“Everybody was like, ' 'Smile' crossed over big in country, now are gonna make a country record?' I felt like if I said, 'Yeah, I am' and I handed a record in, everybody was gonna go, 'That's not a country record.'”

American singer and musician

Matthew Shafer, known professionally as Uncle Kracker, is an American singer and musician who rose to prominence in the 1990s. He was a turntablist in Kid Rock's backing group, Twisted Brown Trucker, before beginning a solo career in 1999. He is best known for the singles "Follow Me", "Drift Away", and "Smile", each of which reached the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100. His work sits in the orbit of popular rock and crossover pop, and these songs brought him his widest recognition.