Jay-Z hopes to showcase the real diversity of America in his forthcoming Western “The Harder They Fall.”
The groundbreaking film, featuring an all-Black cast, premieres in select theaters on October 22 and on Netflix on November 3.
Speaking to Entertainment Tonight, Jay, who produced and contributed original music to the flick, insisted the project “widens the lens” of Black history in the U.S.
“Once it’s widened for us, it’s widened for Asians. For Mexicans. For everyone,” he explained, adding that representation is vital in Westerns, as one in three cowboys in the period generally known as the Wild West were Black.
Of the whitewashing that continues on screen, he reflected: “(For years), one of the only things on public television was Westerns, every week, and we weren’t represented in those at all.
“In fact, our characters were taken from us. ‘The Lone Ranger’ was based on one of the characters from this film.”
‘The Lone Ranger’ is believed to have been inspired by the real-life lawman Bass Reeves, who is portrayed by Delroy Lindo in “The Harder They Fall.”
The film also stars Jonathan Majors, Idris Elba, Regina King, Zazie Beetz and Lakeith Stanfield.