On Cultural Appropriation, Gentrification And Horror With The Director Of Brooklyn Beauty Shop-Set 'Hair Wolf'

Cultural appropriation and gentrification have dwindled down to buzzwords – quick utterances and headline grabs instead of raw in-depth conversations about the havoc and devastation that occur when these processes are implemented. Filmmaker Mariama Diallo and producer Valerie Steinberg wanted to examine how destructive cultural appropriation is to black culture specifically in an age where mega-popular white social influencers are desperately trying to claim black art and history for themselves. With her film Hair Wolf, Diallo moves beyond a straightforward conversation about the commodification of the black identity – choosing instead to subvert the norm and present her perspective in a horror comedy. Set in modern-day Brooklyn, Hair Wolf centers around a black beauty shop whose staff must fend off a terrifying monster – a white woman determined to suck the life out of black culture.

The film won the Sundance Jury Award in the U.S. short film competition at the Sundance Film Festival. Recently, I sat down to chat with Diallo about Hair Wolf and why it was so necessary for her to make. "There are several layers to the whole origin story of the film," Diallo chuckled. "On the most immediate level, I was outside my apartment building with my dog and my boyfriend, and I saw a box braid lying on the ground. On any given Brooklyn early morning, you might find a bit of weave or like whatever else it may be. When I saw the box braid, I pointed to it and said to him, ‘Braid?’ (My boyfriend) misheard me, he thought I’d said, “Brain." So we had a very amusing conversation about zombies and hair salons and zombies in hair salons. That just seemed like a really fun idea to me."

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How Black Dollars Made Warner Bros’ 'Rampage' No. 1 At The Box Office

The summer box office season has vanished. With an ever-changing industry and the erasure of mid-budget films, Hollywood has started rolling out what would have been their massive summer blockbusters at various times throughout the year. With the rise of the superhero genre, the return or some massive franchises like Star Wars and J.K. Rowling's Wizarding World, studios are pulling audiences into theaters whenever they can, and more often than not, a large percentage of that audience are Black and brown faces. In 2016, a year that saw Moonlight, Hidden Figures, and Fences all released to critical acclaim, Black people made up 15 percent of frequent moviegoers, while comprising of just 12 percent of the U.S. population. As films have slowly become more diverse, we continue to head to the theaters in droves. In fact, when the Dwayne Johnson action adventure Rampage was released last weekend, sliding into the number one spot with $34.5 million earned domestically, it was Black dollars that really contributed to the film’s success.

Johnson is obviously a massive star who has a unique way of engaging with his audience, but Warner Bros. marketing strategy in a post-Black Panther world was also vital. After Rampage’s opening weekend, Shadow and Act sat down to chat with Warner Bros.’ VP of Multicultural Marketing, Terra Potts, about why Black people came out in droves for the film. “I think it happened for multiple reasons," Potts explained. “In Rampage, specifically, I think it's because when you have a star as big as Dwayne Johnson, and Dwayne has this special quality that I think not a lot of movie stars have where he's so accessible, and he's able to transcend any boundaries that exist. He just brings in audiences in a very unique way, and his films always perform well with a multicultural audience. I think he just did it again here."

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Sacha Jenkins Talks Hip-Hop's Legacy & Netflix's 'Rapture'

Hip-hop is continually changing and evolving. In his new Netflix docuseries Rapture, director and executive producer Sacha Jenkins examines hip-hop as we know it today through the eyes of some of the genres biggest artists. The eight-episode series follows Nas, T.I., 2 Chainz, Rapsody, Logic, G-Eazy, A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, and Dave East -- lyricists with different legacies and at various stages of their careers. In his episode, Jenkins follows Illmatic legend Nas and his protégée Dave East. Fifteen years apart in age and from different boroughs in New York City, the two men speak about their respective come-ups and all they’ve encountered to get where they are today. Ahead of Rapture’s Netflix debut, Jenkins and I spoke about the series, how technology has transformed the music industry, and why artists must speak for themselves.

For Jenkins, Rapture was about looking at hip-hop from a new perspective. "I was a journalist writing about hip-hop for many years," he explained. "To see it first hand and to have the kind of intimate access that we had, I knew that was something that hip-hop could use right now. I know that hip-hop is the most streamed, most popular form of music in the world, and it's very easy for people to be into hip-hop just on the strength of the way it sounds, (and) the way it feels. But, I know as a native that there are so many things that get lost in translation, and I felt that a series like (Rapture) would give people a real window and therefore a deeper understanding of what hip-hop really means, (and) where it comes from."

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Lakeith Stanfield On 'Atlanta' And Playing Characters With Sh*t To Say

Lakeith Stanfield is intensely captivating. It’s fairly early in the morning, and he’s huddled over a plate of fruit, tucked away in a crisply lit condo in Park City, Utah. Stanfield flew in from Germany – a short hiatus from the project that he’s currently working on -- to attend Sundance Film Festival. He has to be exhausted. With starring roles in Sorry to Bother You, Come Sunday and a spoken word show in the festival, this is one of the first times the 26-year-old has been able to just sit and chill. Stanfield lets his long limbs rest on his chair as he hovers over the table, his booming voice almost a surprise as it rings out in our quiet surroundings. It’s been quite a year for the San Bernardino native, who made his feature film debut back in 2013. Get Out is Academy Award-nominated and Boots Riley's wonderous Sorry to Bother You is the most talked about film of the festival. Stanfield is also set to return to our TV screens in March in the much-awaited second season of FX's Atlanta. “I'd like to take credit and say it's all my doing but, I'm just really fortunate to be surrounded by these creators who are doing daring things at this time,” he said, reflecting on his bustling filmography. “I have the disposition that I want to be a part of things that say something and move the needle. We try to weed out things. We can do that now by the way. When I first started out, I didn't have that luxury. I was just trying to work."

In Sorry to Bother You, Stanfield stars as Cassius, a telemarketer desperate to make his mark in the world, but that’s only the beginning of this mind-bending story. It spirals into something more imaginative than anything you’ve seen on screen before. For Stanfield, roles like these are a dream come true. “I'm trying to be aware of what I'm doing," he explained. “I love my people. I love our story and where we come from and our journey in this country. I'm interested in being one of many faces in it that can speak to it if I can. It feels good to show people that we can be human. We can be anything. We can be silly. We can be crazy. I grew up feeling like I was strange and things of that nature. It feels good to reiterate the idea that that's okay.”

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Anna Deavere Smith On Her Extraordinary One-Woman Show, HBO's 'Notes From The Field'

Everyone has a voice, but not all voices have platforms to be heard. It has been Anna Deavere Smith’s life work to share these voices and their stories with the rest of the world. The Tony and Pulitzer Prize nominee is bringing her extraordinary one-woman show, Notes From the Field to HBO. Ahead of the film’s premiere, we sat down to chat about this masterful work and why she was so compelled to tell these truths. Smith began exploring the school to prison pipeline – which forces underprivileged minority children out of classrooms and into jail cells -- years ago. However, over the course of her research, the playwright discovered that there was much more to unearth. “It's much more than just that," she explained earnestly. "Very early on I saw that many of the teachers who I met were people that were working very hard with not a lot of resources. Also, there are a lot of things in the bureaucracy of schools because of test scores and data that took up a lot of time and didn't really allow people to focus on children as whole beings. If that hadn't been the case, we wouldn't have lost art and sports in poor schools in the way that we did. This is not just about schools, it’s about poverty in general and I hope that are things in the movie that help make that clear to us. For example, Mayor Michael Tubbs talks about how his girlfriend came to visit him in Stockton and she wanted an apple, and he couldn't find anywhere to buy her one. We know that a lot of poor communities are food deserts.”

Years of research went into Notes From the Field and out of hundreds of interviews, Smith brings approximately eighteen voices to life. Though no one story is better than another, these were the voices that spoke loudest to the professor as she began crafting the original play. “The bulk of the people who are in the movie are also who were in the play,” she explained. “With all of my plays I have a lot more material than I can ever use. I usually do more than 200 interviews, and this is about the eighteenth play I've made this way. I'm gonna come to the rehearsal hall with a play that's way too long, and then I actually use the process of performing and rehearsal to start to hone it down. I’m usually rewriting the play every single night during rehearsal and coming back with something new to show the director in the morning. It's trial and error.”

Smith, who is no stranger to the screen or the stage has worked on massive projects like this one before including her 1992 play Fires in the Mirror and her ’94 stunner, Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992. With so many years in the business, I wondered if Notes From the Field in particular, and at this present time changed the way she viewed herself as an artist. “That's a really artist sensitive question,” Smith said quietly. “I just hope that every time I go out there, I'm better. I hope that I'm a better interviewer than I was a long time ago. I hope I'm better at picking what should be in the play. I certainly hope that I'm a better performer and that's just accruing experience over time. I just hope it pays off. Every single work that I make is an opportunity of really honing down my own process because I did create a process through which I work. Nobody taught me this process. I had to teach myself how to work, and I had to teach the people who were working with me how to work. I always treasure the chance to make it better.”

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Why Lupita Nyong'o As Nakia Is The Heartbeat Of 'Black Panther'

Ryan Coogler’s stunning Black Panther is masterful for a variety of reasons. A film of contrasts that juxtaposes technology and traditionalism, Coogler presents a Wakanda that is at war with history and in turn at war with itself. Unlike the rest of Africa, Wakanda has not suffered under the constant rape and pillage of colonization and the brutality of slavery. As a result, the country and its people – Wakandan women in particular — have been able to thrive and advance, their history and traditions intact.

It is these Black women, the Dora Milaje and its general Okoye (Danai Gurira), the Queen Mother Ramonda (Angela Bassett), Princess Shuri (Letitia Wright) and finally Nakia, (Lupita Nyong'o), T’Challa’s ex-lover, who stand at the center of the film. Nakia and these other powerful women are heartbeats of Wakanda and King T’Challa’s (Chadwick Boseman) backbone – literally. In fact, Black Panther side eyes the hell out of the absurd and tiresome trope of the “Strong Black Woman.”  Instead, these women stand fully in their humanity untouched by sexism and misogyny.

With various aims and objectives throughout the film, the women of Wakanda have missions and goals which at times grate and grind against one another. Nakia's trajectory is perhaps one of the most intriguing. Standing at a crossroads between traditionalism and modernity, Nakia has chosen her passions and her desire to help the world over her love for the king. A War Dog (member of the Wakandan CIA) – T’Challa’s love though welcome, has failed to keep her tethered to him or to her homeland. In fact, when he interrupts Nakia’s mission against the Boko Haram in Nigeria, she is infuriated, only calming down when she discovers that T’Chaka has been murdered and that T’Challa will ascend to the throne.

It’s rare to see so many natural, dark skin Black women on screen, and Wakandan men's reverence to them is apparent. Coogler wields his lens towards the women of Black Panther but refuses to harp on their sensuality. Instead, he makes their drive and intentions crystal clear. Nakia’s actions, for example, are born out of instinct, honor and love. Both fierce and feminine, she isn’t forced to choose one aspect of herself over another. Her beauty is arresting, but it doesn't define her.

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18 Unforgettable Films to Watch During Black History Month

We can’t get through Black History Month without talking about the significance of Black film and how it has influenced the culture. Oscar Micheaux’s 20th-century race films were made to combat mistrial images of the era. Sir Sidney Poitier reigned in the 1960's. There was the Blaxploitation era of the '70s,  Black City Cinema of the ‘90s and now there is a current resurgence of Black films. Like the rest of popular culture, Black folks have made their mark in movies. Though there is a vast list of acclaimed Black films, we chose some of the most unforgettable movies to watch during Black History Month. Friday

F. Gary Grey’s feature film debut from the script written by Ice Cube was destined to be a classic. Fresh off his performance in Boyz n the Hood, Cube was clearly ready to write his own stories.

The film’s premise is simple; Craig (Ice Cube) is fired on his day off, and we watch what happens in the aftermath of the fallout. Joined by his homeboy Smokey (Chris Tucker), the men decide to get high and get into more shenanigans. The characters in Friday are what makes it so iconic. From Mrs. Parker to Felicia and obviously the late Bernie Mac’s Pastor Clever -- the lines in the flicks are endlessly quotable.

Soul Food

Family and food will always be timeless for Black folk, and George Tillman Jr.’s 1997 flick Soul Food paired both of them together. The Chicago set film follows three grown sisters, Teri (Vanessa L. Williams), Maxine (Vivica A. Fox), and Bird (Nia Long) who are trying to come to grips with the death of their mother Big Mama (Irma P. Hall)

As the matriarch's death begins to rip the family apart, it's up to Maxine's pre-teen son Ahmad (Brandon Hammond) to get the family back together again. We know you remember that scene when Vanessa Williams pulls that knife on her cheating husband.

The story was so dope that it spawned a long-running television series on Showtime. In the Heat of the Night

Despite the racial politics of the time, Sir Sidney Poitier dominated the box office in the 1960’s, and one of his most memorable films was the 1967 flick, In the Heat of the Night. In the film, Poitier plays a straight-laced detective Virgil Tibbs, who heads to the South to help catch a murderer.

Obviously, the good ole boys don’t take too kindly to his presence. The film pretty much goes as one would expect for Hollywood during that time period except for the fact that Poitier slaps the sh*t out of the racist white sheriff. It was the first time a Black person had ever hit a white person in the movies.

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'Sammy Davis, Jr.: I've Gotta Be Me' is an electric look at an enigmatic performer (TIFF Review)

Black entertainers in this country shoulder a burden that we don’t often consider – that of representation. Even now in the 21st century, the Black artist must carry the entire race with them as they navigate career, politics and the complexities of their personal lives. Watching from the sidelines, we expect –perhaps unconsciously, for these larger than life figures to make choices that are conscious of their Blackness. We are desperate for them to recognize that their visibility affects the community as a whole. In the 20th century, at a time when Black visibility in the entertainment space was nearly scarce-- consummate entertainer Sammy Davis, Jr. an enigmatic and unparalleled talent was often labeled an Uncle Tom and sell-out. He was seen as out of touch with the realities of everyday Black people because of the company that he kept publically. In his well-honed and rapidly paced documentary Sammy Davis, Jr.: I've Gotta Be Me, filmmaker Sam Pollard dives deep into the six-decade long career of Davis -- one that began on the streets of Harlem and ended just before his death in 1990, with a television tribute starring everyone from Michael Jackson to Gregory Hines.

A man with no formal education whatsoever, Davis had traveled across the country ten times by the time he was 10-years old. Born into a family of entertainers, Davis won his first amateur performance at three years old, and he would continue to defy expectations and shatter glass ceilings throughout his career. Using Davis' own words with old archival footage of interviews and his performances, with input from historians and his friends, lover, and admirers, including, Billy Crystal, Whoopi Goldberg, Norman Lear, Jerry Lewis and Kim Novak, Pollard's film is electric.

Despite his magnetic career, Davis’ desperate desire to be seen as merely an entertainer and not necessarily a Black entertainer put him at odds with the community. It was something that deeply pained him, especially since he was a patriot, avid member of the Civil Rights Movement and a dear friend to Martin Luther King, Jr. Though they are often overlooked when his career is considered as a whole, Pollard is careful to highlight Davis' philanthropic and civil contributions. Dear friends with Sidney Poitier, Ossie Davis and Harry Belafonte, Davis raised over $5 million for the Civil Rights Movement during Freedom Summer. He was awarded the NAACP Spingarn Medal, and he was present at both Selma and the March on Washington.

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Interview: Director John Trengove talks South African coming-of-age drama, 'The Wound'

ohn Trengove's South African coming-of-age drama, The Wound is a visceral and powerfully done film about queer Black identity and its intersections with Ukwaluka, the rite of passage for male Xhosa teens— a rural tribe in the country. The film follows Xolani (Nakhane Touré) an isolated closeted factory worker who returns each year to act as a khaukatha, or mentor for the younger boys. However, his real motive in returning is to seek comfort in the arms of his secret lover, Vija (Bongile Mantsai), a married father of three and fellow mentor whose outward performance of masculinity makes him both him feared and admired. When Xolani is assigned to Kwanda (Niza Jay Ncoyini) a Westernized posh teen from the suburbs of Johannesburg, everything Xolani has long kept buried deep begins to rise to the surface. With Trengove, a white South African in the director's chair, The Wound has already be shrouded in contraversy— something the filmmaker expected before taking on the project. "I think now, with all of the dialogue around the film— a lot of the criticism and backlash to the film ... This is still part of the learning process, " he told Shadow and Act. "I feel like I'm still going through the process of making The Woundand these conversations an integral part of that process."

Ahead of the film's debut, I sat down to speak with Mr. Trengove about why he decided to write and direct this film, what The Wound says in conversation with Berry Jenkins' Moonlight and what he's learned about himself during this entire process.

Aramide Tinubu: What inspired you to write this story and how did you connect with the author Thando Mgqolozana to get into this world since you are really an outsider to Xhosa culture?

John Trengove: I think that's the million dollar question. It started with a conversation between a colleague and myself, Batana Vundla, who's a producer. He actually became a co-producer on the film, and we spoke about the possibility of making a queer film in South Africa. We felt this that was something that was not being done and at that point. That was five years ago, and with Batana being both gay as well as Xhosa—the conversation sort of moved organically towards the idea of the rites of passage into manhood. The thing that suddenly became sort of meaningful to us was this idea that at the time, the media was quite saturated with statements of people like Robert Mugabe saying that homosexuality was un-African—a Western decadence, that it was against traditional African culture. It seemed meaningful to us at that time to kind of intersect these two ideas. A story about same sex desire in a very specific traditional context, which is a rite of passage into manhood. I think also that is what sort of opened the full aptitude to a broader thematic potential than just let's say a queer film for a queer audience. It allowed us to kind of speak about bigger things like patriarchy and fractured masculinity and all these ideas I was interested in unpacking.

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Interview: Filmmaker Allen Hughes reflects on HBO's 'The Defiant Ones'

How do two very different men — one Black, and the other Italian — from opposite ends of the country shift and bend the trajectory of the modern day music business? In his new comprehensive 4-part documentary, master filmmaker Allen Hughes explores the lives and careers of Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine — both veteran music producers, executives and co-founders of Beats by Dre. The Defiant Ones is a gorgeously done work, which weaves in personal interviews and rchival footage, opening with Iovine's entry into the music world during the'70s through our current times.

Ahead of The Defiant Ones premiere, Shadow and Act's Aramide Tinubu sat down to chat with Hughes about the docu-series, why it was such an emotional project for him and why he's now a better director as a result.

Aramide Tinubu: I know you got the idea for the title of the series from the 1958 Sidney Poitier and Tony Curtis film from '58. How did you decide you wanted to tell this story, from Jimmy Iovine and Dr. Dre's perspective and in this manner?

Allen Hughes: Dre and I were gonna do on his life. This was way before Straight Outta Compton. Then, I found out that Jimmy had just talked to HBO about an Interscope documentary, and a light bulb went off. I went, "You know what? I think the better, more original, most dynamic way to tell this story is to tell both their stories and get a glimpse into the partnership. Especially in these days and times, too, with how racially charged things are. A white Italian man from Brooklyn, a Black man from Compton, and they've been together for over 25 years, and they went on to build this massive company called Beats. They still are just as affectionate and fun-loving with one another, and trust each other, as the day they began.

AT: You said that the process started before Straight Outta Compton was even being filmed. So, when did you actually start putting this all together?

AH: Four years ago was the beginning of the process, but the physical process started a little over three years ago. Four total, three physical.

AT: As a director, how did you decide which components of Iovine and Dr. Dre's personal and professional lives that you were going to include?

AH: It's interesting. Once you get to part three, which I think is all so interesting and special and dynamic, and people have their favorites, but part three is the feature-length one, and it's when things get ... They start off fun and then it gets out of control, and it becomes dangerous. You'll see when you get to that part and four, but particularly part three, where you go, "Oh, wow, this is a massive canvas. This is just not about Jimmy and Dre, this is about something that went down in the '90s that was so explosive and so positive, and then it took a left turn at a certain point. How do we get the train back on the tracks?"

AT: Why was HBO the right platform to tell this story?

AH: I have an emotional attachment to HBO, just as a fan. They're just class. I've also heard throughout the years, and I've worked with them on things that didn't end up on the air, but the way they deal with the talent, filmmakers, and artists, they really support you. This process was supposed to take a year, and here were are. They weren't bugging out. They were very supportive of me. I always knew that about them. I'll tell you something that's hilarious. This project was my Trojan Horse into HBO 'cause I've always wanted to work with HBO. So I'm like, "If I can get this done..." The landscape is changing. The one thing that hasn't changed is HBO is always trying to do something different, noisy, but they have a tremendous amount of class to what they do, how they roll something out. You look at this documentary ... I don't know how what city you live in; what city do you live in?

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Review: A Powerful Look at Connection for Black Trans Women in 'Walk For Me'

We all go through moments of transition. These moments are those significant periods in our lives when the core of our beings break free, and our inner self is truly revealed. Once we take those brave steps into the light, there is no going back, or turning away. We must stand bare under the glaring lamp of the general public to be poked, prodded, and whispered about. Perhaps no other group knows these moments of revelation quite like those of the LGBTQ community. From being shoved aside in their cultures, to being thrown away by their own families, moments of revelation can be brutal and crippling. Those who identify as transgender women of color in particular often face a terrible plight. In the past decade alone, over four hundred trans women have been murdered, and their lives and deaths have been overlooked as if they had never existed at all. In his short film “Walk For Me,” director Elegance Bratton highlights one of the most pivotal moments in a young trans person’s life. Struggling with her identity, Hannah (played by Aaliyah King) retreats into herself, away from her mother, Andrea (played by Yolanda Ross) who is both desperate to connect with her while simultaneously fearful and ashamed of her daughter’s identity. Andrea’s fear and lack of understanding causes her to lash out violently against her child. She also insists on calling Hannah by her birth name Hassan, which continues to erode their already strained relationship.

There have been many films about the LGBTQ experience in the 21st century. Damon Cardasis’ recent coming of age musical drama “Saturday Church,” focuses on a young teenager, who similar to Hannah is trying to define himself, In the face of a hostile familial environment, he desperately grapples with his identity and sexuality. “Walk For Me” stands out, however, because it hones in on one specific moment for Hannah. It is the exact instant that will either lead to final rejection or acceptance from her mother.

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'Underground' Recap: Things Go Left For Cato In 'Whiteface'

The fifth episode of the second season of Underground, “Whiteface” opens on a startling note. A room full of affluent white people have come to see a minstrel show, but instead, something else is amiss. Rather than being painted in blackface, the performers are covered in whiteface. They begin making fun of white people much to the horror of the audience. As the crowd rushes out, we soon realize that Cato or C. Powell as he’s calling himself these days is responsible for it all. Though many of us might have been shocked at the site of whiteface, Underground’s writers and creators did not pull that out of thin air. Whiteface became fairly popular during the 19th century. Initially, it was one of the many ways the Irish were mocked, and moving forward it was seen in the 20th century when actor Canada Lee, an incredibly talented performer in the 1940's donned whiteface for his role in the Duchess of Malfi. He used whiteface because his role was originally slated for a white actor. Needless to say, critics were none-to-pleased. More recently, whiteface has been seen in films like The Wayans’ Brothers White Chicks, Chappelle’s Show, and even in rapper Chamillionaire’s music video, “Hip Hop Police.”

Now a member of the Black elite in Philadelphia, Cato has used his money to assert his influence. Typically during the 19th century in Philadelphia, members of the Black elite were native Philadelphians, West-Indians, or fair complexion, freeborn Southerners. Much of the wealth in the Black community during the time period stemmed from caterers. For example, entrepreneur Robert Bogle was the first of many African-American caterers who served nineteenth-century Philadelphia's white elite, and he became extremely wealthy as a result.

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Interview: Cast Of Netflix's 'The Get Down' Talk '70s, Music That Birthed Hip-Hop & Where Their Characters Are Headed Next

The second part of Baz Luhrmann’s 70’s set musical drama, “The Get Down” is finally hitting Netflix on Friday, April 7th. The lush and vibrant series follows Bronx native Ezekiel “Zeke” Figueroa (Justice Smith) and his group, The Get Down Brothers on their quest to hip-hop superstardom. Zeke’s girlfriend, Mylene Cruz (Herizen Guardiola) is also desperate to make it big in disco and escape her oppressive religious upbringing. Also along for the ride is Shaolin Fantastic (Shameik Moore) an aspiring DJ who is trying to keep his side hustle going at the same time The first part of season one of “The Get Down” set the scene for the birth of hip-hop as it evolved from funk and disco. The second part of “The Get Down” will jump a year ahead to 1978 where Mylene and The Get Down Brothers are making a name for themselves on the music scene.

Ahead of the premiere of Part 2, I sat down with Justice Smith, Herizen Guardiola and Shameik Moore to discuss what they’ve learned so far about the birth of hip-hop, where their characters are headed, and how the music of the ’70s has influenced them today.

Aramide Tinubu: “The Get Down” is such a wonderful concept that really encompasses and embodies a specific generation. What does it mean to you when people approach you and say, “Oh my God, you captured that time and that generation so well”?

Herizen Guardiola: I didn’t have the biggest idea about the ‘70s or even about hip-hop until the show. We got to work with the hip-hop OGs of the ‘70s, so the fact that we captured it and it’s authentic according to people who were actually there, I’m happy. That’s what we wanted to do, and I think we did it pretty well, so I’m really happy about that.

Justice Smith: It speaks to what we managed to create together. Baz [Luhrmann] supplied us with all of these resources and all of these, movies and music and books and all of this stuff. He wanted us to really immerse ourselves in that time period and in that culture so that we weren’t putting something on screen that was disingenuous. So, when someone comes up to us on the street who is actually from that place and time period and says, “You guys did it justice,” it’s a huge moment, and it extends to the entire family because it was all of us coming together to make it as authentic as possible.

AT: How have things been for you guys since the success of the show?

JS: It’s been amazing. I’m just so grateful to be a part of something that so many people connect to, and it’s really revolutionary in a way to bridge that age gap by telling a story that hasn’t been told before about the origins of hip-hop, and about the South Bronx. Even young kids are coming up to us and saying how inspired they are. I have aspiring rappers and poets coming up to me and being like, “I’m half- Black and half –Puerto Rican as well, I’m from the Bronx as well, you inspired me to write more.” That kind of stuff really touches my heart.

HG: I have people ask me, and I answer honestly, they say, “I’m really good at singing, or I’m really good at this art form, and I really think I have a chance, should I give up school and do it?” I’m like Jesus Christ. [Laughing] I answer honestly because I kind of did that. I could have gone the school route, but I was like, “Nah, I’m good at this thing I love to do, and I think I can make a career out of it.” So, I always say the most cliché thing, I say, “If you think you have a chance you should follow your dreams, you’re not going to be happy doing anything else, so what’s the point?” It’s your life; you need to be happy in your life.

AT: Through your relationship with Baz, you have gotten a sort of education in media, and new opportunities are presenting themselves for you.

HG: Yeah! For me, coming on to the show, I’ve opened up a whole new chamber of myself, and I’ve just let it expand, and I’ve grown. I’ve even gotten in touch with my Latina heritage more. So for me, it’s been an eye-opener and a learning experience. I’ve really become a different person through this but in the best way.

AT: The way that this series was shot is so interesting to me, shooting one chunk of the first season and then another, what did you all learn about yourselves and your characters by going through this particular filming process?

HG: (Laughing) I learned that I have a lot more patience than I thought I did, and I have a whole new side of understanding that it’s not just you that is a part of something. I’m working in a collective consciousness to reach and get a story out. I really became a team player. So, you learn that give and take flow, and I learned that even more on the show because we really had to be a support system for each other. I came straight out of high school, moved to New York at eighteen, not knowing anybody or anything. So, these boys and my girls and Baz and the Netflix team, they’ve been my support system, and we have become a family. I’ve learned about myself.

AT: The music is obviously an extremely important aspect of the series. However, there were some whisperings that it needed more hip-hop even though, we all know that without disco and funk there would be no hip-hop. Could you explain what your emotions and state of mind were going back and listening to some of that old music especially if you hadn’t heard it before?

JS: There are certain hip-hop artists from that time period that I feel ashamed that I didn’t know before. When people my age ask, “Who is this?” I’m like, “Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, how could you not know that?!” Or Afrika Bambaataa or Houdini, all of them. My parents are both musicians; my dad is a funk musician, so I grew up listening to Earth, Wind & Fire and things like that. So, that was not new to me, and I had heard “The Message” from Grandmaster Flash, so that was the extent of my knowledge of that time period. Then delving in deeper, I realized how expansive this world was, and how there are songs that I’ve heard on the radio that are literally an extraction of a beat from ‘The Message.” There are also lines or couplets from songs from the ‘70s that the people of our generation don’t really even realize influences our music today. It was really interesting to see and to make that connection.

Continue reading at Shadow and Act.

Salli Richardson-Whitfield On ‘Underground’s’ “Nok Aaut" & The Age Of The Black Female Director

The fourth episode of the second season of Underground, “Nok Aaut," directed by Salli Richardson-Whitfield occurs at a crucial moment in history. Already embedded in the violate institution of slavery, 1858 sits two years before the South secedes from the Union, and one year prior to abolitionist John Brown’s infamous raid on Harper’s Ferry. Tensions among abolitionists and slaveholders are on the verge of bubbling over, and the characters of Underground are trying to determine where they fit in. We learn that Cato has returned to the States from Europe, where money afforded him the opportunity to live life as an aristocrat. However, we all know that money is no real balm for racism. It might soothe wounds, but it certainly does not heal.  As Cato attempts to pull Noah into his twisted circus, we discover just how much or how little, Noah is willing to give up for his freedom and a life with Rosalee.

“Nok Aaut" also focuses on Elizabeth who, while still grieving the loss of her husband John, is trying to determine where she now fits in the movement for abolition. An encounter with some of John Brown’s men leads her to begin reassessing what tactics she is willing to take up for the cause. Ahead of the episode’s premiere, ESSENCE sat down with director Salli Richardson-Whitfield to chat about these characters, the powerful performances that drive Underground, and the current climate for Black female directors.

ESSENCE: Were you a fan of Underground prior stepping into the role of director? It’s such an incredible historical drama.

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: Oh yes. I had gone to the premiere of the pilot, and when I was going, it was funny because originally I was like, “I don’t wanna go see no slave movie.” (Laughing) I had that attitude. But, by the end of the pilot, I was like “Uh oh! This is about to be good.” We’re not victims in this series, and that’s what you think of when you consider what a series like this might be.  It’s such a different way of telling this story. So, with that being said, yes, I had already seen all of the episodes. I just love everything about the show. I love the way they have the contemporary music mixed in because somehow it works. When you first hear about it you think, “How is this going to work? All of a sudden you have some hard hitting Kanye [West] and it works, and it rises, and it’s what makes it relevant for today and I think it’s what has pulled younger viewers in who maybe Underground would have been too period or dated for. It brings in a different audience. I just think everything about it works.

ESSENCE: Your most recent directorial credits have been on contemporary set shows like John Singleton’s BET series Rebel and Queen Sugar. Underground is really stepping back in time for you, so how did you prepare yourself to shed your twenty-first-century views and hone in on this nineteenth-century set project?

SRW: Well, I look at it as, the story is the story, and I just go with what that feeling is. I also do my research. It is important, especially on a show like this to have watched all the episodes. You really want to bathe yourself in that period, and what’s going on in that show, so you know the characters. So honestly, it’s more about knowing the characters, that’s really what it comes down to, that’s what people are watching. These actors are so good; it’s not like I need to come in there and tell them anything. They just need that third eye, someone to push them a little bit further and to know that they can. It was really wonderful working with Alano [Miller] who plays Cato. I know how good he is, but I was still able to sit there are go, “That’s not it yet, that’s not enough. Push it.” I know how far he can go because I watch the show. Sometimes you work with people, and they do a performance, and you go, “Well, we might as well go on, cuz it ain’t gonna get no better.” (Laughing) But, then you have these kind of actors where you go, “Oh that’s good, that would be good for somebody else, but we’re going to go further. You’re about to give me everything you’ve got in you, cuz I know it’s there.”

Continue reading at ESSENCE.

Hour 2 Of 'Shots Fired' Hints That Pastor Janae James Might Be At The Center Of It All (Recap)

Hour two of Reggie Rock Bythewood and Gina Prince-Bythewood’s compelling mini-series “Shots Fired” was full of broken promises and underhanded moves. “Betrayal Of Trust” opens with deceased teen Jesse Carr’s father approaching Deputy James Beck as he arrives home. Gun in hand, Carr’s anger and heartbreak is both palpable and understandable. However, when we learn that he had not been an active member in his son’s life, we realize a great deal of his regret comes from his own shortcomings. From then, the web of lies and the deceptions in episode two of “Shots Fired” continues to spin out of control. Ashe (Sanaa Lathan) and Preston (Stephan James) are still working their own angles on the Beck/Carr case behind each other’s back. Though their work is always at the forefront, personal issues continue to distract them. Ashe is trying to prepare herself to battle the father of her child in court. Her daughter’s father wants sole custody, and from what we know about Ashe, he’s definitely got grounds to get it. Meanwhile, Preston is dealing with his own familial obligations. His father (Dennis Haysbert) is in town, and though he’s thrilled about the visit initially, his NFL star older brother, Maceo (Shamier Anderson) quickly swoops in seizing his father’s full attention. Snagging a spot at Harvard Law instead of a Major League Baseball career apparently was not the move Preston’s father wanted for his son. Despite all that’s happening in their personal lives, Ashe and Preston realize that they do in fact have a common goal. To thoroughly investigate the death of Jesse Carr, they must also investigate the death of Shameeka Campbell’s (DeWanda Wise) son, Joey. The case of the unarmed white teen and the slain Black teen are obviously related somehow; they just need to determine how they link.

Relegated to desk duty, Deputy Josh Beck has come to the realization that wearing a badge doesn’t erase the color off his skin. Ostracized by his work colleagues and his family members who think he’s a sellout, Beck might be on his very last leg. It doesn’t help that Officer Breeland, one of the supervisors on the force, is an outright racist. Beck is also shocked to learn that he has been ousted from the police union which means not only has the department turned their back on him, but he’s also now responsible for his legal fees. I’ve never heard of a police union ejecting a white officer after they’d slain an unarmed person of color; for Beck this is the ultimate wake-up call. He’s officially become a lone wolf.

Continue reading at Shadow and Act.

'Underground' Recap: It’s All About Heartbreak & Survival In ‘Ache’

In the opening sequence of “Ache,” we see Daniel once again. He is still reading and learning. This time, he reads Sojourner Truth’s “Ain’t I A Woman?” to his teenage daughter by candlelight while the young girl looks on enthralled.  In probably the strongest opening of Underground since the series premiere, Daniel reassures his child that she is not just strong in her body; but her mind is also incredible. I nearly shed a tear. In South Carolina, Ms. Ernestine is spiraling. Standing in the middle of the ocean, she sniffs the drug off of her handkerchief and speaks to the ghost of her dead son Sam. (Can we take a moment to praise the presence of Sam’s lush beard? Why didn’t he have it during season one?)  Ghost Sam asks his mama, “I thought you said, Massa Tom was the last one?” Clearly, Ernestine is feeling guilty about her role in killing Clara’s baby. AS SHE SHOULD.  However, instead of despairing in the ocean, she needs to be plotting against Hicks because that man is clearly the devil.

Apparently, Ernestine had no business being in the ocean at all. As she arrives back to the rice fields, the overseer runs up to her, demanding to know where she’s been. She looks right through him, not caring to answer. For her insolence, he slaps her down to the ground.  Hicks comes to her defense at the last moment.  After helping her up, he tries to pick up where the overseer leaves off. However, Ernestine is not here for his overbearing hyper-masculinity. Hicks stupidly thinks she’s mad at him about Clara, but that’s the least of Ernestine’s troubles.

Up North, Patty Cannon is still searching for Rosalee. She knows that Black Rose was injured from her bullet and has lost a lot of blood. As her men search, Cannon’s aggravating biographer Mr. Donahue assures the slave catchers that Negro women have a supernatural ability to bear pain. Seriously, the things racist white people come up with to justify their demonic ways never fails to shock me.  In the midst of this, we watch a pregnant Rosalee, stumble through the forest losing more and more blood while clutching her swollen belly.

Finally stopping for a rest though still bleeding heavily, Rosalee gags herself and digs the bullet from out of her shoulder. After packing the wound, Rosalee burns it closed. The sheer amount of will and determination that Rosalee has had to muster up already this season is unimaginable. Delirious with pain, Rosalee recalls a young version of herself with Miss Ernestine grasping a small moment of joy. That memory is what pushes her forward.

Continue reading at ESSENCE.

Unraveling Hour One Of 'Shots Fired'

WARNING—Spoilers ahead. There are levels to this. That was my first thought after screening Reggie Rock Bythewood and Gina Prince-Bythewood’s ambitious mini-series “Shots Fired” for the second time. At first glance, the series appears to be an inverted tale, ripped straight from the headlines. In the fictional town of Gate Station, North Carolina (where 65% of its citizens are Black), an unarmed white college student has been gunned down by the only Black deputy, Josh Beck (Mack Wilds). Since it’s an election year and she can’t bear to have “another Ferguson” on her hands, North Carolina’s liberal female governor (Helen Hunt), calls in the big guns to help manage the crisis before everything bursts at the seams.

Enter Ashe Akino (Sanaa Lathan), a fixer and private investigator and special prosecutor Preston Terry (Stephen James), an unlikely pair hired by the Department of Justice at the request of the governor. As the two begin to try and unravel what exactly has happened, they are left with way more questions than answers. Quite frankly, so am I. As I said when I first screened the pilot way back in September, this is only the road map, and we don’t quite know where it’s going to lead.

There are several things still buzzing around my consciousness, after screening “Hour One.” Despite the fact that Wilds’ Deputy Beck seems naïve and remorseful, the video of him declaring to kill “crackers” unveils an entirely different side of him. It’s also extremely puzzling to me why he would choose to go into law enforcement in a community where he is the only Black face on the force. I realize that cops live and die by their code, but something just isn’t right here.

Continue reading at Shadow and Act.

Interview: Seith Mann On VH1's 'The Breaks,' Revisiting The '90s & The Origins Of Hip-Hop

It’s so deeply embedded in our culture now, that it’s hard to remember a time when hip-hop was just a movement. It was once the ugly step-sister in the music industry desperate to shine, and it took some very ambitious and brazen people, to push the sound of a generation to the forefront of mainstream culture. Picking up where the two-hour television movie (which aired last year) left off, “The Breaks” television series is about being ambitious, embracing the grind and never settling for anything less than what you want. Set in the summer of 1990, “The Breaks” follows Nikki Jones (Afton Williamson), David Aaron (David Call) and DeeVee (Mack Wilds) as they claw their way up the ladder in the music industry during a time when hip-hop was seen as just a fad.

Director Seith Mann has fleshed out his characters and storylines, shining a light on the dedication and sacrifices that have long since been forgotten. Recently, I spoke with Mann about the series, what inspired him to tell this story, and how his characters have shocked him.

Seith Mann: Hi Aramide, how are you?

Aramide Tinubu: Hi Seith, I’m well how are you?

SM: I’m blessed and highly favored.

AT: Wonderful! First and foremost, congratulations on season one of “The Breaks.” I know we’re only about halfway in, but it’s already gotten such amazing reviews, and it’s so well done.

SM: Thank you very much, I appreciate that!

AT: No problem! So, I would love to chat about what inspired you to do this piece. I know that Dan Charnas’ book, “The Big Payback” was really instrumental in inspiring the idea for you, but did you know prior to reading the book that you wanted to work on a piece about hip-hop in the ‘90s?

SM: I was reading the book because I wanted to do a historical piece about hip-hop, and how hip-hop has become this thing; this world power. It was so much bigger than just music at a certain point, and I knew it didn’t start that way. So, I was doing a bunch of research because I was a kid who grew up listening to rap, but I wasn’t in the music business, I just listened to it all of the time. I didn’t know the history like that other than just being a fan. “The Big Payback” was one of the many books that I read. It was the one that really touched me because it was just so spot on. It was non-fiction written like fiction; it was a page-turner. It’s like a one thousand page book or something like that, and I couldn’t put it down. I read it really fast. At the same time, the author of the book, Dan Charnas had set it up at VH1 to do a movie. The research agent Chris Lawson, who had helped me find the book, flagged the project for me, and I started talking with Maggie Malina who is the Head of Scripted at VH1 and Dan about exactly what they had in mind. I went back and forth with Dan about the story, and before I knew it, it was mine to tell. So, that’s how I got involved with it.

Continue reading at Shadow and Act.

A Discussion With Amirah Vann & Robert Christopher Riley On Exploring The Horrors Of Domestic Violence On 'Underground'

NOTE: This includes very light spoilers from episode 202, “Things Unsaid,” which airs tonight on WGN America. This season of “Underground” is shaping up to be incredibly explosive, and only one episode has aired so far. One of the most enthralling aspects of this season has been the storyline around Amirah Vann’s character Ms. Ernestine and the domestic violence that she experiences. Separated from her entire family and enslaved on a rice plantation in South Carolina, Ernestine has found herself attached to an extremely volatile man.

Ahead of episode 202 “Things Unsaid,” I spoke with Amirah Vann and Robert Christopher Riley who plays Hicks, Ernestine’s lover and abuser on the series. We spoke about domestic violence within the institution of slavery, present-day advocacy, and their heartbreaking storyline.

Aramide Tinubu: Slavery was obviously a very brutal institution, but we don’t often consider the violence that occurred amongst enslaved people themselves. Did you know much about Hicks’ journey and trajectory before signing on to do this season of “Underground”?

Robert Christopher Riley: There was specific scene towards the end of the season which was the audition scene. It has a very long monologue, and if you pay attention, it’s all in there. At that moment, you learn who this guy is. I’m no stranger to any of our history, American or Caribbean. So, looking at Hicks’ story and what he’s gone through and obviously what he’s letting pass through him and the behavior that he’s mimicking; slavery was horrific for everyone.

AT: What about you Amirah? Did you have any idea that this would be Ms. Ernestine’s journey this season prior to reading the first few scripts?

Amirah Vann: I didn’t know prior to reading the first few scripts. The writers have such fantastic imaginations. They have an idea of where the journey is going, but they definitely keep things to themselves as they progress because they are always open to doing something else and taking things in a new direction. But once I read the first few scripts and I knew, I was thrilled because it’s another opportunity to speak and give voice to a really important crisis worldwide. I also knew that there was going to be a multitude of people who could identify and hopefully be helped in some way.

Continue reading at Shadow and Act.

SXSW Review: 'Dara Ju' Is A Brilliant Examination Of The Struggle Linked Between Familial Obligations & Crushing Personal Ambition

As the daughter of a Nigerian immigrant, many of my formative years were spent trying to please my father. Though it was unspoken, I was expected to thrive both academically and socially. I dared not dream of following the crowd, and there was no wide berth given for any girlish teenage slip-ups. Luckily, I loved learning and school, so a great deal of the time I held up my end of the bargain. However, when I didn’t, when I wasn’t interested in taking a higher-level math course in high school or learning more about my Nigerian ancestry, a storm would brew between the two of us, incinerating everyone who stood in our paths. In Yoruba, the phrase “dara ju” means “best,” and that was what my father wanted me to strive for. And in his feature-length directorial debut of the same name, director Anthony Onah explores what it means to cling onto that standard while experiencing immense pressure in every aspect of your life.

In “Dara Ju,” we meet 24-year old Seyi (played by Aml Ameen), a tightly wound and ambitious Wall Street trader who is finding it increasingly difficult to balance his two worlds. Through Onah’s use of tight frames that capture Seyi’s face and mannerisms, we watch as he travels from his tiny apartment in downtown Manhattan to the finance company where he works, Brown Harmon, each day. Dressed pristinely in tailored suits, Seyi is desperate to prove himself despite his coworkers undermining him at every turn. On the weekends, putting on his façade of the dutiful son, Seyi travels to his parents’ home in Hackensack, New Jersey where his mother and sister Funmi constantly care for his ailing and unyielding father.

Onah’s willingness to deal with the messiness of familial obligations is painfully refreshing in this film. Though his father is desperate to recover from his stroke in order to travel to his homeland once more, Seyi simply goes through the motions in terms of the care he affords his father, resenting the time and money spent caring for a man he no longer respects. It’s evident that some astronomical incident has created a gaping hole in their father/son relationship, and it seems beyond repair.

Continue reading at Shadow and Act.