MuzikMafia

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The MuzikMafia is an informal collection of singers, songwriters and musicians. It was founded in October of 2001 in Nashville, Tennessee's Pub of Luv. The founders; Big Kenny, John Rich, Jon Nicholson and Cory Gierman (who handles the business end of things); would meet for informal jam sessions every Tuesday night. These four have come to be known as the Godfathers of the MuzikMafia. The word Mafia in the name comes from Musically Artistic Friends In Alliance. Slowly the group expanded to include an ever-growing circle of friends and members from every type of music and even other types of art. The members play a blend of many types of music, from old-fashioned country to the ultra-modern hick-hop of Cowboy Troy and Chance.

The main mission of the MuzikMafia is to share the love of music with other people. Their philosophy of 'music without prejudice' allows for the blurring of genres into something completely new. Anyone who showed up was allowed on stage: they've had jugglers and fire-breathers. Gradually, the MuzikMafia grew and through those sessions Big Kenny and John Rich landed a record deal with Warner Nashville as the duo Big & Rich. Other members have landed contracts since then, including Jon Nicholson, Gretchen Wilson, James Otto and Cowboy Troy.

CMT has begun a new television series, MuzikMafia TV, which follows the MuzikMafia on their first stadium tour, the American Revolution Tour. The series shows what happens backstage and between shows. It ran for 6 episodes. It is not known if it will return.

The MuzikMafia has been heavily criticized by many, who consider that their kind of "country music" is destroying the genre completely. Generally, the critics come from Neotraditional Country sectors, as well as from country music's purists and elders.