Algee Smith: From Broke in LA to Euphoria, Jamie Foxx & Owning His Music cover art

Algee Smith: From Broke in LA to Euphoria, Jamie Foxx & Owning His Music

Algee Smith: From Broke in LA to Euphoria, Jamie Foxx & Owning His Music

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Algee Smith has never played it safe — and this conversation proves exactly why that's his superpower. From sleeping on a friend's couch in North Hollywood, surviving on El Pollo Loco and 7-Eleven Slurpees, to booking the New Edition Story AND Detroit in the same month — Algee's journey is one of radical faith, relentless study, and a refusal to shrink. In this episode of NAACP+ Inside the Industry, host Ariana Drummond sits down with the actor, recording artist, and NAACP Image Award nominee to talk craft, ownership, representation, and what it really takes to build a career across two industries. In this episode, we unpack: → How Algee chooses roles — and why the script always comes first → Working with Jamie Foxx on Netflix's Fight for 84 and what he learned watching Jamie set the tone on set with a boombox → The story behind his EP Love Lost — the breakup, the healing, and why men needed to hear it → Flying from Atlanta to Connecticut just to track down clearance for a sample on 'Spiraling.' → What it felt like to book New Edition and Detroit while broke and days away from flying home → How playing both a Black Panther and a cop forced him to wrestle with his own identity → His tribute to late co-star James Van Der Beek and the gems shared in an RV between scenes → The real difference between working on Black-led sets versus majority-white productions → Why ownership is legacy — and why he's never signing another deal without equity → Practical advice on contracts, AI, community building, and protecting your peace in Hollywood Subscribe to NAACP+ Inside the Industry: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLaaTUaaxeh-IBd36D0P3FzFcu17Ij2S4T ️ Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3iny4YTd9NfUBB51aWOpYr?si=8657ebed5b5049ed&nd=1&dlsi=316fca0df52b4a1e Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/naacp-inside-the-industry/id1894940807 Follow Algee Smith: https://www.instagram.com/itsalgee/ https://youtube.com/@itsalgee?si=se6LrU3mfdh-2oxu Follow Ariana Drummond: https://www.instagram.com/arianad_pr/ Learn more about NAACP+: https://linktr.ee/NAACPPlus Follow us: https://www.instagram.com/naacpplus/ Chapters (00:00:00) - Cold Open: Jamie Foxx Sets the Tone(00:00:37) - Introducing Algee Smith(00:01:24) - Choosing Roles That Speak to You(00:02:40) - Who Is Algee Off Camera?(00:03:34) - Tribute to James Van Der Beek & Filming The Gates(00:05:19) - What The Gates Says About the Black Experience(00:07:26) - Playing a Cop in American Blue After Playing a Black Panther(00:08:58) - NAACP Image Nomination & Balancing Music and Acting(00:10:28) - Fight for 84: The Netflix Boxing Film With Jamie Foxx(00:12:04) - The Responsibility of Playing Real People(00:14:28) - Growing Up in Michigan, Moving to Atlanta, and Early Influences(00:16:07) - What His Parents Taught Him About Business(00:17:21) - Making Love Lost as an Independent Artist(00:19:04) - The Wild Story Behind 'Spiraling' and the Sample Clearance Chase(00:21:17) - His Sound and Identity as an Artist(00:22:47) - What Music Gives Him That Acting Doesn't(00:24:32) - What Ownership Means to Him(00:25:34) - Building a Music Career in Today's Industry(00:27:02) - Advice for Breaking Into Entertainment(00:28:54) - The Actor-Musician Perception Problem(00:30:47) - Preparing for the New Edition Story in 30 Days(00:31:55) - The Couch-Surfing, Broke-in-LA Origin Story(00:34:59) - What the NAACP Image Nomination Meant to Him(00:35:34) - The Importance of Relationships in the Industry(00:37:17) - Representation On and Off Screen(00:39:12) - The Difference Between Black-Led and Other Sets(00:41:10) - Euphoria: What He Knew and What He Didn't(00:43:04) - How He Protects His Spirit on Heavy Roles(00:44:56) - What Hollywood Should Have Told Him Earlier(00:46:27) - Navigating AI and the Changing Landscape(00:47:41) - What Keeps Him Motivated in the Valleys(00:48:41) - Contract Advice for Artists Starting Out(00:50:40) - His Favorite Career Moment (It's Right Now)(00:51:47) - Legacy: What He Wants to Leave Behind(00:53:24) - Inside the Industry Bag Game(00:55:30) - Wrap-Up
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