June 16th saw both the would-be 45th birthday of the late, great Tupac Shakur and the revealing of the first trailer for the upcoming film All Eyez on Me: a theatrical depiction of Shakur’s iconic life, career and untimely death. Given the developmental uncertainty that the biopic seemed to be plagued with for the past five years – including a rotation of the director’s seat that saw both Antoine Fuqua and John Singleton leave the crew over creative differences – early skeptics and naysayers can lay claim to several valid reservations about copping a ticket. While the presence of a ‘Pac film might seem like an accomplishment in and of itself, there are many nervous onlookers out there who do not care to see the legacy of one of music’s most beloved legends sullied in an attempt to cash in on Hollywood’s fixation with biographical flicks in recent years.
I have no qualms with including myself in that category of fidgeting fans begging the big screen not to let us down. I, as well as the rest of my generation who drew inspiration from Tupac’s work and philosophies, owe it to his legacy to do my part in keeping the industry in check as it pertains to preserving the late rap god’s integrity. Even though ‘Pac’s death preceded my own birth by some odd months, his influence has been felt in not only my own upbringing paired with the subculture of hip-hop but in scores of other young millennial childhoods as well. As such, there’s tons of pressure from all sides of the tracks coming at director Benny Boom and the rest of the cast to deliver a top-notch product worthy of busting out all of our old Makaveli memorabilia come the film’s November 11th release date… or at least avoid doing what Lifetime did to Aaliyah in 2014’s god-awful attempt at cashing out on the memory of the princess of R&B.
Ultimately, though, fans of Shakur’s work can only offer the best of wishes and highest of hopes for Boom and the gang. In similarly good faith, I’d like to offer four solid pieces of advice on how not to piss off us future moviegoers (which is all for naught considering filming has already wrapped up, but I figured it’d be a more productive use of digital space-time than a 1000 word elaboration on “Don’t f*** this up”).
1.Give Us a Film About ‘Pac
Because of modern society’s desperate clinging to dualism, binaries and the like, we all understand the diametric opposition that Tupac and former friend and rival/fellow hip-hop legend The Notorious B.I.G. exist in. That being said, the two late rapper’s biographies will also be heavily compared to one another as soon as the first viewers reach the credits. So to get it out of the way as soon as possible, we can discuss Notorious, Biggie’s unrelated biopic released back in 2009, right here and right now... except we won’t. At least not in full.
Among the many rights and many, many wrongs about Notorious from a fan’s perspective, there were a lot of elements to the docudrama that were downright confusing. What confounded me the most, however, had nothing to do with the script at all. It was the advertising leading up to the movie’s release that got me: Jamal Woolard, the actor filling the big shoes left behind by the man born Christopher Wallace, didn’t even have top billing. Angela Bassett as Voletta Wallace and Derek Luke as Sean “Puffy/Diddy/Puff Daddy/a googolplex of variations of the three” Combs did. As easy as it is to revisit Suge Knight’s throwback shade of the producer being “all in the videos” when discussing everything wrong with that fact, there’s a bigger elephant to address in the room (and there’s almost never a good reason to quote Suge Knight outside of a courtroom, to begin with.) Yes, Derek Luke and Angela Bassett were and still are bigger box office draws than relative newcomer Woolard, but promoting a biographical depiction of a man whilst giving his actor the backseat to the actors portraying the film’s producers sends the audience a conflicting message. While I’m sure adhering to the facts of B.I.G.’s lifetime was the utmost priority (unless you ask Lil Kim), these are the minute details that completely undo all of those good intentions.
In order for All Eyez on Me to hold true to the importance of Tupac, it should probably – oh, I don’t know – actually treat ‘Pac as the most important piece of the puzzle. Sounds easy enough, right? Well, in a cinematic world where Whitney could’ve been just as accurately named Bobby, the aforementioned tragedy that tried to document Aaliyah’s career forgot what everyone in her life looked like, and Straight Outta Compton took until the end of the film reel to realize that MC Ren and DJ Yella were part of the group too, I’m just not so sure anymore. And while we’re on the topic:
2. Remember that Straight Outta Compton is an Entirely Different Movie
The critical and commercial accolades given to last year’s NWA biopic were all well-deserved. It had been quite a while since the big screen had seen such a wildly accepted and beloved story revolving around the heroes of hip-hop’s past, and while Compton did inadvertently shade the hell out of MC Ren and DJ Yella’s involvement in the group, the film’s strengths outweighed its weaknesses. Though I’m just a lowly college writer, this sentiment is not unique: it was particularly white Hollywood’s ignorance of this film existing in a world of fine cinema that gave heavy credence to the many boycotts and Chris Rock roasting against last year’s Academy Awards ceremony. Clearly, the aftereffects of that film will influence the creation of future big budget rap flicks.
While there’s nothing at all wrong with using Compton as a directorial and theatrical paradigm (after all, it was the cameo appearance of ‘Pac’s likeness in the film that re-sparked a bit of public interest in the upcoming Eyez), it is essential that Tupac’s movie stands on its own two feet. That is to say, the success of NWA’s film should not be used as an excuse to produce just any movie about ‘Pac in order to strike while the iron is hot. The makers of the film should be aware that they will be selling an entirely different film requiring entirely different pacing, emotional depth, storytelling methods, etc. Likewise, viewers and critics should give both West Coast legends the due respect of expecting two different stories to be told. Anyone judging Eyez for not being like Compton in any regard should check the name on the ticket. That is, of course, assuming the makers of the former had the forethought to not outright bite any elements from the latter or any other hip-hop bios for that matter.
3.It’s Okay if We’re Confused
Upon learning that there was going to be a movie based on the life of Tupac Shakur a few years back, I gave the prospective filmmakers all their respective props. Attempting to accurately portray a man as conflictingly complex to his core as Tupac is quite a feat, hence the reason why all films released on the topic have been documentaries and the only man to fictionally portray him for longer than a single scene (the admittedly talented Anthony Mackie) still got read for filth in a significant amount of fan reviews. The fact is that there are just too many aspects of ‘Pac to cover accurately without running the risk of betraying another. For every fan who will purchase a ticket looking to see the man who rallied behind those left behind by society with his T.H.U.G. L.I.F.E.tattoo and outlook, there’ll be another handful looking to see the vicious self-awareness that led to The Rose that Grew from Concrete.
There’ll be a lot to look for in Eyez when it comes to historical accuracy, given that the history surrounding ‘Pac is as extensive as it is rich. Additionally, there’ll be a lot of stories to tell that might conflict with the grandeur within which many fans construct their image of the late rapper. Obviously, the man’s not here to tell his own story, so the picture we’ll see on the screen will be, in part, comprised of stories from those who’ve crossed paths with him while he still walked the earth. For Jada Pinkett-Smith, those stories will probably be about a friendship deeper than most oceans, the likes of which only she alone still knows the intricacies of. For Snoop Dogg, those stories will probably revolve around a close friend and contemporary with a work ethic matched only by his temper. And for the Hughes Brothers, it probably involves an ass whooping of some sort. As you can see, there’ll be mixed messages abound, but then again life is not as clear a dialogue as we’d like to believe, especially when it’s one that we don’t live ourselves. It doesn’t have to be crystal clear to come together for a complete narrative.
4.Don’t Forget Afeni!
Finally, let us not forget the memory of the late and also great Afeni Shakur, mother of Tupac Shakur and former Black Panther and legend in her own right. The world recently lost Afeni this past May, and her likeness will undoubtedly be present in the upcoming biopic and play a significant role in the narrative, just as her real life counterpart had done in her son’s actual time on earth. Given how recent her own passing was and the role she played in the film’s production before it, the film will more than likely be just as much an homage to her legacy as well. After the tireless work, she was responsible for accomplishing both in regards to her son and to her own personal goals and undertakings, many would acknowledge that she is quite deserving of a cinematic send-off.
The Shakur family as a whole, from ‘Pac and Afeni to Mutulu and Assata will potentially get a nod in this film as they should. It’ll be incredible to see a depiction of ‘Pac operating in a realm as personal as family dynamics, and it should be remembered that these same dynamics are, in a lot of ways, responsible for the man attempting to be immortalized in film. While I can’t speak for other future moviegoers when it comes to this, I certainly look forward to seeing not only ‘Pac revisited, but his revolutionary family as well, including the incomparable Afeni.
With all this being said, be sure to check out the trailer for the upcoming All Eyez on Me, in theaters November 11.
