A$AP Rocky, Tyga, Vince Stapes, Forest Whitaker and others are featured in a new film Dope about the 1990s Los Angeles black community. Written and directed by Rick Famuyiwa, the film follows a young high school student, Malcolm and his glorious high-top fade as he tries to navigate being good at school and live in The Bottoms, one of the toughest neighborhoods in Inglewood, California. Malcolm dreams of attending Harvard, but the story starts with his life at home as he tries to survive every day. He and his group of friends are deeply into the hip-hop, tying in the many guest appearances from rappers that include the aforementioned artists above and also Casey Veggies.
Director Famuyiwa described what makes Malcolm different from other movies about this era and this area in an interview with Entertainment Weekly.
"He isn't a drug dealer or a gang banger. He's into all types of music, and video games and computers. We've seen a lot of films about everything else in these neighborhoods — the crime, the athletes, the gangs — but you don't see films about the regular kids who have to survive in these streets."
Pharrell was tapped to compose three original songs for the film, which are slated to be included as tracks performed by Malcolm and his band.
Famuyiwa continued with EW about the experience working with Pharrell to create the songs for Malcolm.
"It was exhilarating to sit there in the studio with Pharrell as he composed this music," Famuyiwa says. "I'd tell him about Malcolm and then he'd disappear to his magic lair, or wherever he goes, and then he'd have a song about it and it'd be amazing. I think he was key in helping me figure out who these kids are in this world."
The film is being submitted for Sundance this year and has hopes of doing some damage. Watch the trailer below via Hypetrak.
