A Brown Sugar review of Neil Drumming\u2019s BIG WORDS\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

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What were you doing on November 4^{th<\/sup> 2008? Most people can tell you about their movements on that historic day hour by hour. But for many people the election of Barack Obama was a backdrop to an ordinary day. One filled with ups, downs and lots of in between. Neil Drumming<\/strong> the writer of BIG WORDS<\/strong> decided to set the film on that historic day.\u00a0 Fade in on rotating vinyl beneath the fingertips of DJ Malik one third of the fictional but familiar feeling hip hop trio DLP. Unlike a regular film Drumming does not quickly fade out the heavy beats and cuts. He lets it rock for a good 5 minutes, and it\u2019s beautiful. DLP is Big Words, the heady lyrical genius stuck in a job he hates, Jayvee da Mac the formerly flashy emcee now gay professional , and DJ Malik the turntabilist attempting to keep The Golden Age of hip hop alive collector\u2019s edition by\u00a0 collector\u2019s edition and joint by joint.<\/p>\n}

The indie film (Drumming\u2019s directorial debut) finds our 3 lead characters 10 or so years removed from a career that, almost was.\u00a0 How do you move on when your potential was cut short? When you know you could have blown up given the right opportunity? The members of DLP answer these questions in a display of some of the best storytelling and well written dialogue I\u2019ve seen in a while. The actors\u2019 faces are familiar but none super famous. And you know what? That\u2019s fine. Chris (Gbenga Akinnagbe) from \u201cChris and Snoop\u201d on the Wire is in it, Jean Grae plays the girlfriend of DJ Malik (and she\u2019s dope) as well as Yaya from Top Model and The Butler. Dorian Missick and Darien Sills-Evans (who is HILARIOUS) round out the cast. The story didn\u2019t need big names to sell the fact that it\u2019s a timely piece with solid production value.\u00a0 Hip Hop\u2019s original fans and performers are in their 30s, 40s and what not, we have a story to tell and what better place than the big screen?<\/p>\n

I saw the AFFRM (African American Film Festival Releasing Movement) distributed film at a Charlotte Black Film Festival screening. It\u2019s already hit LA, NY, DC and ATL this summer. Dj Applejac of ATL was on one of the post screening panels. He and I spoke about the film and compared notes.\u00a0 In response to love and hip hop he looked at the relationship between Jean Greasy\u2019s character and her love DJ Malik. Malik has no actual employment outside of spinning vintage vinyl in his room, while Grae works tirelessly. Applejac says,\u00a0 \u201cFor whatever it’s worth though, AT LEAST he had Jean. She didn’t always LIKE him, but she didn’t stop LOVING him. So many guys would KILL for someone to believe in them and encourage them that way. It don’t happen that much though…\u201d Then we spoke about the biggest theme in the movie, dealing with a dream deferred. DJ Applejac again, \u201c\u2026at MY age, it’s like when do you just be like “it’s over” and when do you say “don’t give up”??? The worst thing in the world would be to give up when your breakthrough’s right around the corner… worse still, is to look back on your life and feel like you wasted it “tryna get on\u2026” Such a thin line sometimes…\u201d<\/strong> *deep sigh* He said a mouthful right there and so does Big Words.<\/p>\n

For anyone who loves hip hop, good writing and character development youll be right at home watching this film.\u00a0 I\u2019m here for complicated on screen examinations of our beautiful brown men and BIG WORDS gives us plenty of that. There are a few more planned screening dates here in the States and around the globe. So please check for it and support indie films and hip hop all at the same time.<\/p>\n

Film info- http:\/\/www.affrm.com\/big-words\/<\/p>\n