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Spectacular Smith

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Spectacular Smith
Born
Spectacular Blue Smith

(1986-09-07) September 7, 1986 (age 38)
Miami, Florida, U.S.
Occupations
Years active1997–present
TelevisionLove & Hip Hop: Miami
Children2
Musical career
GenresHip hop, R&B
InstrumentVocals
Labels

Spectacular Blue Smith (born September 7, 1986), known by his stage name Spectacular, is an American rapper, entrepreneur, keynote speaker, entertainer, television personality, author, and philanthropist. He is the Chairman and CEO of Spectacular Academy and Adwizar Inc.[1] and founder of the record label Mula Music Group.[2]

In 2018, Black Enterprise described Smith as "five most influential celebs that cross-pollinate between music and tech," estimating that his net worth was $65 million.[3]

Career

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Smith started performing with his brother in a hip hop group called Pretty Ricky[4] at the age of 11. His father, Joseph "Blue" Smith, of Jamaican descent,[5] was the owner of the indie label[6] and managed the group. Smith contributed musically and also choreographed the group's stage performances. After signing with Atlantic Records, the band went on the Scream IV tour, they promoted songs such as "Grind With Me"[7] and "Your Body".[8][9]

In addition to being a recording artist, Smith is also an entrepreneur. Intrigued by the business possibilities of social media, he experimented with Pretty Ricky's Facebook page, testing out theories behind social networks for a full year until he found a system for gaining and monetizing followers.[10] He then turned those ideas into Adwizar, a company that manages and monetizes social media accounts.[11] The company manages social media pages of artists such as Bow Wow, Kevin Gates, Soulja Boy, Master P, Birdman, and Bone Thugs-n-Harmony.[12][13][14] Smith has also claimed that he is the owner of the social media brand Grumpy Cat, which he claims is valued at 100 million dollars.[15]

On February 14, 2017, Smith released his first book, titled Spectacular Love: How to Make Good Love Last, published by Bluestar Books.[16]

Spectacular Academy

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In 2020, Smith founded Spectacular Academy, an online business school that provides training in social media growth, digital marketing, and online entrepreneurship. The program is aimed at helping aspiring business owners and content creators turn their online presence into profitable ventures. Through a combination of virtual workshops, mentorship, and software access via Adwizar.ai, the academy has educated thousands of students globally.

Spectacular Academy has received national recognition for its growth and impact. It has appeared multiple times on the Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing private companies in the United States, most recently in 2024.[17] It was also named to the Inc. Regionals Pacific list in 2025, ranking No. 44 with a 203% two-year growth rate. [18]

The academy’s success has been highlighted in national media for its role in democratizing business education and offering an alternative to traditional institutions.[19]

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In December 2020, Smith was arrested at Walt Disney World following an alleged altercation with a park employee during a family outing. The employee claimed that Smith had assaulted him, leading to widespread media coverage and public scrutiny.[20] Smith publicly denied wrongdoing, stating, “There’s two sides to every story.”[21]

In April 2025, after a multi-day civil trial in Broward County, Florida, a jury unanimously found Smith not liable in the $5 million lawsuit filed by the employee, Weland Bourne. The court determined that Smith was not the aggressor and had acted lawfully while attempting to protect his young son. Testimony and evidence showed that the Disney employee failed to identify himself and had physically blocked Smith, violating park safety protocols. The jury concluded that Bourne’s own actions caused the incident and cleared Smith of all responsibility.[22]

Philanthropy

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Spectacular Smith is involved in several philanthropic initiatives focused on education, entrepreneurship, and family support. He is the founder of the Single Mother Project, a charitable effort that has provided over $2 million in resources—including food, rent assistance, and emergency funding—for single mothers and underserved families across the United States.[23]

Through his company and educational platform, Spectacular Academy, Smith has also supported digital entrepreneurship in underrepresented communities. In addition to offering scholarships and free business trainings, the academy has partnered with nonprofit organizations to provide mentorship and tools to aspiring entrepreneurs from disadvantaged backgrounds. [24]

Smith has publicly emphasized the importance of giving back, stating that his philanthropic mission is rooted in his own upbringing and desire to “break cycles of poverty through education, opportunity, and love.”[25]

Honors and awards

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Discography

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Singles

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Filmography

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References

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  1. ^ "Pretty Ricky singer goes from broke to making millions by tweeting". Rolling Out. 27 December 2017. Retrieved 17 June 2018.
  2. ^ "EIN 47-3359648 - Mula Music Group Inc, Fort Lauderdale, Florida". eintaxid.com. Retrieved 2022-10-28.
  3. ^ "Black History Month: The top 5 Most Influential Entrepreneurs at the Intersection of Music and Tech". Black Enterprise. 19 February 2018. Retrieved 17 June 2018.
  4. ^ "Here's How Spectacular Smith Went From Pretty Ricky to Dead Broke to Raking in Millions on Social Media". VH1. Archived from the original on May 24, 2022. Retrieved 17 June 2018.
  5. ^ "Boys to Men - Pretty Ricky". Vibe Magazine. Google Books: Vibe Media Group. 1 October 2008. p. 108. Retrieved 10 February 2020. Born to a Jamaican mother, Smith's father died...
  6. ^ Carter, Brooke (12 March 2017). "What Happened to Pretty Ricky 2017 - What They're Doing Now". Gazette Review.
  7. ^ "Pretty Ricky Reunited for Final Album and Tour". The Boombox. Retrieved 17 June 2018.
  8. ^ "Pretty Ricky, Shins Grab Top Album Chart Spots". Billboard.
  9. ^ "Don't Miss These 4 Shows - By jschiewe - May 18, 2017 - SF Weekly". SF Weekly. 18 May 2017.
  10. ^ "R&B To ROI: Meet The Man Helping Celebrities Go Viral". Inc.
  11. ^ "Interview: Pretty Ricky's Spectacular Smith Makes Money Moves with Adwizar". Black Enterprise. 2017-09-20. Retrieved 2021-06-18.
  12. ^ "Pretty Ricky's Spectacular Shares His Bedroom Tips, and Talks About His New Album 'Sex God'". The Boombox.
  13. ^ Setaro, Shawn. "Spectacular Smith Uses Social Media To Make Big Bucks With Adwizar". Forbes.com.
  14. ^ "He Used to Sing in a Boy Band. Now He's Making Millions by Tweeting (a Lot)". Inc.com. 16 August 2017. Retrieved 17 June 2018.
  15. ^ Abraham, Maya. "Pretty Ricky's Spectacular Was Behind This $100 Million Deal, And Fans Are Floored". BET.
  16. ^ "Pretty Ricky's Spectacular Shares His Bedroom Tips, and Talks About His New Album 'Sex God'". The Boom Box.
  17. ^ "Inc. 5000 2024: Spectacular Academy". Inc.com. August 2024. Retrieved 2025-05-01.
  18. ^ "Inc. Regionals Pacific 2025: Adwizar/Spectacular Academy". Inc.com. February 2025. Retrieved 2025-05-01.
  19. ^ "How Spectacular Smith Is Changing Online Business Education". Business Insider. March 3, 2023. Retrieved 2025-05-01.
  20. ^ "Pretty Ricky's Spectacular Smith arrested at Disney World after alleged altercation with worker". USA Today. Dec 2, 2020. Retrieved 2025-05-02.
  21. ^ "Spectacular Smith responds to Disney World arrest". TMZ. Dec 2, 2020. Retrieved 2025-05-02.
  22. ^ "Spectacular Smith Fully Vindicated in $5 Million Disney Lawsuit—Jury Confirms Zero Liability". PR Newswire. April 2025. Retrieved 2025-05-02.
  23. ^ "Spectacular Smith's Single Mother Project Crosses $2M Milestone in Direct Aid". Black Enterprise. March 2024. Retrieved 2025-05-02.
  24. ^ "Spectacular Academy Offers Free Digital Training to Underserved Entrepreneurs". Entrepreneur. October 2023. Retrieved 2025-05-02.
  25. ^ "Spectacular Smith on Building Businesses and Giving Back". Forbes. April 2024. Retrieved 2025-05-02.
  26. ^ "Innovator Of The Year". vibe.com. 8 January 2019.
  27. ^ "Black History Month: The 5 Most Influential Entrepreneurs at the Intersection of Music and Tech". Black Enterprise. 19 February 2018. Retrieved 17 June 2018.
  28. ^ "The 10 Most Inspiring Business Leaders". mirrorreview.com. 16 November 2018.
  29. ^ "Greatest and Most Inspiring Entrepreneur". reader.magzter.com.
  30. ^ "10 Marketing Gurus To Watch In 2018". Huffingtonpost.com. 16 November 2017.
  31. ^ Hill, Selena (2020-06-08). "14 Entrepreneurial Thought Leaders From Black Twitter". Black Enterprise. Retrieved 2020-11-16.
  32. ^ Roxanna, Carmen (22 May 2019). "Spectacular Smith's Company 'Adwizar' Named The Best Privately Owned Company In America On The Entrepreneur 360 List". Baller Alert.
  33. ^ Grant, Jasmine. "Class Is In Session For This Member of Pretty Ricky, Who is Officially a Harvard Student". vh1.com.
  34. ^ "Spectacular Handles His Family Business". vh1.com. Archived from the original on January 9, 2019.
  35. ^ "UPDATED: SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Monday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 8.19.2019". vh1.com. Archived from the original on 2019-08-20.
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