For many independent artists, collaborations come and go. A song gets recorded, a show gets played, and everyone moves on.
For Big Texas and Black Smurf, things turned into something much bigger.
Born and raised on the West Side of San Antonio, Texas, Big Texas has spent nearly a decade building his name through live performances, independent releases, and relentless dedication to underground rap culture. Since beginning his music journey in 2015 and performing his first show in 2016, he has built a reputation as a high-energy performer whose career has been driven as much by touring and fan connection as it has by recorded music.
One of the most important relationships in that journey began in 2022 when he started performing alongside Memphis underground veteran Black Smurf.
Widely respected throughout underground hip-hop, Black Smurf established himself as one of Memphis’ most recognizable independent artists through years of touring, consistency, and influence on the modern underground rap scene. As Big Texas continued expanding his reach outside of Texas, their paths crossed and quickly developed into a working relationship that would help shape the next chapter of his career.
Their first major run together came during the Hustle Hard Die Rotten Tour era, which followed Black Smurf and Mikey Rotten’s collaborative project of the same name. The tour brought underground rap audiences together across multiple cities and gave Big Texas an opportunity to perform alongside one of the scene’s most respected touring artists.
From there, the relationship continued to grow.
Big Texas later joined Black Smurf during the 5150 Tour, which also featured Memphis underground standout idontknowjeffery. By this point, Big Texas was no longer simply appearing at isolated events. He had become a recurring presence within Black Smurf’s touring ecosystem, performing for audiences throughout multiple regions of the United States and continuing to build his reputation city by city.
What made the partnership unique was the connection between two cities with deep musical histories.
Memphis has long been recognized as one of the birthplaces of modern underground rap, while Texas has produced generations of influential Southern artists and independent movements. Through years of performing together, Big Texas and Black Smurf helped create a bridge between those cultures, bringing fans from both regions together through live shows, collaborations, and shared experiences on the road.
That connection eventually led to one of the most important releases in Big Texas’ catalog: “Texas To Memphis.”
Released alongside Black Smurf, the song represented more than just a collaboration. It served as a reflection of the relationship built through years of touring, friendship, and mutual respect. The title itself symbolized the connection between their hometowns and the underground scenes they represented.
For Big Texas, the record became one of the clearest examples of how years of networking, touring, and relationship-building can evolve into meaningful artistic collaborations.
The partnership continued to expand through Black Smurf’s Hustle Chaos Tour series.
Big Texas became a recurring participant in both Hustle Chaos 1.0 and Hustle Chaos 2.0, helping bring the tour’s energy to cities throughout the United States. The tour has become one of the most recognizable independent touring brands associated with Black Smurf, with stops spanning Texas, the Southwest, and other markets around the country.
Over the years, Big Texas has evolved from a guest performer into a familiar face within the Hustle Chaos movement. Through multiple tours, countless performances, and years spent building genuine relationships, he has become one of the artists most closely associated with Black Smurf’s touring efforts outside of Memphis.
Today, the partnership between Big Texas and Black Smurf stands as one of the strongest examples of how independent artists can create opportunities through consistency, loyalty, and shared vision. What started as a few performances together has grown into years of touring, a successful collaboration record, and a continuing presence on some of underground rap’s most respected independent tours.
As both artists continue moving forward, the connection between San Antonio and Memphis remains stronger than ever—built not by industry politics or major-label backing, but through years of work on stages across the country.
For Big Texas, that journey has helped define an important chapter of his career. For fans, it has produced a partnership that continues to represent the spirit of independent underground rap culture at its highest level.
