Big Smoke: Difference between revisions

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{{infobox character
{{infobox character|
 
|image =BigSmoke-GTASA.jpg
|game_1 = GTA San Andreas
|name = Melvin Harris
|name = Melvin Harris
|image = BigSmoke-GTASA.jpg
|aka = Big Smoke<br />Smoke
|size = 160px
|status = Deceased
|games = [[Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas]]
|aka = Big Smoke
|gender = M
|gender = M
|pob = [[Los Santos]], [[State of San Andreas|San Andreas]]
|dob =
|pob = [[Los Santos in GTA III Era|Los Santos]]
|dod = 1992
|dod = 1992
|home = [[Big Smoke's Home]], [[Idlewood]], Los Santos<br>[[Big Smoke's Crack Palace]], [[East Los Santos]], Los Santos
|dod-comment = (<small>during [[End of the Line]]</small>)
|nationality = [[United States|American]]
|home = [[Ganton]], [[Los Santos in GTA III Era|Los Santos]]<br />[[Big Smoke's House]] in [[Idlewood]], [[Los Santos in III Era|Los Santos]]<br />[[Big Smoke's Crack Palace]]
|affiliations = [[Grove Street Families]]<br>[[C.R.A.S.H.]]<br>[[Ballas]]<br>[[Los Santos Vagos]]<br>[[San Fierro Rifa]]<br>[[Russian Mafia]]
|nationality = United States
|vehicles = Black [[Perennial]]<br>Blue [[Glendale]]
|family =
|businesses = [[Big Smoke's Crack Palace]]
|affiliations = [[Grove Street Families]]<br />[[Sweet]]<br />[[Carl Johnson]]<br />[[Ryder]]<br />[[OG Loc]]<br />[[Big Bear]]<br />[[B Dup]]<br />[[C.R.A.S.H.]]<br />[[Ballas]]<br />[[Los Santos Vagos]]<br />[[Russian Mafia]]<br />[[San Fierro Rifa]]<br />[[Loco Syndicate]]
|vehicles = Black [[Perennial]]<br />Blue [[Glendale]]
|businesses =  
|voice = [[Clifton Powell]]
|voice = [[Clifton Powell]]
}}
}}
{{also|''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 [[3D Universe]] 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 in GTA III Era|Los Santos]]. He is voiced by [[Clifton Powell]], who has also appeared in ''Menace II Society''.


''This article is about the character. For the mission in GTA San Andreas, see [[Big Smoke (Mission)]]''
==Character history==
{{spoiler}}
===Background===
Big Smoke was born in [[Los Santos in GTA III Era|Los Santos]], and grew up on the Grove Street cul-de-sac in [[Ganton]] next door to [[Sweet]], [[Brian Johnson|Brian]] and [[Carl Johnson]], as well as [[Ryder]] and [[OG Loc]]. He and his childhood friends were founding members of [[Grove Street Families]]. In [[1987]], Brian somehow died with Carl's negligence to blame, and Carl left for [[Liberty City]].


'''Melvin Harris''' (? - 1992), known as '''Big Smoke''', was a senior member of the [[Grove Street Families]].
Grove Street Families went downhill over the next five years. Smoke tried to convince Sweet to let the gang sell crack cocaine, though Sweet was vehemently opposed to it. Smoke began to secretly sell it under the guidance of corrupt [[LSPD]] officer [[Frank Tenpenny]], which saw Smoke secretly work with the rival [[Ballas]] gang. Smoke made enough money to buy a [[Big Smoke's House|new house]] and a vintage black [[Perennial]], which he told his friends he paid for with an inheritance from his dead aunt. Smoke's old house on Grove Street, next door to the Johnson residence, was still used as a regular hangout. Before long, Big Smoke is supplied large amounts of cocaine by the [[Loco Syndicate]] from [[San Fierro]].


== Description ==
In [[1992]], Big Smoke let Ryder in on his secret dealings with crack. In the same week, Tenpenny organized a hit on Sweet - the assassins, Ballas behind the wheel of a green [[Sabre]], spray the Johnson residence with machine gun fire but accidentally kill [[Beverly Johnson]] instead. Carl Johnson returns to Los Santos for the funeral, which is when GTA: San Andreas begins.
Early in the storyline of the [[Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas|game]], there were several telltale signs of Big Smoke's disloyalty to the gang. The clues indicates that he moved out of [[Grove Street]] to live in a [[Big Smoke's Home|new home]] in [[Idlewood]] - [[Ballas]] territory - and there is suspicion that he paid for the house with drug money, despite his insistence that it was money from his aunt. In addition, Big Smoke has, on occasion, showed little interest in defending or aiding the gang, as seen in [[Drive-Thru|one mission]] when the rest of the gang was shooting at a Ballas car that had attacked them; Smoke was in the back seat of [[Sean Johnson|Sweet's]] car eating fast food. In [[Cleaning the Hood|another mission]], he talks with Sweet about their differing stances on street drugs; he appears to be trying to convince Sweet that drug dealing (with the money and power that come along with it) would be good for the Families. Big Smoke would also been seen dragging himself into conflict with other non-native gangs, including the [[Russian Mafia]] and the [[San Fierro Rifa]]. Furthermore, [[Frank Tenpenny]] and his [[C.R.A.S.H.|clique]] show up at Big Smoke's house during the beginning of several missions, suggesting familiarity, although Big Smoke claims each time that they are attempting to extract information from him. Big Smoke also has a unique sense of humor calling a glass bottle a ''"Little glass Balla fool"'' and shooting it.


His true nature was revealed when he turned his back from the gang, having [[The Green Sabre|been seen]] along with [[Ryder]] collaborating with the Ballas and C.R.A.S.H., and appeared to be linked, along with Ryder, to the killing of [[Carl Johnson|Carl's]] [[Beverly Johnson|mother]]. With the prospect of power, money and fame in the drug business too great for Big Smoke to resist as he goes on to establish a drug cartel with the [[Loco Syndicate]] in [[San Fierro]] with the help of the Ballas, transporting the merchandise and money between [[Los Santos]] and San Fierro, as well as running several drug manufacturing factories in both San Fierro and Los Santos (the former destroyed by Carl during his stay in San Fierro). It is also been revealed during certain [[West Coast Talk Radio|WCTR]] news that he becomes [[OG Loc]]'s manager and that he tries to be a "philanthropic" man by helping the defavorized streets and cleaning them from drugs, which is an obvious bald-faced lie.
===Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas===
====Gang Activity====
Smoke is the first to welcome Carl home, and brings him to the funeral to meet Sweet, Ryder and [[Kendl Johnson]]. While Smoke welcomes Carl back with open arms, Sweet and Ryder remain bitter about Brian's death. The funeral is attacked by Ballas in a purple [[Voodoo]], which the four of them escape on [[Bicycle|bicycles]]. Smoke's Perennial is destroyed in the process, which he promptly replaces with a teal [[Glendale]]. A week or two later, when the four of them are at a fast-food [[Drive Thru|drive-thru]], they are targeted by the same hitmen. Sweet, Carl and Ryder kill them with no help from Smoke, who instead continued eating his meal. The rest of the gang is angry at him, though he passes it off as a simple personal eccentricity and it's more or less forgotten.


In the [[End of the Line|final mission]] of the game, Carl enters Big Smoke's Crack Fortress (and home) in Los Santos, amid a citywide [[Los Santos Riots|riot]], to confront Big Smoke, and ends up killing him. As Big Smoke lies dying on the floor, he at first admits feelings of guilt to CJ, saying he "got addicted to the money, the power...", but that he can't help his own greedy nature, saying "I just see the opportunity...", and finally proclaims that though he is gone, his name will stay in history forever and utters his last words before dying: "When I'm gone, everyone gonna remember my name...BIG SMOKE!". CJ feels sorrow for the decline of Big Smoke's values, uttering very silently to himself "Damn, man... what a waste...”
[[File:LosSantosVagos-GTASA-attacked.jpg|thumb|left|Big Smoke making contact with a Vagos member's head using a [[baseball bat]].]]


In ''[[The Introduction]]'', Smoke unsuccessfully tries to convince Sweet to have the Grove Street Families sell drugs, saying that the Ballas have gotten rich and powerful due to drug sales, while the Grove Street Families have lost power. Smoke, however, easily convinces Ryder to his side during a private meeting between the two. It is also evident that Tenpenny had a large hand in Smoke turning traitor, apparently tempting Smoke with chances of money and power, and possibly even threatening him.
Carl helps Big Smoke outside of official gang business, which is when he first begins to suspect Smoke is hiding something. Two incidents in particular, [[Wrong Side of the Tracks|chasing down]] a train full of [[Los Santos Vagos]] en route to meet the [[San Fierro Rifa]], and a [[Just Business|large shootout]] with the [[Russian Mafia]], peak Carl's curiosity while Big Smoke is reluctant to answer his questions.


[[Clifton Powell]] provided the voice for Big Smoke.
Eventually, Grove Street Families regains the influence it had in the mid-1980s. Carl proves to be a great asset to the gang, which earns him Sweet's respect back. At their peak, they plan to [[Reuniting the Families|re-unite]] with their former allies, Seville Boulevard and Temple Drive Families. Their meeting at the [[Jefferson Motel]] is stormed by LSPD [[SWAT]] - Smoke and Ryder urge Carl to flee the scene with them, though Carl insists on saving Sweet. When Carl reaches Sweet, he first expresses distrust in Smoke and Ryder, saying "they shook on us!". However, Smoke and Ryder actually return to Sweet and Carl's aid, and all four of them escape unharmed.
 
[[File:TheGreenSabre-GTASA2.png|right|thumb|250px|Big Smoke, [[Ryder]], [[Frank Tenpenny]] and [[Eddie Pulaski]] with the green [[Sabre]] used to kill [[Beverly Johnson]], as [[The Green Sabre|witnessed]] by [[Carl Johnson]] and [[Cesar Vialpando]], during [[The Green Sabre]].]]
Very soon after, the newly-united Families are on their way to seize Ballas territory under the [[Mulholland Intersection]]. [[Cesar Vialpando]], Kendl Johnson's boyfriend, summons Carl to [[Verdant Bluffs]] where he witnesses Smoke, Ryder, Tenpenny and Ballas conferring around the infamous [[Green Sabre]]. Carl rushes to save his brother, but ultimately fails - Sweet is shot and mended in a prison hospital, while Carl is abandoned in [[Whetstone]] by Tenpenny.
 
====Drug Baron====
No longer weighed down by the Johnson's, Big Smoke becomes the most powerful drug lord in [[Los Santos]]. Former Ballas, Vagos and GSFs disregard their gang ties and unilaterally work for him. Former GSFs Ryder and [[B-Dup]] both become wealthy in his employ, though Smoke does not trust B-Dup enough to make him a "lieutenant", so to speak. Twice a week, Big Smoke takes in a backpack full of cocaine from the [[Loco Syndicate]], and sends back money in a [[Patriot]]. OG Loc has since become a successful rapper, and Smoke launders drug money by becoming his manager. Smoke takes on the public image of a benefactor to orphanages and anti-drug campaigns, further concealing his drug operation. Aside from his public charity appearances, he is extremely paranoid and rarely ventures out of a [[Big Smoke's Crack Palace|fortified apartment tower]] he owns in [[East Los Santos]]. He owns a white [[Feltzer]], license plate "IMY AK", but rarely gets to enjoy it because he is a shut-in.
 
Carl gets back on his feet in [[San Fierro]], destroys the Loco Syndicate and kills Ryder. Word of Ryder's death runs wild in Los Santos (according to Cesar in [[Yay Ka-Boom-Boom]]), though Smoke is undeterred and finds a new supplier of raw cocaine. Carl later finds his way back to Los Santos, and manages to have Sweet [[Home Coming|freed]] from a supposedly unsurmountable life sentence (ironically by [[Mike Toreno]], an undercover US government agent who organized the Loco Syndicate in the first place). Sweet and Carl build Grove Street Families from the ground up a third time, while [[Cut Throat Business|OG Loc]] and [[Beat Down on B Dup|B Dup]] are shaken down but left alive. As Tenpenny's acquittal for corruption hits national news, riots break out all over Los Santos. Carl and Sweet use this opportunity to gain even more turf, and Sweet eventually find a high-ranking Vagos member who spills Big Smoke's location to them.
 
====Death====
[[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]].]]
Carl [[End of the Line|ventures]] into Smoke's apartment tower alone, in order to prove a point to himself and Sweet, and makes his way to Big Smoke's penthouse. Smoke is at first slow to respond to Carl, saying "I knew you was coming, and I don't give a shit". They then have a short argument, in which Smoke is somewhat jealous and resentful of Carl but relishes his own success, telling him "Look at you, you got the whole world! I ain't got no regrets, man!". Carl attempts to rebate by stating Smoke had a family, but is inturuptted by him stating "I made it CJ, I'm a success! I CAN'T BE TOUCHED. I don't give a fuck. Fuck the whole world." A clearly disappointed Carl asks Smoke "What happened to you man?" Smoke replies "Man, what the fuck do you care?" He grabs a shotgun and aim's it at Carl. "Guess we better do this shit then..."
 
[[Image:EndoftheLine-GTASA9.png|left|thumb|250px|Carl listening to Big Smoke's final words.]]
After a shootout in his apartment, Carl manages to get five bullets through Smoke's body armor, flooring him besides his open safe and his spilled money. Carl tries one last time to reason with Smoke as he dies. Smoke grabs onto some of his money, and admits "I got caught up in the money, the power" and "I had no choice, I had to do it. I just see the opportunity". Smoke's last words are filled with vanity, however, and he proclaims "When I'm gone, everyone gonna remember my name - Big Smoke!". Carl somberly whispers to himself "Damn, man. What a waste." before he is confronted by Tenpenny. The apartment tower is burned down (by Tenpenny), which causes the media to rule Big Smoke's death as an accident. After an epic car chase throughout Los Santos, using Smoke's white Feltzer, Carl and Sweet kill Tenpenny in a supposed accident as well.


==Trivia==
==Trivia==
*Big Smoke drives a [[Glendale]] with a white roof and baby blue body. The car's license plate reads ''A2TMFK''. This could mean ''a two-timing motherfucker'', hinting at his actions later in the game, or ''a two ton motherfucker'', which references the fact that he is overweight, which is also a running gag early on in the game. Some say it is also a reference to the [[wp:Cypress Hill|Cypress Hill]] song ''A to the Motherf*ckin K'', however the game is set in 1992, and the song came out in 1993.
*Big Smoke drives a blue [[Glendale]], with a white roof, which has the license plate ''A2TMFK''. Opinions on the meaning of this are varied:
*Throughout the early stages of the game, there are already signs of Big Smoke's betrayal. He has moved out of Grove Street into a [[Ballas]] territory, and in most of his missions, he is meeting with or killing rival gang members who are involved in the drug trade, and [[C.R.A.S.H.]] are usually at his house when Carl arrives. In the mission [[Drive Thru]], Smoke refuses to shoot at the Ballas car, and in [[Running Dog]], he says that he is picking up his cousin "Mary", when in fact he is actually going to collect weed of the [[Los Santos Vagos]].
:Some believe it to be an acronym for 'a two-timing motherfucker'', in reference to his betraying the Grove Street Families.
*His favorite radio station is [[Bounce FM]], as referenced by what is always first been heard when inside his car.
:Some believe it to be an acronym for 'a two-ton motherfucker', in reference to him being overweight.
*The Beta version of Big Smoke wears white jersey, black pants, and features a baldhead. All of this can be seen on the statue of himself inside his Crack Palace.
: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).
*Smoke constantly quotes the Bible, hinting that he may be deeply religious.
*Big Smoke's favorite radio stations are [[Bounce FM]] and [[Radio Los Santos]].
*Strangely, like [[Ryder]], Smoke wears green even after he is revealed to betray the families, though this is because he still respected the GSF.
*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 in GTA III Era|East Los Santos]].
*No matter how Smoke is killed, or how many times he is shot in the final mission, the cutscene that follows always shows Smoke with 2 bullets in his chest.
*Big Smoke quotes the Bible on many occasions, hinting that he may be deeply religious.
*In replay mode, Smoke, along with [[Sweet]] and [[Ryder]], appear as pedestrian character models. [[File:Replay-GTASA-Drive-By.png|thumb|right|Smoke's character model seen in replay mode during the mission [[Drive-By]].]]
*Big Smoke, like Ryder, continues to wear green clothing after his betrayal of the [[Grove Street Families]] becomes common knowledge, even despite Big Smoke having a separate character model depicting him wearing body armor.
*Big Smoke is shown to have five 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.
*At the 26 second mark of [[Franklin Clinton]]'s GTA V character trailer, a man heavily resembling Big Smoke can be seen watching a stripper.


==Mission appearances==
==Mission appearances==
Line 56: Line 84:
*[[Just Business]] <small>(Boss)</small>
*[[Just Business]] <small>(Boss)</small>
*[[Reuniting the Families]]
*[[Reuniting the Families]]
*[[The Green Sabre]] (betrayal)
*[[The Green Sabre]]
*[[Loco Syndicate Drug Courier]] <small>(Head of cash runs)</small>
*[[End of the Line]] <small>(Killed)</small>
*[[End of the Line]] <small>(Killed)</small>


==Gallery==
==Gallery==
<gallery>
<gallery>
File:BigSmoke-Artwork.jpg|Artwork of Big Smoke.
File:BigSmoke-GTASA-artwork.jpg|Artwork of Big Smoke.
File:BigSmoke-Artwork2.jpg|Alternative artwork of Big Smoke depicting an unused model.
File:BigSmoke-GTASA-artwork2.jpg|Alternative artwork of Big Smoke depicting an unused model.
File:BigSmoke-GTASA2.jpg|The beta version of Smoke.
File:BigSmoke-GTASA2.jpg|The beta version of Smoke.
File:Big_smoke_statue.jpg|The statued beta version of Smoke.
File:BigSmoke'sCrackPalace-GTASA-statue.jpg|The statued beta version of Smoke.
File:Big-Smoke-GTAV.jpg|Big Smoke lookalike in Franklin's character trailer.
</gallery>
</gallery>


{{Grove Street Families}}
{{Navboxes
<gallery widths="50">
|title= Navigation
</gallery>
|list1={{characters|state=collapsed}}
{{Gtasa characters|state=collapsed}}
}}
[[Category:Characters|Harris, Melvin]]
[[Category:Characters|Harris, Melvin]]
[[Category:Characters in GTA San Andreas|Harris, Melvin]]
[[Category:Characters in GTA San Andreas|Harris, Melvin]]
[[Category:Characters in 3D Universe|Harris, Melvin]]
[[Category:Bosses|Harris, Melvin]]
[[Category:Bosses|Harris, Melvin]]
[[Category:Deceased Characters|Harris, Melvin]]
[[Category:Deceased Characters in 3D Universe|Harris, Melvin]]
[[Category:Gangsters|Harris, Melvin]]
[[Category:Gangsters|Harris, Melvin]]
[[de:Big Smoke]]
[[es:Big Smoke]]
[[fi:Big Smoke]]
[[fr:Big Smoke]]
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[[nl:Melvin Harris]]
[[pl:Melvin Harris]]
[[pt:Big Smoke]]

Revision as of 23:41, 18 June 2014

Character
Melvin Harris
{{{caption}}}
{{{caption}}}
Appearances GTA San Andreas
Full Name Melvin Harris
Aliases Big Smoke
Smoke
Status

Deceased

Gender Gender::Male
Place of Birth Los Santos
Date of Death 1992 (during End of the Line)
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
ADVERTISEMENT

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 3D Universe 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

Background

Big Smoke was born in Los Santos, and grew up on the Grove Street cul-de-sac in Ganton next door to Sweet, Brian and Carl Johnson, as well as Ryder and OG Loc. He and his childhood friends were founding members of Grove Street Families. In 1987, Brian somehow died with Carl's negligence to blame, and Carl left for Liberty City.

Grove Street Families went downhill over the next five years. Smoke tried to convince Sweet to let the gang sell crack cocaine, though Sweet was vehemently opposed to it. Smoke began to secretly sell it under the guidance of corrupt LSPD officer Frank Tenpenny, which saw Smoke secretly work with the rival Ballas gang. Smoke made enough money to buy a new house and a vintage black Perennial, which he told his friends he paid for with an inheritance from his dead aunt. Smoke's old house on Grove Street, next door to the Johnson residence, was still used as a regular hangout. Before long, Big Smoke is supplied large amounts of cocaine by the Loco Syndicate from San Fierro.

In 1992, Big Smoke let Ryder in on his secret dealings with crack. In the same week, Tenpenny organized a hit on Sweet - the assassins, Ballas behind the wheel of a green Sabre, spray the Johnson residence with machine gun fire but accidentally kill Beverly Johnson instead. Carl Johnson returns to Los Santos for the funeral, which is when GTA: San Andreas begins.

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

Gang Activity

Smoke is the first to welcome Carl home, and brings him to the funeral to meet Sweet, Ryder and Kendl Johnson. While Smoke welcomes Carl back with open arms, Sweet and Ryder remain bitter about Brian's death. The funeral is attacked by Ballas in a purple Voodoo, which the four of them escape on bicycles. Smoke's Perennial is destroyed in the process, which he promptly replaces with a teal Glendale. A week or two later, when the four of them are at a fast-food drive-thru, they are targeted by the same hitmen. Sweet, Carl and Ryder kill them with no help from Smoke, who instead continued eating his meal. The rest of the gang is angry at him, though he passes it off as a simple personal eccentricity and it's more or less forgotten.

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Big Smoke making contact with a Vagos member's head using a baseball bat.

Carl helps Big Smoke outside of official gang business, which is when he first begins to suspect Smoke is hiding something. Two incidents in particular, chasing down a train full of Los Santos Vagos en route to meet the San Fierro Rifa, and a large shootout with the Russian Mafia, peak Carl's curiosity while Big Smoke is reluctant to answer his questions.

Eventually, Grove Street Families regains the influence it had in the mid-1980s. Carl proves to be a great asset to the gang, which earns him Sweet's respect back. At their peak, they plan to re-unite with their former allies, Seville Boulevard and Temple Drive Families. Their meeting at the Jefferson Motel is stormed by LSPD SWAT - Smoke and Ryder urge Carl to flee the scene with them, though Carl insists on saving Sweet. When Carl reaches Sweet, he first expresses distrust in Smoke and Ryder, saying "they shook on us!". However, Smoke and Ryder actually return to Sweet and Carl's aid, and all four of them escape unharmed.

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.

Very soon after, the newly-united Families are on their way to seize Ballas territory under the Mulholland Intersection. Cesar Vialpando, Kendl Johnson's boyfriend, summons Carl to Verdant Bluffs where he witnesses Smoke, Ryder, Tenpenny and Ballas conferring around the infamous Green Sabre. Carl rushes to save his brother, but ultimately fails - Sweet is shot and mended in a prison hospital, while Carl is abandoned in Whetstone by Tenpenny.

Drug Baron

No longer weighed down by the Johnson's, Big Smoke becomes the most powerful drug lord in Los Santos. Former Ballas, Vagos and GSFs disregard their gang ties and unilaterally work for him. Former GSFs Ryder and B-Dup both become wealthy in his employ, though Smoke does not trust B-Dup enough to make him a "lieutenant", so to speak. Twice a week, Big Smoke takes in a backpack full of cocaine from the Loco Syndicate, and sends back money in a Patriot. OG Loc has since become a successful rapper, and Smoke launders drug money by becoming his manager. Smoke takes on the public image of a benefactor to orphanages and anti-drug campaigns, further concealing his drug operation. Aside from his public charity appearances, he is extremely paranoid and rarely ventures out of a fortified apartment tower he owns in East Los Santos. He owns a white Feltzer, license plate "IMY AK", but rarely gets to enjoy it because he is a shut-in.

Carl gets back on his feet in San Fierro, destroys the Loco Syndicate and kills Ryder. Word of Ryder's death runs wild in Los Santos (according to Cesar in Yay Ka-Boom-Boom), though Smoke is undeterred and finds a new supplier of raw cocaine. Carl later finds his way back to Los Santos, and manages to have Sweet freed from a supposedly unsurmountable life sentence (ironically by Mike Toreno, an undercover US government agent who organized the Loco Syndicate in the first place). Sweet and Carl build Grove Street Families from the ground up a third time, while OG Loc and B Dup are shaken down but left alive. As Tenpenny's acquittal for corruption hits national news, riots break out all over Los Santos. Carl and Sweet use this opportunity to gain even more turf, and Sweet eventually find a high-ranking Vagos member who spills Big Smoke's location to them.

Death

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

Carl ventures into Smoke's apartment tower alone, in order to prove a point to himself and Sweet, and makes his way to Big Smoke's penthouse. Smoke is at first slow to respond to Carl, saying "I knew you was coming, and I don't give a shit". They then have a short argument, in which Smoke is somewhat jealous and resentful of Carl but relishes his own success, telling him "Look at you, you got the whole world! I ain't got no regrets, man!". Carl attempts to rebate by stating Smoke had a family, but is inturuptted by him stating "I made it CJ, I'm a success! I CAN'T BE TOUCHED. I don't give a fuck. Fuck the whole world." A clearly disappointed Carl asks Smoke "What happened to you man?" Smoke replies "Man, what the fuck do you care?" He grabs a shotgun and aim's it at Carl. "Guess we better do this shit then..."

Carl listening to Big Smoke's final words.

After a shootout in his apartment, Carl manages to get five bullets through Smoke's body armor, flooring him besides his open safe and his spilled money. Carl tries one last time to reason with Smoke as he dies. Smoke grabs onto some of his money, and admits "I got caught up in the money, the power" and "I had no choice, I had to do it. I just see the opportunity". Smoke's last words are filled with vanity, however, and he proclaims "When I'm gone, everyone gonna remember my name - Big Smoke!". Carl somberly whispers to himself "Damn, man. What a waste." before he is confronted by Tenpenny. The apartment tower is burned down (by Tenpenny), which causes the media to rule Big Smoke's death as an accident. After an epic car chase throughout Los Santos, using Smoke's white Feltzer, Carl and Sweet kill Tenpenny in a supposed accident as well.

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.
  • In replay mode, Smoke, along with Sweet and Ryder, appear as pedestrian character models.
    Smoke's character model seen in replay mode during the mission Drive-By.
  • Big Smoke, like Ryder, continues to wear green clothing after his betrayal of the Grove Street Families becomes common knowledge, even despite Big Smoke having a separate character model depicting him wearing body armor.
  • Big Smoke is shown to have five 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.
  • At the 26 second mark of Franklin Clinton's GTA V character trailer, a man heavily resembling Big Smoke can be seen watching a stripper.

Mission appearances

GTA San Andreas

Gallery