..:::Smoke-E came from my grandfather who was a blues musician in Chicago, his name was Big Smokey(R.I.P), his younger brother is Little Smokey and my family calls me Smokey Jr. so I went with the Smoke and added the E for my grandmother(Earline, which is also my middle name), because she wrote all the songs he sang...so I'm like a mix between both of them, I compose my music, I write it, and I perform it:::..

I do play live...I haven't been on stage in a while...but sometime in the summer if you live in Eau Claire and know my brother Mario(Rio) Hillman, you will see me and my cousin doing shows around town:::..

..:::It helps networking and getting yourself out there to a lot of different people:::..

..:::I would...but not fully, I would still be on my Payasa Productions lable and my brothers lable(Destine Records):::..

I was in a group for about two years called OTC(One Twisted Crew)...we did a show at the boys and girls club, we also did a talent show at our school in 8th grade...

Kanye West, Rakim, Aaliyah(R.I.P), Nas, Selena(R.I.P), My grandfather(R.I.P), Neptunes, Dipset, Bumpy Johnson(For all my Chi-City people), Jay-Z, Common, Eve, Persia(yea from the white rapper show, she is the shit, white or not), Shayla G(also from chicago), Lupe Fiasco, Just Blaze, Swizz Beatz, DMX, Dead Prez, Slum Village....etc

..:::My favorite cities would have to be Kenosha(my hometown) and Chicago, I have so much family there, and I just love bein there:::..

I use fruity loops to make my beats...I am trying to get some money for different things to use...I use Acid Pro 6 to record my full songs...I do have a DR-880 Drum Machine that I use, but not often, just for ideas...