Big Smoke

Melvin Harris (? - 1992), known as "Big Smoke", was a senior member of the Grove Street Families.

Description
Early in the storyline, there were several telltale signs of Big Smoke's disloyalty to the gang: he moved out of Grove Street to live in a 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 the mission "Drive Thru" when the rest of the gang was shooting at a Ballas car that had attacked them, Smoke was in the back seat of Sweet's car eating fast food. In "Cleaning the Hood", 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 be seen dragging himself into conflict with other non-native gangs, including the Russian Mafia and the San Fierro Rifa. Furthermore, Frank Tenpenny and his 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 claims to have had a cousin, killed by Russians after "the wall came down", however he calls the cousin "Mary", and when they go to pick "her" up big smoke says "A big fresh bud right from the plantation" and asks some Vagos for his "Weedo", it is clear that his cousin is Marijuana. Big Smoke also has a unuiqe sense of humour 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 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's mother. With the prospect of power, money, and fame in the drug business too great for Big Smoke to resist, he goes on to establish a drug delivery venture 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 revealed during certain 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.

In the final mission of the game, "End of the Line", Carl enters Big Smoke's remaining drug factory (and home) in Los Santos, amid a citywide riot, to confront Big Smoke, and ends up killing him. As Big Smoke lies dying on the floor he crawls over to his safe and pulls out some money saying that he will "At least die with cash in my pockets" and then 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!".

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.

It is rumored that Smoke is based off famous rappers such as Big Pun, Biggie Smalls, or Death Row producer Suge Knight.

Clifton Powell provided the voice for Big Smoke.

Trivia

 * Big smoke drives a Glendale with a white roof and baby blue body. When you get a chance look at his license plate, it spells A2TMFK. This could mean "A two time mother f*cker", hinting at his actions later in the game, or "A two tonne mother f*cker", 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 Cypress Hill song "A to the Motherf*ckin K", however the game is set in 1992, and the song came out in 1993.
 * His favorite Radio Station is Bounce FM
 * Even though friends call him "Big Smoke", which means that he is heavy smoker, he smoked only once in the game (mission End of The Line). The "Big" in his name could merely just be referencing his obesity.
 * The Beta version of Big Smoke wears a white Jersey, black pants, features a bald head. All of this can be seen on the statue of himself inside his Crack Palace.
 * Sometimes when the player buys a haircut at Reece's Hair & Facial Studio Reece may tell CJ Smoke needs a haircut, but in the Beta version of the game it is reveald that Big Smoke is bald.

Mission appearances

 * GTA San Andreas
 * Big Smoke (Boss)
 * Tagging Up Turf
 * Cleaning the Hood
 * Drive-Thru
 * Nines and AKs
 * Drive-By
 * OG Loc (Boss)
 * Running Dog (Boss)
 * Wrong Side of the Tracks (Boss)
 * Just Business (Boss)
 * Reuniting the Families
 * The Green Sabre
 * End of the Line (Killed)

Trivia

 * Big Smoke can be heard along with OG Loc on the Entertaining America With Lazlow Jones on the West Coast Talk Radio (WCTR) radio station.

Big Smoke