke later includes the Los Santos Vagos and the Russian Mafia, who were hoping to get a foothold in Los Santos, into his new alliance. They also form an alliance with the Loco Syndicate who began supplying them with various drugs from their base in San Fierro, although he doesn't realize that an undercover government agent is involved in the operation.

Life with Carl Johnson

In 1992, after failing to convince Sweet, he goes to Ryder and convinces him to join forces with the Ballas, who later attempt to kill Sweet but fail, instead killing his mother. The death of Beverly Johnson leads to her son, Carl, returning from Liberty City and Carl meets Smoke inside his old house. Smoke initially fails to realise Carl but immediately accepts the return of an old friend, contrary to Sweet who remains initially hostile. At the funeral a Ballas car appears and performs a drive-by shooting, forcing Smoke, Carl, Sweet and Ryder to use bicycles in their effort to escape. The Ballas, however, only chase and shoot at Carl and Sweet, due to Smoke and Ryder's alliance with the gang, a fact that is missed by the Johnson brothers. Smoke likewise refuses to shoot at Ballas gangsters, who were performing a drive-by on the gang, claiming that he did not want to waste the food.

Smoke continues his life as normal within the Grove Street Families, often being found around Sweet. He begins to hire Carl to do various tasks, the first being to pick up OG Loc from prison, which ends with Carl and Loc chasing down Freddy, a Los Santos Vagos gangster, in a motorcycle chase, eventually killing him. Carl later goes to see Smoke at his house but is disturbed to find Frank Tenpenny and Eddie Pulaski, two police officers involved in C.R.A.S.H., which Smoke states is because they are 'nosy', although it is another sign of his true allegiances. C.R.A.S.H. are seen again exiting Smoke's home.

Carl and Smoke then go to East Los Santos in search of Mary, his 'cousin', although when there he attempts to take some cannabis from a Los Santos Vagos gangster. He is blown off but hits one of the gangsters with a bat with Carl chasing and killing the second. The two later work together to kill four Los Santos Vagos gangsters as they leave a meeting with the San Fierro Rifa on the Brown Streak train. The two work together one last time when they kill a number of Russian Mafia gangsters, although Smoke gives no reason for this encounter, which may have been to have Carl killed due to his continued success in attacking the Ballas and the Los Santos Vagos, both allied with Smoke.

Smoke continues his friendship with Sweet and Carl, although he and Ryder both refuse to enter the Jefferson Motel during the attempt to re-unite the divided Grove Street Families, knowing that the meeting was to be interrupted by the police. Sweet and Carl, however, both manage to escape and the four evade the police before going their separate ways when returning home.

Betrayal and rise

Big Smoke, Ryder, Frank Tenpenny and Eddie Pulaski with the green Sabre used to kill Beverly Johnson, as witnessed by Carl Johnson and Cesar Vialpando, during The Green Sabre.

Cesar Vialpando, the boyfriend of Sweet and Carl's sister Kendl, later phones Carl to come to an alleyway in Verdant Bluffs. While there the two witness Smoke and Ryder working with Frank Tenpenny and Eddie Pulaski, with the green Sabre used to kill his mother being driven by Pulaski. Carl finally realises Smoke's true allegiances but is forced to go to Mulholland Intersection to save his brother from a Ballas ambush. Sweet is shot and later arrested, being taken to prison upstate while Carl is taken to Whetstone by Tenpenny, Pulaski and Jimmy Hernandez.

In the absence of both Sweet and Carl, Smoke and Ryder take control of the Grove Street Families and add them to their alliance. The Ballas take control of Ganton and other Grove Street Families territory. The Grove Street Families gangsters, meanwhile, begin working as drugs smugglers, taking them from the Loco Syndicate factory in Doherty, San Fierro back to Los Santos. Cesar Vialpando, however, discovers this and alerts Carl Johnson, who stops a number of the supplies from reaching Los Santos. Carl and Cesar later photograph Ryder with three men, later identified as Jizzy B., T-Bone Mendez and Mike Toreno. Carl, upon returning to his garage in San Fierro has Wu Zi Mu and his Triad allies discover more about the trio.

Carl then begins to work for Jizzy B., attempting to gather more information on the operation, and later gains his trust. Carl, however, later kills Jizzy, San Fierro Rifa leader T-Bone Mendez and undercover agent Mike Toreno, as well as Ryder, before destroying their drug manufacturing factory, stopping the supply back to Los Santos. Smoke, however, is undeterred and instead starts his manufacturing plant in East Los Santos. He also begins working as the manager of OG Loc, a rapper and childhood friend of both Smoke and Carl, who helped him by sabotaging the career of Madd Dogg. He also attempts to show himself as a philanthropist when telling West Coast Talk Radio that he is using his money to try and stop the sale drugs in Los Santos, despite being the drug baron of the city.

Final days

In the meantime Carl is re-united with Toreno, who used a decoy on his scheduled departing flight, and begins working for him attacking those harming American interests. As a reward, Toreno gets Sweet paroled from prison and the two return home, taking Ganton back for the Grove Street Families, who once ally themselves with the formerly absent leaders. By this time, however, Smoke had become a recluse and extremely paranoid, hiding away in his drug manufacturing plant. Sweet and Carl continue their attack on the Ballas, re-taking both Glen Park (in Beat Down on B Dup) and Idlewood (in Grove 4 Life).

Carl Johnson confronting Big Smoke in his drug manufacturing factory, shortly before a shoot-out and Smoke's death, during End of the Line.

The Johnson brothers then decide to take down Big Smoke and his operation, using a SWAT Tank to brake into his drug manufacturing plant. Carl then proceeds to shoot his way past the many Ballas, Los Santos Vagos and Russian Mafia gangsters in the factory until reaching the top floor, where he finds Big Smoke. The two become involved in a gun fight, which is won by Carl, who manages to talk to Smoke about his betrayal before his death. Smoke, showing remorse for his actions, tells Carl that he got caught up in the money and power he was able to obtain. He reminds Carl that when he is dead people will remember his name before dying from the gunshot wounds inflicted by Carl. Carl shows remorse for Smoke but is interrupted by Tenpenny, who he later chases before he drives a fire truck off a bridge into Grove Street and dies.

Trivia

Big Smoke drives a blue Glendale, with a white roof, which has the license plate A2TMFK. Opinions on the meaning of this are varied:

Some believe it to be an acronym for 'a two-timing motherfucker, in reference to his betraying the Grove Street Families.

Some believe it to be an acronym for 'a two-ton motherfucker', in reference to him being overweight.

Some believe it to be a reference to the Cypress Hill song 'A to the Motherf*ckin K', which was released in 1993 (a year after GTA San Andreas).

Big Smoke's favorite radio stations are Bounce FM and Radio Los Santos.
The beta version of Big Smoke is shown wearing a white jersey and black trousers, with Smoke having a bald head, which can be seen on the statute of Smoke in the drug manufacturing factory in East Los Santos.
Big Smoke quotes the Bible on many occasions, hinting that he may be deeply religious.
Big Smoke, like Ryder, continues to wear green clothing after his betrayal of the Grove Street Families becomes common knowledge. This is because Big Smoke and Ryder only have one coded outfit
Big Smoke is shown to have two bullets in his chest following the shoot-out during End of the Line, regardless of how he is killed.
Big Smoke makes multiple references to his desire to be remembered following his death.
On the radar, when you can do missions for Big Smoke, his icon appears as BS. Interestingly enough, BS is an abbreviation of bullshit. This is a possible reference to the fact that he is full of shit, as Carl says in the mission Running Dog. This is not likley true.

Mission appearances

GTA San Andreas

Gallery

Artwork of Big Smoke.

Artwork of Big Smoke.
Alternative artwork of Big Smoke depicting an unused model.

Alternative artwork of Big Smoke depicting an unused model.
The beta version of Smoke.
The statued beta version of Smoke.

Grove Street Families

Ballas

Los Santos Vagos

@@ Line 23: / Line 23: @@
 ==Character history==
 ===Early life===
-Big Smoke was born in [[Los Santos]], likely in [[Ganton]] due to his close relationship with [[Sweet]] and [[Carl Johnson]], and he later became a member of the [[Grove Street Families]]. He rose through the ranks of the gang until becoming the right hand man of Sweet, being helped by the departure of Carl in [[1987]] after his [[Brian Johnson|brothers]] death. Smoke also, at one point, lived in Ganton, which may have been from birth, but moved to [[Idlewood]] some time prior to [[1992]], purchasing a [[Big Smoke's House|house]] with his 'aunts money' from a will. The Grove Street Families, however, begin to lose influence and status amongst the city gangs, noticing that the [[Ballas]], who control Idlewood, are selling drugs to fuel their riseing influence. He then starts trying to persuade Sweet to allow the Grove Street Families to sell drugs, although this fails. At some point Big Smoke forms an alliance with the Ballas and begins to secretly work for them. Smoke later includes the [[Los Santos Vagos]] and the [[Russian Mafia]], who were hoping to get a foothold in [[Los Santos]], into his new alliance. They also form an alliance with the [[Loco Syndicate]] who began supplying them with various drugs from their base in [[San Fierro]], although he doesn't realise that an [[Mike Toreno|undercover government agent]] is involved in the operation.
+Big Smoke was born in [[Los Santos]], likely in [[Ganton]] due to his close relationship with [[Sweet]] and [[Carl Johnson]], and he later became a member of the [[Grove Street Families]]. He rose through the ranks of the gang until becoming the right hand man of Sweet, being helped by the departure of Carl in [[1987]] after his [[Brian Johnson|brothers]] death. Smoke also, at one point, lived in Ganton, which may have been from birth, but moved to [[Idlewood]] some time prior to [[1992]], purchasing a [[Big Smoke's House|house]] with his 'aunts money' from a will. The Grove Street Families, however, begin to lose influence and status amongst the city gangs, noticing that the [[Ballas]], who control Idlewood, are selling drugs to fuel their rising influence. He then starts trying to persuade Sweet to allow the Grove Street Families to sell drugs, although this fails. At some point Big Smoke forms an alliance with the Ballas and begins to secretly work for them. Smoke later includes the [[Los Santos Vagos]] and the [[Russian Mafia]], who were hoping to get a foothold in [[Los Santos]], into his new alliance. They also form an alliance with the [[Loco Syndicate]] who began supplying them with various drugs from their base in [[San Fierro]], although he doesn't realize that an [[Mike Toreno|undercover government agent]] is involved in the operation.
 === Life with Carl Johnson===
 In 1992, after failing to convince Sweet, he goes to [[Ryder]] and convinces him to join forces with the [[Ballas]], who later attempt to kill Sweet but fail, instead killing his [[Beverly Johnson|mother]]. The death of Beverly Johnson leads to her son, Carl, returning from [[Liberty City in GTA III Era|Liberty City]] and Carl meets Smoke inside his old [[Johnson House|house]]. Smoke initially fails to realise Carl but immediately accepts the return of an old friend, contrary to Sweet who remains initially hostile. At the funeral a Ballas [[Voodoo|car]] appears and performs a drive-by shooting, forcing Smoke, Carl, Sweet and Ryder to use [[Bicycle|bicycles]] in their effort to escape. The Ballas, however, only chase and shoot at Carl and Sweet, due to Smoke and Ryder's alliance with the gang, a fact that is missed by the Johnson brothers. Smoke likewise refuses to shoot at Ballas gangsters, who were performing a [[Drive Thru|drive-by]] on the gang, claiming that he did not want to waste the food.
-Smoke continues his life as normal within the Grove Street Families, often being found around Sweet. He begins to hire Carl to do various tasks, the first being to pick up [[OG Loc]] from prison, which ends with Carl and Loc chasing down [[Freddy]], a [[Los Santos Vagos]] gangster, in a motorcycle chase, eventually killing him. Carl later goes to see Smoke at his house but is disturbed to find [[Frank Tenpenny]] and [[Eddie Pulaski]], two [[Los Santos Police Department|police]] officers involved in [[C.R.A.S.H.]], which Smoke states is because they are 'nosey', although it is another sign of his true allegiances. C.R.A.S.H. are seen [[Wrong Side of the Tracks|again]] exiting Smoke's home.
+Smoke continues his life as normal within the Grove Street Families, often being found around Sweet. He begins to hire Carl to do various tasks, the first being to pick up [[OG Loc]] from prison, which ends with Carl and Loc chasing down [[Freddy]], a [[Los Santos Vagos]] gangster, in a motorcycle chase, eventually killing him. Carl later goes to see Smoke at his house but is disturbed to find [[Frank Tenpenny]] and [[Eddie Pulaski]], two [[Los Santos Police Department|police]] officers involved in [[C.R.A.S.H.]], which Smoke states is because they are 'nosy', although it is another sign of his true allegiances. C.R.A.S.H. are seen [[Wrong Side of the Tracks|again]] exiting Smoke's home.
 Carl and Smoke then go to [[East Los Santos]] in search of ''Mary'', his 'cousin', although when there he attempts to take some cannabis from a Los Santos Vagos gangster. He is blown off but hits one of the gangsters with a [[Bat|bat]] with Carl chasing and killing the second. The two later work together to [[Wrong Side of the Tracks|kill four]] Los Santos Vagos gangsters as they leave a meeting with the [[San Fierro Rifa]] on the [[Brown Streak]] train. The two work together one last time when they [[Just Business|kill]] a number of [[Russian Mafia]] gangsters, although Smoke gives no reason for this encounter, which may have been to have Carl killed due to his continued success in attacking the Ballas and the Los Santos Vagos, both allied with Smoke.
-Smoke continues his friendship with Sweet and Carl, although he and Ryder both refuse to enter the [[Jefferson Motel]] during the [[Reuniting the Families|attempt to re-unite]] the divided Grove Street Families, knowing that the meeting was to be interupted by the police. Sweet and Carl, however, both manage to escape and the four evade the police before going their separate ways when returning home.
+Smoke continues his friendship with Sweet and Carl, although he and Ryder both refuse to enter the [[Jefferson Motel]] during the [[Reuniting the Families|attempt to re-unite]] the divided Grove Street Families, knowing that the meeting was to be interrupted by the police. Sweet and Carl, however, both manage to escape and the four evade the police before going their separate ways when returning home.
 ===Betrayal and rise===
@@ Line 38: / Line 38: @@
 [[Cesar Vialpando]], the boyfriend of Sweet and Carl's sister [[Kendl Johnson|Kendl]], later [[Cell Phone|phones]] Carl to come to an alleyway in [[Verdant Bluffs]]. While there the two witness Smoke and Ryder working with [[Frank Tenpenny]] and [[Eddie Pulaski]], with the green [[Sabre]] used to kill his mother being driven by Pulaski. Carl finally realises Smoke's true allegiances but is forced to go to [[Mulholland Intersection]] to save his brother from a Ballas ambush. Sweet is shot and later arrested, being taken to prison upstate while Carl is taken to [[Whetstone]] by Tenpenny, Pulaski and [[Jimmy Hernandez]].
-In the abscence of both Sweet and Carl, Smoke and Ryder take control of the Grove Street Families and add them to their alliance. The Ballas take control of Ganton and other Grove Street Families territory. The Grove Street Families gangsters, meanwhile, begin working as drugs smugglers, taking them from the Loco Syndicate factory in [[Doherty]], [[San Fierro]] back to Los Santos. Cesar Vialpando, however, discovers this and alerts Carl Johnson, who stops a number of the supplies from reaching Los Santos. Carl and Cesar later photograph Ryder with three men, later identified as [[Jizzy B.]], [[T-Bone Mendez]] and [[Mike Toreno]]. Carl, upon returning to his [[Doherty Garage|garage]] in San Fierro has [[Wu Zi Mu]] and his [[San Fierro Triads|Triad]] allies discover more about the trio.
+In the absence of both Sweet and Carl, Smoke and Ryder take control of the Grove Street Families and add them to their alliance. The Ballas take control of Ganton and other Grove Street Families territory. The Grove Street Families gangsters, meanwhile, begin working as drugs smugglers, taking them from the Loco Syndicate factory in [[Doherty]], [[San Fierro]] back to Los Santos. Cesar Vialpando, however, discovers this and alerts Carl Johnson, who stops a number of the supplies from reaching Los Santos. Carl and Cesar later photograph Ryder with three men, later identified as [[Jizzy B.]], [[T-Bone Mendez]] and [[Mike Toreno]]. Carl, upon returning to his [[Doherty Garage|garage]] in San Fierro has [[Wu Zi Mu]] and his [[San Fierro Triads|Triad]] allies discover more about the trio.
-Carl then begins to work for Jizzy B., attempting to gather more information on the operation, and later gains his trust. Carl, however, later kills [[Ice Cold Killa|Jizzy]], San Fierro Rifa leader [[Pier 69 (mission)|T-Bone Mendez]] and undercover agent [[Mike Toreno]], as well as Ryder, before [[Yay Ka-Boom-Boom|destroying]] their drug manufacturing factory, stopping the supply back to Los Santos. Smoke, however, is undetered and instead starts his [[Big Smoke's Crack Palace|manufacturing plant]] in [[East Los Santos]]. He also begins working as the manager of [[OG Loc]], a rapper and childhood friend of both Smoke and Carl, who helped him by sabotaging the career of [[Madd Dogg]]. He also attempts to show himself as a philanthropist when telling [[West Coast Talk Radio]] that he is using his money to try and stop the sale drugs in Los Santos, despite being the drug baron of the city.
+Carl then begins to work for Jizzy B., attempting to gather more information on the operation, and later gains his trust. Carl, however, later kills [[Ice Cold Killa|Jizzy]], San Fierro Rifa leader [[Pier 69 (mission)|T-Bone Mendez]] and undercover agent [[Mike Toreno]], as well as Ryder, before [[Yay Ka-Boom-Boom|destroying]] their drug manufacturing factory, stopping the supply back to Los Santos. Smoke, however, is undeterred and instead starts his [[Big Smoke's Crack Palace|manufacturing plant]] in [[East Los Santos]]. He also begins working as the manager of [[OG Loc]], a rapper and childhood friend of both Smoke and Carl, who helped him by sabotaging the career of [[Madd Dogg]]. He also attempts to show himself as a philanthropist when telling [[West Coast Talk Radio]] that he is using his money to try and stop the sale drugs in Los Santos, despite being the drug baron of the city.
 ===Final days===
-In the meantime Carl is re-united with Toreno, who used a decoy on his scheduled departing flight, and begins working for him attacking those harming [[United States of America|American]] interests. As a reward, Toreno gets Sweet parolled from prison and the two [[Home Coming|return home]], taking [[Ganton]] back for the Grove Street Families, who once ally themselves with the formerly absent leaders. By this time, however, Smoke had become a recluse and extremely paranoid, hiding away in his [[Big Smoke's Crack Palace|drug manufacturing plant]]. Sweet and Carl continue their attack on the Ballas, re-taking both [[Glen Park]] (in [[Beat Down on B Dup]]) and [[Idlewood]] (in [[Grove 4 Life]]).
+In the meantime Carl is re-united with Toreno, who used a decoy on his scheduled departing flight, and begins working for him attacking those harming [[United States of America|American]] interests. As a reward, Toreno gets Sweet paroled from prison and the two [[Home Coming|return home]], taking [[Ganton]] back for the Grove Street Families, who once ally themselves with the formerly absent leaders. By this time, however, Smoke had become a recluse and extremely paranoid, hiding away in his [[Big Smoke's Crack Palace|drug manufacturing plant]]. Sweet and Carl continue their attack on the Ballas, re-taking both [[Glen Park]] (in [[Beat Down on B Dup]]) and [[Idlewood]] (in [[Grove 4 Life]]).
 [[File:EndoftheLine-GTASA3.jpg|right|thumb|250px|[[Carl Johnson]] confronting Big Smoke in his [[Big Smoke's Crack Palace|drug manufacturing factory]], shortly before a shoot-out and Smoke's death, during [[End of the Line]].]]
-The Johnson brothers then decide to take down Big Smoke and his operation, using a [[SWAT Tank]] to brake into his drug manufacturing plant. Carl then proceeds to shoot his way past the many Ballas, Los Santos Vagos and Russian Mafia gangsters in the factory until reaching the top floor, where he finds Big Smoke. The two become involved in a gun fight, which is won by Carl, who manages to talk to Smoke about his betrayal before his death. Smoke, showing remorse for his actions, tells Carl that he got caught up in the money and power he was able to obtain. He reminds Carl that when he is dead people will remember his name before dying from the gunshot wounds inflicted by Carl. Carl shows remorse for Smoke but is interupted by Tenpenny, who he later chases before he drives a [[Fire Truck|fire truck]] off a bridge into [[Grove Street]] and dies.
+The Johnson brothers then decide to take down Big Smoke and his operation, using a [[SWAT Tank]] to brake into his drug manufacturing plant. Carl then proceeds to shoot his way past the many Ballas, Los Santos Vagos and Russian Mafia gangsters in the factory until reaching the top floor, where he finds Big Smoke. The two become involved in a gun fight, which is won by Carl, who manages to talk to Smoke about his betrayal before his death. Smoke, showing remorse for his actions, tells Carl that he got caught up in the money and power he was able to obtain. He reminds Carl that when he is dead people will remember his name before dying from the gunshot wounds inflicted by Carl. Carl shows remorse for Smoke but is interrupted by Tenpenny, who he later chases before he drives a [[Fire Truck|fire truck]] off a bridge into [[Grove Street]] and dies.
 ==Trivia==
-*Big Smoke drives a blue [[Glendale]], with a white roof, which has the licence plate ''A2TMFK''. Opinions on the meaning of this are varied:
+*Big Smoke drives a blue [[Glendale]], with a white roof, which has the license plate ''A2TMFK''. Opinions on the meaning of this are varied:
 :Some believe it to be an acronym for 'a two-timing motherfucker'', in reference to his betraying the Grove Street Families.
 :Some believe it to be an acronym for 'a two-ton motherfucker', in reference to him being overweight.
 :Some believe it to be a reference to the [[:wp:Cypress Hill|Cypress Hill]] song 'A to the Motherf*ckin K', which was released in [[1993]] (a year after GTA San Andreas).
-*Big Smoke's favourite radio stations are [[Bounce FM]] and [[Radio Los Santos]].
+*Big Smoke's favorite radio stations are [[Bounce FM]] and [[Radio Los Santos]].
 *The beta version of Big Smoke is shown wearing a white jersey and black trousers, with Smoke having a bald head, which can be seen on the statute of Smoke in the [[Big Smoke's Crack Palace|drug manufacturing factory]] in [[East Los Santos]].
 *Big Smoke quotes the Bible on many occasions, hinting that he may be deeply religious.