As always, if you’re digging this, hit up Gangstarr Girl for a fresh take on hip-hop, politics, fashion and other worldly and wordy things through the eyes of a New York-helmed around-the-way girl. Without further adeiu…

Knowing my affinity for Blaxploitation movies, my coworker Rob the Music Ed im’d me a link to today’s movie, back in October.

2009

That’s right, 2009! First there was I’m Gonna Git You Sucka, then Jackie Brown, so it’s about time there was a millennium version of a blaxploitation genre tribute. In the tradition of Willie Dynamite and Black Belt Jones, Michael Jai White (hellooooooo nurse!) stars as Black Dynamite. 

[vodpod id=ExternalVideo.774384&w=425&h=350&fv=]

I didn’t post it in October because back then there weren’t too many details. But I found out yesterday that not only did it receive standing ovations at the Sundance Film Festival (good looking out Matt B.), but Sony Pictures picked it up for about $2 million. There is no official release date but I’m excited. Staring at Michael Jai White on screen for 90 minutes is more than welcome. 

Facts:
Michael Jai White co-wrote the screenplay and co-produced the story. 

OFFICIAL WEBSITE

P.S. Speaking of paying homage, Entertainment Weekly reported back in 2001 that LL Cool J was tapped to star in a remake of Dolemite. I haven’t since heard anything more about that, have you?

As always, if you’re digging this, hit up Gangstarr Girl for a fresh take on hip-hop, politics, fashion and other worldly and wordy things through the eyes of a New York-helmed around-the-way girl. Without further adeiu…

1972

I couldn’t think of what to feature today until my iPod randomly skipped to Jodeci’s “Freek’n You (Remix)” yesterday. As soon as Ghostface said “All day like Harry Belafonte” ZING! I had a lightbulb moment and realized I haven’t featured a blaxploitation western. Yep, you heard correct–a blaxploitation western. You can’t possibly be surprised. Come on, this is the genre that brought you Abby, the Black exorcist, but I digress.

Synopsis:

Sidney Poitier makes his directorial debut starring as Buck an ex soldier scouting sites for former slaves who want to settle out west. Set during the end of the Civil War era, trouble arises when the fiendish Deshay rounds up his gang to try and stop Buck, because he wants to keep the slaves working down in Louisiana. Buck eventually meets up with the preacher, who is really a con man in disguise, and they overcome initial enmity to unite against Deshay and his henchmen.

Facts:

-Also stars Ruby Dee, who typically didn’t appear in “blaxploitation” flicks.

-The most important aspect of this movie was that it came out around a time when Hollywood was releasing blaxploitation films depicting African-Americans as kick-ass soul brothers and sisters fighting against The Man. But this one focused more on a part of Black History in the United States.

-Jazz legend Benny Carter composed the soundtrack.

HANGING IN A CHOW LINE!

Now that I’ve gotten that fuckery ouot of the way, enjoy the first new Blaxploitation Friday of the ‘09 season. And as always, if you’re digging this, hit up Gangstarr Girl for a fresh take on hip-hop, politics, fashion and other worldly and wordy things through the eyes of a New York-helmed around-the-way girl. Without further adeiu…

1974-1979 (132 Episodes)
Synopsis: You’re kidding me right? lol
As JJ would say, “It’s the story of a happenin’Black family trying to make it in the Chicago get’toe.” *claps, then points both index fingers outward* DYNOMITE!

I’m a fan of Good Times. Aside from the banging theme song that already stands alone, it was a groundbreaking TV series because it was the first time America got a glimpse of what hood life was really about–a little bit. Of course it was a comedy series so things were often presented lightly, but sometimes they really did get deep. Remember when JJ got shot? Or how about when James died? (Dayum! Dayum! Dayum!)

Back on the brighter side though, Wilona Woods’ fashion was to die for. And I loved the endless jokes about “Buffalo Butt” and “Ned the Wino.” I’ve seen quite a few Neds in my time. I’m not old enough to have actually been there in the 70s but I love watching Good Times re-runs on TV One.

Facts:
Good Times was a spin off of the 1971 TV series, Maude, where Esther Rolle played “Florida Evans,” maid to Maude, a well-to-do liberal woman living in Tuckahoe, NY with her fourth husband.

Ja’Net Dubois (Wilona Evans) wrote and helped sang the theme song (she’s the primary female voice).

Janet Jackson payed “Penny,” Wilona’s adopted daughter.

The projects they lived in were based on Chicago’s notorious Cabrini-Green houses.

Esther Rolle (Florida Evans) and John Amos (James Evans) often butted heads with the producers of the show because they didn’t like the depiction of J.J.’s (Jimmie Walker) character. They thought he was a coon. Despite the fact that the Evanses were poor and lived in the projects, they were a positive family. Rolle and Amos thought J.J.s antics, which began to become the primary focus of the show, were the converse of the overall wholesome Evans image. At the end of the 1975-1976 season, John Amos was so fed up that he quit the show and producers decided to kill off James Evans. Rolle was furious now that J.J was the man of the house, and threatened to quit but was dissuaded by producers who promised to give her a new husband–auto-repair shop owner Carl Dixon (Moses Gunn). When J.J.s character did not change for the better, Rolle left. Producers explained her away by saying that she and her husband were on a honeymoon (while Wilona stayed and watched over the family). Rolle eventually came back (about 12 episodes later) to the cast without her husband whose absence–in typical sitcom fashion–was never explained. John Amos however, left for good.

*All research for this piece was taken from Barnes and Nobles, people who were around and old enough to follow pop culture in the 70s, and the Good Times DVD bonus features.

I remember when this used to come after Soul Train on Channel 5 (when it was simply called KTLA, way before it became The WB CW), and whenever it came on during the holidays I used to pause everything to watch with fam. And as always, if you’re digging this, hit up Gangstarr Girl for a fresh take on hip-hop, politics, fashion and other worldly and wordy things through the eyes of a New York-helmed around-the-way girl. Without further adeiu…

1978

Starring Diana Ross, Michael Jackson (before he was a monster), Nipsey Russell and Richard Pryor. You already know what The Wiz was all about. It was The Wizard of Oz but with soul! The movie was an adaptation of the 1975 Broadway musical originally starring Stephanie Mills as Dorothy.

This was a long trailer but did you watch it all the way through? Did you peep it at about 2:25, when they were singing “Brand New Day?” That was New York City, especially Harlem, when Obama won. And I’m not even gonna pretend like I wasn’t amongst those people wilding in the streets jumping, dancing and singing for joy (OK, maybe I wasn’t singing lol).

Soundtrack:

The soundtrack featured original compositions from Quincy Jones and Charlie Smalls, who scored the play.

*Gangstarr Fact
I was vocal major at a performing arts high school in NYC (the “Fame” school) and on my first day in voice 1, I had to sing a song so the teacher could assess my vocal ability. I sang the Stephanie Mills version of “Home.” *blushes*

This isn’t even a movie than it is a genre-changing classic. This should definitely be in everybody’s video stash. And as always, if you’re digging this, hit up Gangstarr Girl for a fresh take on hip-hop, politics, fashion and other worldly and wordy things through the eyes of a New York-helmed around-the-way girl. Without further adeiu…

1975

Soundtrack:

The soundtrack features songs by soul legends like Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson,and Lamont Dozier. It inspired Boyz II Men’s 1991 album, CooleyHighHarmony.

Their version of “It’s so Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday” is a remake of the Freddie Perren original. I couldn’t find the original version but you can catch it at the end of Cooley High (where it gets kinda sad *tear drop*) however, enjoy the Boyz II Men version below:

Quick hip-hop trivia: Hell Up In Harlem was supposed to be the original title of what eventually became No Way Out. Also, some of the more prominent hip-hop samples were found on the movie’s soundtrack. And as always, if you’re digging this, hit up Gangstarr Girl for a fresh take on hip-hop, politics, fashion and other worldly and wordy things through the eyes of a New York-helmed around-the-way girl. Without further adeiu…

1973

Starring: Fred Williamson (a major star in the blaxploitation genre).

Synopsis: This sequel to Black Caesar begins with a badly wounded Tommy Gibbs–Harlem Mob boss–coming to after surviving an assassination attempt orchestrated by a corrupt district attorney. As Tommy tries to rebuild his empire, he’s plagued by the murders of his father and estranged ex-wife. Thus, going on a rampage of vengeance–creating “hell up in Harlem.”

Soul singer, Edwin Starr did the soundtrack. This album wasn’t as popular as the James Brown scored soundtrack for Black Caesar. The theory is that because the Hell Up in Harlem soundtrack marked Starr’s last album with Motown, the promotion was lackadaisical. According to www.allmusic.com, the two singles released were “Hell Up in Harlem,” and “Big Papa” (no musical relation to the Biggie song), but they didn’t blow up the way they should have.

I featured Black Caesar (part 1) as blaxploitation movie #5.

In case you need a refresher for what the Black Caesar soundtrack sounded like, here is the lead single (sampled for Nas’ 2002 album, God’s Son on “Get Down”):

DOWNLOAD: James Brown – The Boss | Mediafire

P.S. Let me know if anything was sampled from the Hell Up in Harlem soundtrack cuz I can’t think of anything.

BONUS: Edwin Starr – Easin’ In | Mediafire

Let’s be real here: Soopa Starr’s Blaxploitation Friday > any and every Blackbuster “film” played on B.E.T. And as always, if you’re digging this, hit up Gangstarr Girl for a fresh take on hip-hop, politics, fashion and other worldly and wordy things through the eyes of a New York-helmed around-the-way girl. Without further adeiu…

I chose this one because there weren’t too many musicals in the blaxploitation genre and I wanted to deviate.

Synopsis: Sparkle is the story of three young sisters from Harlem who are a vocal trio aided by the tunes written by their friend Stix (played by pre-Miami Vice Philip Michael Thomas).

The group, known as Sister and the Sisters, gets a crack at stardom when a thug with connections named Satin (sat-in, not say-tin) takes over, booking the girls into bigger venues. He also takes Sister (played by Lonette McKee), the oldest, most outgoing sister (also leader of the group) as his mistress–turning her on to drugs and subjecting her to his sadistic physical abuse. McKee’s character is initially the film’s focus, but once she descends into addiction and leaves, Sparkle (the youngest sister played by Irene Cara) takes the group to the top, carrying the rest of the movie.

I couldn’t find a trailer but I think you’ll recognize this song starting at 1:21. Sexiest song by a girl group ever written and performed!

Music: The movie version of “Giving Him Something He Can Feel,” along with the other tracks from the film were recorded by the actresses in the film, strictly for the movie while the soundtrack–written entirely by Curtis Mayfield–was done differently. Aretha Franklin (who isn’t in the flick) covered all of the its songs. It’s a unique concept even today, but that particular LP was one of the high marks of both Franklin’s and Mayfield’s latter-day careers. (I have the original soundtrack on vinyl, come see me!)

By the way, these dresses are to die for! I’d def play dress up for my man if I had these.

The En Vogue remake is just as sexy!

Extras: There’s been talk of a remake (produced by Raven-Symone) for years starring Ashanti as Sparkle. I’m not a fan. If I had my way, I’d have Diddy direct it (true story) and I’d cast Beyonce as the oldest sister, Tamyra Gray as Sparkle, and Ashanti as the other sister (the one no one cares about). How would you remake it?

BONUS: Camp Lo – Sparkle | Mediafire

What better way to kick start the weekend that with a tribute to one of the best that ever did it? And as always, if you’re digging this, hit up Gangstarr Girl for a fresh take on hip-hop, politics, fashion and other worldly and wordy things through the eyes of a New York-helmed around-the-way girl. Without further adeiu…

This one is a tribute to Isaac Hayes a.k.a. Black Moses, who not only shaped the musical sound of blaxploitation films after Shaft, but also hip-hop as a plethora of his music has been sampled by various people.

Three Tough Guys (1974)

Although it was an action film (typical of flicks in the genre) it deviated in the sense that a black man teamed up with a white man for the same cause and it wasn’t about getting revenge against “The Man.” This is most likely because it was written and directed by Italians.

Synopsis:
Isaac Hayes plays Lee, a cop removed from the force in what looks like a frame up when $1,000,000 is stolen from the bank. He teams up with his friend Father Charlie (ex con turned priest lol) to get to the bottom of things. It all eventually leads to trouble–the third tough guy played by Fred Williamson.

Facts:
This film was Isaac Hayes’ acting debut.

“I was always attracted to acting…but I never had an opportunity,” said Hayes (taken from What it is…What it Was-Hyperion Books). He added, “The first shot I had was because of my popularity as an entertainer and as a recording artist… [Three Tough Guys] was a learning experience [and] I worked with some talented actors.”

Hayes also scored the movie and soundtrack. You’ll probably recognize this song from some hip-hop samples:

DOWNLOAD: Isaac Hayes – Hung Up On My Baby

The first movie score Isaac Hayes ever did was for Shaft which I featured weeks before his untimely death. Click here for that feature.

Fred Williamson, like Pam Grier, Yaphet Koto, and some others was a star of the genre. One of his most popular films was Black Caesar. Click here for that feature.

No, not Inmate Inga, the first official wifey material all other wifey materials aspire to be even after all this time. If you’re digging this, hit up Gangstarr Girl for a fresh take on hip-hop, politics, fashion and other worldly and wordy things through the eyes of a New York-helmed around-the-way girl. Without further adeiu…

Synopsis: Foxy Brown, an average but sexy every day woman (70s around the way girl) seeks revenge against Miss Katherine and Steve Elias, the gangsters responsible for murdering her FBI agent boyfriend–who succeeded in the arrests and convictions of several drug dealers and goons tearing apart the black community.

“When Foxy Brown comes to town, all the brothers gather around… A chick with drive, don’t take no jive… She’s sweet brown suga with a touch of spice…”

Out of the few female blaxploitation actresses and heroines, Pam Grier as Foxy Brown was my favorite (she went out blazing at the end of this movie). I can see why she became an icon of the genre and why she did so well, cranking out film after film–she was gorgeous (and still is) and had that certain je ne sais quoi (star power). Plus, Pam Grier did all her own stunts in every film.

Although I’m an 80s baby, I grew up fascinated by Pam Grier. The characters she played inspired me and made me want to be like her–a pretty, fierce, strong baadasssss. Her characters were a big advancement for not just black women and girls, but for women and girls period. There were no real heroines in film and TV in the 80s, barely any in the 90s (if you count Xena) and there aren’t many now. Pam Grier is still technically an inspiration, hence the rapper: Foxy Brown.

“Foxy Brown, the rapper who has taken the name… Just by using that name she’s saying ‘I’m independent and I will try to use my own wits and intelligence to get by, and to get over and learn,’” said Grier in an interview about her movie roles and influence in pop culture (taken from What it is…What is Was–Hyperion Books)

You can also see the influence in Austin Powers 3 with Beyonce’s character Foxxy Cleopatra. Her persona was a combination of various female characters from the blaxploitation era (Cleopatra Jones, TNT Jackson and Grier’s characters). If you saw the movie, then you probably remember how she kept saying “I’m Foxxy Cleopatra, and I’m a whole lotta woman!” There’s a scene in Foxy Brown where she beat up her trifling brother and his girlfriend. The girlfried asked rhetorically, “Who does she think she is?” And Foxy’s brother replied, “That’s my sister, and she’s a whole lotta woman.”

Peep the intro from the movie:

I usually feel like this and in my head imagine myself in this scenario when I’m dressed up and going out somewhere lol.

So yeah, I just love that whole attitude, confidence and vibe (the fashion is to die for too). There has been talk of a Foxy Brown remake for years but I’m not sure if it will ever happen. I heard rumors that Halle Berry was producing it and that Vivica A. Fox would play Foxy. Then, I heard that Halle was producing and playing Foxy. But that was about four years ago. I think they should remake it however, at this point, Halle nor Vivica would pop as FB. I wouldn’t be mad if Tocarra (from ANTM) played the role. Not sure about her acting skills but physically and attitudinally, she’d nail it. It would also be cool if Quentin Tarantino directed it. But we’ll see if the remake ever happens period. (Shrugs)

Music: The soundtrack was scored by Willie Hutch who also scored The Mack, which was one of my first Blaxploitation Friday features. I’m not sure if any songs from the Foxy Brown soundtrack were sampled in hip-hop but UGK sampled Willie Hutch’s “I Choose You” for their “International Players Anthem.” You can check that feature out here.

Other than that, stick it to The Man and gimme five on the black hand side.

Peace

If you’re feeling this like I am, be sure to check out Gangstarr Girl for a fresh take on hip-hop, politics and other worldly and wordy things through the eyes of a New York-helmed around-the-way-girl. WIthout further adeiu…

Today’s flick is Shaft. I fucked around and posted it hastily about two weeks ago because it was the 10th post, so I wanted it to be dope (therefore rushing by posting this one) but I left out an important tidbit. Don’t fret, it’s coming. I’ll make things right for unlucky number 13.

1971

Starring: Richard Roundtree

Synopsis: John Shaft is the baddest, most debonair Black detective in Harlem but that comes with price. He first finds himself up against the Black mob, then Black nationals–but those forces eventually unite when they team up to bring down the White mafia who are trying to Blackmail Bumpy (who is very loosely based on Harlem’s real life Bumpy Johnson), leader of the Black mob, by kidnapping his daughter.

Facts: Shaft was directed by Gordon Parks, renowned African-American photographer, composer, author and director. He was the first African-American to make a studio film in 1969 with The Learning Tree.

Shaft’s character was originally written for a white man but replaced with Richard Roundtree on the heels of the success of Melvin Van Peebles’ Sweetback… (which is considered by several people, an avante garde movie that set off the popularity of the genre). The new, melanin enhanced Shaft was the embodiment of the Black Revolutionaries popular in the U.S. at the time.

The original film spawned three remakes, Shaft’s Big Score (1972), Shaft in Africa(1973), and Shaft again (2000), directed by John Singleton, who was admittedly influenced by the flick and other blaxploitation joints.

Music: Unless you grew up in the cave that currently houses Osama B, then you must have heard the theme song at some point in your life. “Shaft” is the lead single from the film, which was entirely scored by Isaac Hayes. Not only was this the first film he ever scored, but he became the first African American to receive an Oscar for Best Musical Score, and he also won a Golden Globe, two Grammys, an NAACP Image Award, and an Edison Award (Europe’s highest award for music).

DOWNLOAD: Isaac Hayes – Theme From “Shaft”

What I missed: Shortly after I posted Shaft, I ended up watching a marathon on TVOne. They showed every Shaft movie back to back, and as I was listening to the theme song that played throughout Shaft in Africa, I thought it sounded familiar. Listen for yourself. I’m not going to give any hints but you should be ashamed of your self if you’re a hip-hop head and don’t recognize the sample. This one is easy.

DOWNLOAD: Johnny Pate – Shaft In Africa