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'93 til Infinity: Our favorite "Menace II Society" Characters
It’s the ultimate “hood” movie and a hip-hop classic and cultural influencer. In celebration of the 20th Anniversary of Menace to Society, AllHipHop.com takes a look back at the movie, our favorite characters, and our favorite quotable lines. (READ ALSO: Menace II Society: 20 Years Later) Tyrin Turner as Kaydee “Caine” Lawson Quotable: “Yo, I don’t think you know me, homie.” 1993: Turner seemed to have appeared out of nowhere when he turned up as the star of Menace to Society in 1993. Prior to the film, Turner appeared in Janet Jackson’s “Rhythm Nation” video as well the 1992 crime thriller Deep Cover. As Caine, Turner brought to life one of urban films most memorable protagonists. 2013: After Menace, Turner made numerous television and music video appearances. For a short time, Turner was also as a member of the Geto Boys, appearing on several albums, although he never released a solo project. Turner also played another memorable urban film character appearing as “the illest ni**a in Nebraska,” Rico in Belly. Larenz Tate as O. Dog Quotable: “What you say about my Momma?” 1993: Starting his career with a string of television appearances as far back as the 80s, Menace to Society was Tate’s first feature role. O-Dog was the film’s youngest and most dangerous character, often killing for the slightest perceived disrespect. 2013: Between 1995 and 1998, Tate starred in Dead Presidents [also a Hughes Brothers film], the cult classic Love Jones and Why Do Fools Fall in Love: The Frankie Lymon story. In the early 2000’s, Tate had roles in the Oscar-winning films Ray and Crash. Larenz Tate recently got into directing, crafting a Conjure Cognac commercial for friend, Ludacris. Jada Pinkett-Smith as Ronnie Quotable: “See, that’s the key word. Caine. N***a, you ain’t Caine, stop drinking up all the beer.” 1993: After moving from Baltimore, MD to California, Pinkett-Smith networked her way into small roles and behind the scenes work. In Menace to Society, Pinkett-Smith played Ronnie, a single mother to the child of Caine’s surrogate father Pernell. Once Pernell is sent to prison to serve a life sentence, Caine takes on the responsibility of looking out for Ronnie and her and Pernell’s son Anthony. Their relationship ends up being one where they take care of each other until they fall in love and intend to move to Atlanta, GA with Pernell’s blessing. 2013: Pinkett-Smith experienced a great amount of success after Menace throughout the 90s. She was featured on A Different World, and starred in the urban film classic Set It Off. Pinkett-Smith has also made strides as a wife, musician, mother, business-woman and humanitarian. With husband, Will Smith they have produced movies and television series through their production company Overbrook Productions. Her children Jaden and Willow are both musicians and actors. Clifton Powell as Chauncey Quotable: “Yo, Wax. Let me get some links with them grits, n***a. I’m hungrier than a muthaf**ka out here.” 1993: Powell appeared in in Menace as a neighborhood OG who only cared about himself. Chauncey was one of the films least likable characters. He dimed Caine and O-Dog out to the police after catching a beatdown over Ronnie, in fact, one of the best things about him was his nickname, “Fa**ot A**Chauncey.” 2013: Since Menace, Powell has gone on become one of the hardest working men in black Hollywood. He has appeared in numerous major and independent films. Powell’s second-most recognized character is Pinky, a pimp and record store owner in the Friday franchise. Bill Duke as “Detective” Quotable: “You know you done f**ked up, don’t ya?” 1993: Known for his imposing physique with a height of almost 6’4″, Bill Duke debuted in the 1976 classic Car Wash as Abdullah Mohammed Akbar, a hood dude turned Muslim revolutionary. Duke has played a number of action and crime drama roles, but sometimes dabbles in comedy. His role in Menace was both terrifying and funny when he caught Caine up in a lie during questioning about the liquor store slaying. 2013: Duke is still working. He did a voiceover for a Boondocks episode, reprising his famous line. Duke also played a drug kingpin in 50 Cent’s biopic, Get Rich or Die Trying. Bill Duke is also a Director and mentor for young people seeking careers in the creative arts. MC Eiht as A-Wax Quotable: “Both of y’all actin’ like some muthaf**kin’ bi**hes… Man, gimmie my muthaf**kin’ joint.” 1993: MC Eiht, released three albums as one of the founding members of rap group Compton’s Most Wanted before signing on to be a part of the Hughes Brothers’ debut film Menace to Society. While his character A-Wax was expert at playing either the devil’s advocate or the devil himself, MC Eiht is best remembered for his role in the movie’s soundtrack. “Straight up Menace” was a narrative from Caine’s point of view from childhood until his unfortunate demise. 2013: Currently, MC Eiht is experiencing a career revival after signing with DJ Premier’s independent label Year Round Records in 2011, and his recent contribution to Kendrick Lamar’s major label debut Good Kid, M.A.A.d City. What’s your favorite Menace II Society quote or character?
Menace II Society: 20 Years Later
It was my senior year of high school. A hot Memorial Day weekend, May 26, 1993. My cousin and I went to a see it at a theater that has long since closed down, The Americana. Patrons were being waved down with security wands, scanned for guns. It was an inconveinece that we didn’t even think twice about. Hey, it was better than getting shot. This was Detroit. In the early 90’s, and violence was just a fact of life. And so were guns. And the death or incarceration of young, black men. Doughboy had only declared it 2 years earlier, but it seemed like they still didn’t know, didn’t show, or just didn’t care about what was going on in the hood. But, then came Menace II Society. The “hood movie” genre was already in full swing. New Jack City, Boyz N the Hood, and Juice provided the visuals for the hardcore music of the time. Set to gangster rap soundtracks, the new image of African American culture now had faces to match it. While Nino Brown was a villain worth hating, Doughboy tugged at your heart strings, and Bishop, you just felt sorry for. But, then came O-Dog. Nothing could prepare you for the opening scene of the movie. The random violence was astonishing. O-Dog was an antihero. He blurred the lines between hero and villain. Because for all of his bad-ness, he felt like someone you knew, someone you loved. He was young, black, and didn’t give a f**k. But the heart of the story was Caine. Caine Lawson was a boy I went to high school with. And if you grew up in an urban jungle, you probably did too, and if you didn’t, you might have been him. The son of a junkie mother and a drug dealing, murderous father, raised by grandparents who didn’t understand him, Caine seemed doomed from the very start. But, he was smart. Unlike most of his friends, he was graduating from high school, a fact that endeared him even more with the audience. And, hey, I’ll say it… he was cute. He was handsome in a way that wasn’t off-putting. He was handsome in a way that was just above average, just enough for it to matter. He could pull the girls, with his texturized hair and his silk shirts. He had a nice (stolen) ride, and nice (stolen) rims. [ALSO READ: ’93 til Infinity: Our favorite “Menace II Society” Characters] He was such an epitome of young, Black manhood in the early 90’s, that he could have been from anywhere. But, he grew up in South Central Los Angeles. In the late 80’s and 90’s, after the rise of NWA and West Coast hip-hop, South Central was synonymous with violence and anger. Having been filmed and released just a few short years after the Rodney King beating and the uprisings that followed, the beginning images of the 1965 Watts Rebellion and the 1992 LA Riots (or Rebellion) explained without words the city’s long-history of police brutality, gang violence, and systematic oppression. And that was the point. Menace II Society was, above all, the story of forgotten men. While Boyz N the Hood was a story of lost promise, of an invisible war waging in America’s ghettos, there was still a silver lining; after all Tre and Brandi went away to college, one at Morehouse and the other at Spelman. Caine never made it to Atlanta with his girl. Instead he died, right when he had found a reason to live. And that was what made the tragic film so painful and powerful. After seeing it that opening weekend, I saw it again a few days later with my film buff mother, and afterwards in little Ford Escort, she threw her head into her hands and sobbed. Shocked, I stared at her as she wailed about the “vicious cycle.” I understood, but in my heart, I chose to make up a little story that Caine made it to the hospital and lived. I held that in my heart for years. To this day, when the movie comes on television, I usually turn it off before he gets shot. He was that powerful a protagonist. The tragedy in Caine’s death was that it seemed so unavoidable. That it was a fate that he knew was hopeless to outrun. Caine’s fate was like so many in the Black community. A waste, a young man who could have been a good father, a good contributor to society. Instead, he was just another one of the lost ones, another brother you tipped the bottle for. The late, great Roger Ebert, who absolutely loved this film, stated in his 4 star review: He (Caine) has the values of his immediate circle, and the lack of imagination: He cannot envision a world for himself outside of the limited existence of guns, cars, drugs and swagger. This movie, like many others, reminds us that murder is the leading cause of death among young black men. But it doesn’t blame the easy target of white racism for that: It looks unblinkingly at a street culture that offers its members few choices that are not self-destructive. The Hughes Brothers didn’t blame society for the problems in the hood. But, it didn’t let it off the hook either. It showed, plainly, that there was a cycle of violence going on in the ghetto, and young men, smart men, handsome men, black men, were dying everyday and we were doing nothing about it. The film asked hard questions and demanded answers that still have yet to come. Questions about single motherhood, the growing numbers of grandparents raising kids–co-parenting with the streets, America’s obscenely high incarceration rate, the proliferation of guns in the Black community, and how systematic oppression (lack of access to liveable wage jobs, quality schools, and basic services) just creates more problems for all of us. 20 years later, street culture is celebrated. Films like Menace II Society put […]
Shanti Das' ATL Live on the Park 4th Anniversary Party
For the past four years, ATL Live on the Park has been the best party for showcasing new R&B talent in Atlanta. The monthly music series is produced by Atlanta industry veteran, Shanti Das and Marlon Nichols. Last night (May 15), Atlanta’s tastemakers turned out to celebrate the 4th anniversary of the event, and to see the next big thing. Last night, DTP’s Chaka Zulu introduced his new protege, India Shawn. With a voice that her fans compare to silk and melodies that are purely organic, the Trini-American beauty performed music from her debut project, Origin. India started her set with No One to Feel which transitioned into a cover of John Legend’s#### song, Tonight. The songstress continued to wow the crowd with not only her charm and charisma, but with also the spiritual / emotional connection she has with her music. Her second performance of No Saint, which was based off a real life story, gave music fans insight about her past relationship problems. India closed her set with her latest single, I’m Alive. Bermuda songbird Canjelae. Known for her unique blend of or R&B, pop and rock and roll, Canjelae began her performance with a cover of Usher’s Bad Girl. The sultry artist closed her set with new music titled First Time and Promise Me. Audiences were also kept entertained by up-and-coming comedian Mario Tory, and the legendary, Joe Clair. Also in attendance were Big Tigger, Keisha Knight-Pulliam, Kawan Prather-SVP of A&R at Atlantic Records, San Diego Chargers, Takeo Spikes, and more. Shanti Das and Marlon Nichols Keisha Knight-Pulliam Canjelae and India Shawn Big Tigger
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Kissing Kerry Washington
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R&B Divas Debuts in ATL
The songbirds returned to the small screen last night with a big splash. Nicci Gilbert, Monifah, Syleena Johnson and KeKe Wyatt are back. Joining them for a second season are Angie Stone and LaTocha Scott, (of Xscape). The show is rumored to be as strong as the first season, with a few new twists. Faith Evans revealed one of the things that makes R&B Divas successful: “There are other reality shows that had one or two cast members that were previously popular in another lane. But, in our show none of us did this to try and become popular. We already came with our own fan bases.” The fact that the ladies have their own fan bases, careers, and egos may prove to be an issue this season as they bump heads in the planning of their first tour. In fact, during the premiere of the show, two separate premiere parties were hosted in Atlanta with Nicci Gilbert and KeKe Wyatt at Museum Bar and Angie Stone, Syleena Johnson, and LaTocha Scott at Harlem Nights. Watch the video recap of both events here: [vimeo http://www.vimeo.com/65325677 w=600&h=275] At both parties, radio personalities, television producers, music artists and more came through to show the ladies their support. Even cast members from other Atlanta-based reality shows, “Love & Hip Hop Atlanta” and “Real Housewives of Atlanta” showed love at both events. Check out the video and catch the show on TVOne on Wednesdays at 10pm.
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Bilal’s Top 5 Hip-Hop Collabos
We loved interviewing and writing about Bilal for our exclusive interview, (Read that here.) That we had to revisit some of our favorite hip-hop songs that featured the soulful singer. During his long hiatus from recording, some of his best work came from his collaborations with rap artists. From Jay-Z and Jadakiss to Common and Kweli, Bilal has collab’d with some of the best spitters in the game. When asked to list his favorites, even he has to dig deep, “The Dilla ones,” he says, having worked extensively with the late legend. “Nightmares (The Clipse), Jay-Z that was something unexpected,” Bilal reminisces, “I had a lot of fun doing that. When I worked with Scarface, that was kind of fun as well.” We dug in our proverbial crates, reached out to our friends, and even asked the man himself to come up with this list of our Top 5 Bilal Hip-Hop Collabos. Feel free to add your favorites. “Fallin’” Jay-Z feat. Bilal, American Gangster Released in 2007, as a concept album based on the film by the same name, American Gangster was a critical success and is considered one of Jay’s most personal albums. On “Fallin’”, Bilal, backed by a Dramatics sample, sings the chorus, “I know I shouldn’ta did that/I know it’s gon’ come right back/I know it’s gon’ destroy everything I made/It’s probably gon’ get your boy sent away/But this game I play ain’t no way to fix it/it’s inevitable.” The song is a highlight of Jay’s 10th studio album, the album tied him with Elvis for most number one albums, he broke that record two years later with Blueprint 3. “Reminisce” Bilal feat. Mos Def & Common From his debut, 1st Born Second, “Reminisce” was produced by J. Dilla and featured verses from Mos Def and Common reminiscing on former loves, the song was one of Dilla’s best with a Mos doing background vocals throwing back to the Pete Rock C.L. Smooth classic, “T.R.O.Y.” The song was an ode to ex-girlfriends everywhere and probably caused a slew of ill-fated reunions. “As I think back/will I ever see her face again/as I reminsce.” [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YZjMLRmuV8&w=420&h=315] “Fast Lane” Bilal feat. Jadakiss and Dr. Dre It was a big win for an R&B singer to have Dre beats, especially in 2001, as the legendary producer was flying high with Chronic 2001 and the success of his protege’, Eminem. But, Bilal, at the time signed to Interscope, got not one but two Dre tracks for his debut. Featuring, Jadakiss, “Fast Lane,” was a cautionary tale about the street life. ‘Kiss dropped several gems like, “seem like tellin’ is in/ni**as’ll sign states/get a order of protection/and tell ’em again,” and “I’m a left lane ni**a/ my life is much faster than yours/I’m with a chick/then it’s attached to her bra.” His verses complemented Bilal’s voice and Dre’s beat making for a hip-hop perfect storm. “Waiting for the DJ,” Talib Kweli feat. Bilal You really can’t talk about a Bilal collab without mentioning this song. From Kweli’s solo debut, Quality, in 2002-“Waiting for the DJ” wasn’t a huge hit single, but did well on the charts and the fun, upbeat video got heavy rotation. One of the big anthems from hip-hop “second” golden age, the neo-soul/alt hip-hop/Soulquarian era where The Roots, Kweli, Mos, and company ruled the airwaves and were the major influencers of the culture. “Waiting for the DJ,” was just a fun song that… well, it made your body rock. [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5bHoYQCREfE] “Can’t Get Right,” Scarface feat. Bilal From ‘Face’s last full-album release, “Can’t Get Right,” was a soulful treatise on Black ghetto life. Released in 2008, the song was classic Scarface, full of pain and trials. “Can’t afford to fill my prescriptions/so we all gon’ die/CVS is slangin’ dope/on every block/worldwide.” This song demonstrated how widespread Bilal’s hip-hop appeal was, at the time of it’s release, it had been 7 years since his previous album, and would be 5 more years until his next. Like all of his collaborations, this song kept fans loving his sound between studio projects.
Where Did Our Love Go?
Maybe it’s because we have been listening to Bilal. Or because we were disappointed in watching dream and Kweli fight on Twitter. Or because we the recent Rick Ross lyric controversy has us wondering what happened to love in hip-hop. There used to be hip-hop love songs, Meth and Mary’s “All I Need,” is going to play at my wedding. And ATCQ wrote entire albums about love. Hip-Hop love didn’t always mean between a man and a woman. ‘Pac and Biggie both wrote about loving their glocks. But it was still love. At one point, it was all love. Where Did Our Love Go: Love and Relationships in the African-American Community attempts to examine the question in its title. What happened to love? Not just hip-hop, but in Black life, in a community where the numbers of married people is not just declining, it isn’t happening at all. In the hip-hop community we celebrate the marriage of T.I. and Tiny and Jay-Z and Beyonce because as examples of committed relationships, marriages, they are the exception not the rule. So what happened to the love? Black love? Hip-Hop love? In this book with over 40 essays from illustrious writers, poets, and entertainers, love and marriage are examined. The three categories: Single, Married, Divorced touch on themes of hope, happiness, and regret. The author talks about the “SBF: Single Black Female,” found in every city. Many of them are also known by their other moniker, “SBW: Strong Black Woman.” You know her when you see her, out on a Friday night with her girlfriends, smiling and well-dressed. Saturday morning in the beauty salon reading Essence, Sunday morning in church or watching it on TV. She goes about life doing her–working, getting degrees and promotions. But as she gets older, her mid-30’s in fact, the likelihood of her getting married is decreasing every day. And it’s not just bad news for her. According to the author, marriage is essential to maintaining the vitality and the character of a community. Lack, thereof, could be its downfall. So, AllHipHop.com got with the editor of this anthology, Gil L. Robertson IV, to ask him the Top 5 Ways We Can Get Back to Love. AllHipHop.com: Bilal has a new song called “Back to Love” where he asks the question, “How do we get back to love?” So, how DO we get back to love? Gil Robertson IV: We get back to real love by focusing more on the substantive things in our lives. A lot in hip-hop focuses on “bling” and other themes that have no role in real life. We need to reevaluate our priorities and also become more connected to what our real purpose is in life. After that, I believe everything will fall into place. AllHipHop.com: R&B, let alone, hip-hop seems like it is more about sex than love… is this indicative of the times? Is it a good or bad thing? or neither? In the book, references to R&B are “old school” what can “new school” R&B say about black love? Gil Robertson IV: A great deal of the R&B music being release today is indicative of our times, but I don’t think it’s delivering a healthy message nor is much of it representative of what R&B music is all about. We have allowed commercialism to derail R&B music. Traditionally, love themes played a HUGE role in R&B, but over the past two decades the tone and content of the music – it’s integrity has been allowed erode into something that is not representative of its roots. It’s my opinion that real R&B music is CENTERED around love and much of it delves into scenarios that talk about the quest for love that we all seek, as well as the great value and benefits you receive when you find someone who is willing and ready to be your life partner. AllHipHop.com: Very little hip-hop is about love. What place does love have in the culture? Gil Robertson IV: I think hip-hop culture is deeply rooted in love. Early hip-hop expressed a message that was rich in self and community empowerment. Also “love” was signature to many early hip-hop music hits, for example, ”All My Love,” by Queen Pen featuring Eric Williams or ‘Why Did It Have to Me,” by Sweet Tea, “The Lover In You,” by Big Daddy Kane and of course, “I Need Love,” by LL Cool J. AllHipHop.com: Couples like Jay-Z and Beyonce and even Kim and Kanye seem to have made marriage and family in hip-hop seem like more of a power move than based in love. What’s your opinion on black power couples and how they affect the image that the rest of black America have of love and marriage? Gil Robertson IV: From what I’ve seen of Jay-Z and Beyonce’s marriage seems a great example of what a loving and productive relationship should be. I don’t follow them, but it appears that they’ve been able to strike the right balance in their professional and personal lives. I also love how they keep their personal business private. The same for Kim and Kayne – it looks real. I would hope that entertainment personalities are not the only examples that people see of black love. My hope is that people (young people in particular) can reference couples that they can really “touch,” like their parents or a member of their extended family as an example of the value and benefit that comes from being in a loving relationship. If those examples aren’t available, perhaps they can find someone in their community or a couple who attends their church. AllHipHop.com: A lot of the book deals with parents. How can the hip-hop generation, as parents, be a better example for our kids? Gil Robertson IV: Parents must remember that their first priority is to remain steadfast in our commitment to our families. I can’t stress the importance of becoming more connected to our purpose. We also need to stress the […]
