@notnotoriousbig
After the Notorious B.I.G. was immortalized on the big screen we knew it was only a matter of time before Tupac would have one as well.  Over the weekend numerous sources announced that Training Day director, fellow Brooklynite and West Virginia University Classmate, Antoine Fuqua had signed on to spearhead the project which is slated to begin filming later this year.

While the film has been rumored for quite some time this is the first real official go for the Morgan Creek Produced film.

“It looks like we’re doing Tupac Shakur’s movie next in September, that’s what I’ve been starting up and working on now,” he told DigitaSpy.com. “I’ve been working on that for a while with Morgan Creek and Jim Robinson. I just got the greenlight from him and we’re going in September. I’ve just started to prep that.”

Of course the next question people wanted to know what who Fuqua would get to play Pac’s character.  Like Gravy who played B.I.G., the director says he wants to cast a new face.

“I want to discover someone new,” he explained. “I want to discover a lot of new people if I can. Obviously I’m going to have to put some people in it that you know, just because actors have different skills. I want to go to the streets and find him anywhere he might be in the world.”

This all sounds so familiar to me.  I’m going to be honest.  I find it extremely disheartening that two of Hip Hop’s most iconic figures have been reduced to footnotes in each other’s bios.  Let me explain.

While I’m not a huge Tupac fan I’ve gotta respect what the man did for the music and the culture but its a shame that his life can’t be talked about without making reference to B.I.G.  While their careers and subsequent death’s were indeed tied together their accomplishments for the music weren’t and we often lose sight of that.  I’m afraid this biopic will just be”Notorious” re-written from the west coast perspective.  Their music and impact on the culture undoubtedly gets lost  in the sex appeal that still surrounds their deaths. 

B.I.G. for instance helped mold the sounds and launch the careers of so many like The Lox, Lil Kim and yes Jay-Z.  He put New York, better yet Brooklyn back on the map as a rap superpower after its lul in the early 90′s.  He single-handedly put the city on his back and carried them with only ONE album prior to his death.  This is a man that is recognized as one of if not the greatest of all time and yet officially has been on less tracks than Drake who doesn’t even have an album out yet.  But yet his accomplishments will always be overshadowed by his beef with Pac, his death and vice versa.  Its such a shame.  So my hope and plea to Antoine Fuqua is that he brings it back to the essence.  It may be to late for B.I.G.’s Hollywood depiction but it’s not for Pac.  Lets make his death the footnote not his life.  Peace. 

Via: Digital Spy