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United States Ernest has transitioned from a hip-hop influenced artist to a successful country music singer-songwriter, penning numerous hits for fellow artists and establishing his own record label. His career journey demonstrates adaptability and a broad musical range.
ERNEST launched DeVille Records, a joint venture with Big Loud Records. The label is founded on old-school values of artist development and creative swagger.
Ranger Station, a Nashville Fragrance House, collaborated with country music artist, ERNEST, on a fragrance project.
ERNEST launched his own publishing venture, ERN's Cadillac Music, to invest in Nashville's songwriting community.
Logan's Roadhouse renewed its partnership with acclaimed country artist ERNEST.
ERNEST engaged in a unique partnership with Ford, exploring their shared love for music and reliable trucks.
Ernest Keith Smith, known mononymously as Ernest, was born on January 11, 1992, in Nashville, Tennessee. His early musical interests were diverse, encompassing hip-hop artists like Eminem, John Mayer, and classic country figures such as George Strait. A significant early life event occurred at age 19 when he experienced a heart attack due to a viral infection, followed by a period of drug addiction during his college baseball career. After recovery, he returned to Nashville, where he began songwriting and recording. This early period was marked by his association with Matt Royer, leading to a co-writing credit on Florida Georgia Line’s 2016 album *Dig Your Roots*. By 2017, he released country rap singles “Dopeman” and “Bad Boy” under the mononym Ernest, showcasing his initial stylistic direction.
Ernest’s career progressed significantly as a songwriter, contributing to tracks for prominent country artists. He signed a recording and management agreement with Big Loud in September 2019, a label that also represented artists he had written for, including Jake Owen and Chris Lane. In April 2020, he launched *Just Being Ernest*, a podcast where he engaged with other musicians about the music industry, recording 50 episodes, primarily during the COVID-19 pandemic. His songwriting success continued with hits like Chris Lane’s “Big, Big Plans” (2020), Morgan Wallen’s “More Than My Hometown” (2020), and Sam Hunt’s “Breaking Up Was Easy in the 90s” (2020). He also released his single “Cheers” for Big Loud and was a co-writer on Dallas Smith’s 2021 single “Hide from a Broken Heart.”
A major turning point in Ernest’s performing career came with the release of “Flower Shops,” a duet with Morgan Wallen, in December 2021. This song marked a clear shift to a more traditional country sound and achieved significant commercial success, going Platinum by November 2022. The subsequent album, *Flower Shops (The Album)* (2022), solidified this new direction. In April 2024, he performed at the Stagecoach Festival, sharing the stage with Morgan Wallen and Willie Nelson. He continued to expand his ventures by launching his publishing company, ERN’s Cadillac Music (2023), and DeVille Records (2023), a joint venture with Big Loud Records, focusing on artist development and traditional country values.
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