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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Dear Readers,
In celebration of Black History Month, Hollywood Weekly Magazine is proud to showcase some of our nation’s most accomplished professionals in their chosen industry. Many people you will undoubtably recognize, but some you may not. As a people, we are all entitled to the inalienable right of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. We are honored to feature an exclusive interview with Dr. Glenn Scott, who recently spoke with our award winning writer Barbara Burke who happens to also personify excellence with her own Ph.D studies underway at Pepperdine University. The very important facets of love, discipline, and motivation and the use of these aspects are imperative to Dr. Glenn. Having said that, I realized that within his interview with Barbara, he emphasized how we as a people, no matter what geographical background, including age, ethnicity, or handicap, comprehending a person individually and as a group must me understood. There is no way one or a group can be “stereotyped” from any generation! We all must understand the individual needs as well as past, present and future generations as a group in order to flourish in this great country we call the United States. Dr. Glenn’s diverse background which includes a sound Marine excursion helped me to realize my own life experience as I served my country in the United States Army as well. Most important, the understanding of various people, places and situations while in the military and life in gernal is what it is all about! We hope that you enjoy reading about Dr. Scott, and that you’re able to takeaway some useful insight from each of the outstanding contributors within this edition of Hollywood Weekly Magazine. Enjoy,
Prather Jackson
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No Gossip, Strictly Entertainment
8. Heroes From Heaven Inside The Mind of Genius Dr. Scott Glenn by Barbara Burke 16. Remy Martin Dinner For Champions by Christian P Lopez 22. Stars Align Grey Goose Blue Door Party by Staff Writer 28.Through The Glass Darkly by Staff Writer 30. Mr. Dash’s “Honor Up” by Alison Kugel 36. Black Perfection by Staff Writer
HEROES FRO Inside the mind of gen by Barbara Burke 8 • HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY
OM HEA VEN nius Dr. Scott Glenn
Dr. Scott Glenn Shot by Tom Silknitter
HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY • 9
D
r. Scott Glenn’s “Heroes writer) and Claire Hutchinson (script) is from Heaven” Aims for approaching production. Heroes from Heaven is a 2017 Christian the Big Screen Pressing a Motivational Message Film Festival Award Winner for Best Writer Aimed at Rebooting the (Claire Hutchinson), Best Script (Dr. World to Regain Peace Scott Glenn and Claire Hutchinson), and Best Script Fan Favorite (Dr. Scott Glenn and Hope It’s 2145. Tyranny, turmoil and and Claire Hutchinson)! The script and tumult prevail. Due to a pernicious paucity forthcoming film are both based on the of leadership and an abysmal absence award-winning book, Heroes from Heaven: of spiritual focus, the world is a pathetic Battle Ground Earth by Dr. Glenn. It is always intriguing to learn a little manifestation of what the philosopher John Locke predicted in 1689 - “Where law ends, bit about the details regarding the life of tyranny begins.” Such chaos and crises have been foreshadowed since the beginning of time, a possible demise that, in our tale, has amplified seven times. The hapless, hopeless, aimless and godless leaders of before long ago cast aside mankind’s essential morals, values and ethics, foolishly believing they could somehow outwit the divine. Picture a now-divided world’s with seven Alliance Continents, each tyrannically ruled by its own wicked ruler. Their laws are simple: Neglect any type of religion and loathe women. Obey not and you meet your destiny: Instant death or Hatred Camp, a faith far worse. There’s no escape possible and mankind, if it is to survive, desperately needs help, real help and fast as time’s running out… This is a tale about cataclysmic crises. However, it is also a tale celebrating salvation and redemption because, as the heroes set out to restore a destroyed world, a key villain finally has an epic epiphany – he realizes that he has embraced the wrong side of history. The ultimate destiny of mankind hangs in the balance as all the competing dynamics, complicated by the inherent faults of man, vie for victory. Launching from these central themes and the seemingly irresolvable challenges, an unprecedented, breathtaking forthcoming good versus evil film, ‘Heroes from Heaven,’ by Dr. Scott Glenn (creator/ Dr. Scott Glenn Shot by Tom Silknitter 10 • HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY
Where is the world headed to? HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY • 11
one of the creators of such a cutting-edge production. “Love, discipline and motivation are keys to life.” Dr. Scott Glenn, told Hollywood Weekly. “Comprehending what love is and displaying it appropriately is what life is all about! Find your God-given gifts and use them according to his glory!” Dr. Glenn has shared many of his Godgiven gifts with the world. He is a highly decorated U.S. Marine. He is an academic and an educator. He is a published author. He is an adored and motivational coach. He is an often sought-after motivational speaker. A native of Pottstown, Pennsylvania, Dr. Glenn was an outstanding three-sport athlete prior to attending the West Virginia University Institute of Technology (WVU Tech), where he majored in History and Government. During his tenure at WVU Tech, he was a first-team All-League selection as a running back. Glenn led the West Virginia Conference in rushing in sequential in the 1980s, and he is currently WVUIT’s All-Time Leading Rusher. In 1993, Dr. Glenn enlisted in the United States Marine Corps, where he served as a fearless M1A1 Tanker. In the Marine Corps, he was honored to be named “Marine of The Year” (Tanker), and Power Lifting Champion of the Camp Lejuene 2nd Tank Battalion in North Carolina. His tour in the Corps included the 1994 operations of Able Vigil (Cuban Refugee Crises) and Uphold Democracy (Port Au Prince Haiti Crises). After honorably serving our country, Dr. Glenn took his powerful prowess on a journey of leadership and coaching. In 1999, he served as an assistant football coach at Pennsylvania’s UnionvilleChaddsford school district, transforming the team and helping to turn the program around from a 2-10 season to a 4-3 league record. In 2002, he was hired as Head Coach at Unionville, making him Chester County’s second high school African American Head Football Coach in history. 12 • HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY
That same year, he was nominated Head Football in Reading Pennsylvania that the Economist magazine listed among the top 50 American colleges and universities for economic value in 2015. There, Dr. Glenn truly added value, serving as an assistant coach in 2004, where he was part of the ECAC Championship team. He coached at Albright College until 2007. In 2008, he served as the defensive coordinator at Pottstown High School in Pennsylvania. 2010, Dr. Glenn’s first and only coaching year at Kutztown University, involved the best season that the University has ever experienced. With a number one seed in the National playoffs, Coach Glenn was part of the school’s best season ever, achieving a 10-1 record. Dr. Glenn’s remarkable ability to coach – to lead and to guide athletically talented young people as they segue to adulthood – to teach them the difference between good and evil - represents a central characteristic that he infuses in all of his endeavors. In addition to his coaching achievements, Dr. Glenn has served in the correctional system as an officer and counselor and has worked in both private and public school sectors helping to revive and establish alternative educational programs in several states. Dr. Glenn is invested in and cares about the future of our youth and of society. He holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in History and Government, a Pennsylvania private schools Social Studies Certificate, an MBA in Business Administration and Marketing, and is a Doctor of Education. He serves as an Instructor of Business and Economics at The Pennsylvania State University, Instructor of Marketing at Goldey-Beacom College in Wilmington Delaware (International students), and serves on the board of Empowering Women’s Engagement Foundation, Inc., in Orlando, Florida, Dr. Glenn Is a board member for College Possible (Philadelphia, Penn.), and he provides The Ruddy Group
Dr. Scott Glenn Shot by Tom Silknitter
HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY • 13HOLLYWOO
with invaluable insight into the dynamics of cultural and intellectual diversity in marketing. Before teaching at Penn State University, Dr. Glenn was a Professor in Principles of Marketing, Principles of E-Commerce, and Fundamentals of Selling at Camden College in Blackwood, New Jersey. He is a member of the American Football Coaches Association, the Marine Corps League, and Gateway Church, in Coatesville, PA But wait – there is more to this amazing, athletic, creative, spiritual leader. Dr. Glenn is a published author for the American Football Coaches Association, penning Adding Motivation to Coaching Concepts can be Self-Contagious, and he completed a doctoral dissertation entitled, A Qualitative Ethnographic Study of African American Leadership in Higher Education Administration (2010). He also published six books entitled: The Triangle Plan: A Guide to a Successful Life Derived from Personal Experience (2011), American Christianity: Truth or Tradition? A Personal Perspective (2012), and The Dissertation Process That Works: A Doctoral Guide to Success (2013). More recently, Dr. Glenn has published Christian Leadership: Alpha to Omega (2015), and Heroes From Heaven: Battle Ground Earth/Good vs. Evil (2016). In short, Dr. Glenn is an individual who is always inspiring, admonishing, and reaching higher as he strives to both deliver – and, even more importantly, to live – his central message about meeting one’s potential in order to further greater good in the world. Currently, he is invested in and excited about his latest project – producing Heroes from Heaven as a film. The tale, as briefly alluded to at the beginning of this article, begins to be set in force. Desperation, doom, and demise explode on the screen, exciting viewers visually, but, more fundamentally, challenging them spiritually, as goodness, wisdom and perseverance prevail. “Where is the world headed to?” a film viewer wonders. 14 • HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY
More fundamentally, because, as Dr. Glenn instructs - change begins with the alighting of a fire in each individual’s soul a viewer is challenged and admonished to be introspective and to inquire “Where am I going and how do I fit in to furthering the greater good?” The upcoming film production, Heroes from Heaven, has recently established an initial team who are masterfully merging their expertise, and their extensive and award winning backgrounds to jumpstart this exciting future film production. Glenn is the creator, writer and an executive producer. Zaughn Elizabeth Ivins is an executive producer. Alex Lorre is producer. Jean Scoccimarro is the casting director. Post Production Supervisor is Jeffrey Baxter, while Marina Kufa serves as an associate producer. The screenplay was by Claire Hutchinson. A riveting film that magically merges the Christian message of salvation with elements of Sci Fi-infused segments that excite, Dr. Glenn is delighted to bring his script to the big screen. He even shared with Hollywood Weekly that there is “a realistic possibility that the well-known actor of numerous top hit feature films, Luis Antonio Ramos, may share the screen with other luminaries as the biblically significant thriller goes to production.” As his cinematic vision approaches fruition, Dr. Scott is seeking further funding for his aspirational project.
To find out more about Heroes from Heaven’s screenplay being transformed into a masterful film, check out the website at heroesfromheavenTHEMOVIE.com. “Heroes from Heaven is meant to be a major film.” Dr. Glenn told Hollywood Weekly. “We are meant to share this message. In doing so, all God’s people, which includes a gloriously diverse mix, will be blessed.”
Dr. Scott Glenn Shot by Tom Silknitter
HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY • 15
Rémy Martin’s
O
Dinner For Champions n February 18, Rémy Martin presented Klutch Sports Group “The Game Is Everything” Dinner at Beauty and Essex in Los Angeles. Celebrities such as Lebron James, Tristan Thompson, Khloe Kardashian, Kevin Hart and Eniko Hart were in attendance. The guests enjoyed dinner as well as cocktails from Rémy Martin and a tasting of LOUIS XIII by Rémy Martin. Rémy Martin is excited to take part in basketball’s biggest weekend. The MVP Experience was created because it is important to spotlight all the people it takes to achieve greatness. This weekend is the epitome of this notion. It is the time taken out of the season to celebrate the players, their achievements, and the collective of people it takes to get them to the top of their game. Much like the MVPs of the league, Remy Martin’s 300-yearold brand was not built by one person, but by a family. From the wine growers, distillers and 4 generations of cellar masters, it takes a village of people to create each bottle of cognac. Without an incredible team and their support system, there could (left) Lebron James and(right) Kevin Hart be no “Most Valuable Player.” Getty Images for Rémy 16 • HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY
Martin // Jerritt Clark
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(left) Tristian Thomphson (right) Khloe Kardashian Getty Images for Rémy Martin // Jerritt Clark
(left) Savannah James (right) Lebron James Getty Images for Rémy Martin // Jerritt Clark
(left) Eniko Hart (right) Kevin Hart Getty Images for Rémy Martin // Jerritt Clark
HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY • 19
20 • HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY
(left) Lenny. S (ROCNATION) (middle) Kevin Hart (right) Rich Paul Getty Images for Rémy Martin // Jerritt Clark
(left) Jesse Williams (right) Lebron James Getty Images for Rémy Martin // Jerritt Clark
HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY • 21
STARS ALIGN GREY GOOSE BLUE DOOR PARTY
Cover Photo Major Actor Idris Elba (left) & DJ/Producer "Guru" (right) - Michael Kovac/ Getty Images 22 • HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY
"SHE SAID I AM THE ONE! WOOO"
HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY • 23
anuary 20th, Common gave an epic performance at the Grey Goose Blue Door, placing female empowerment front and center at the after-party of his film The Tale during Sundance. One of the main forces behind yesterday’s Women’s March in Park City, Common riled up the crowd with the refrain "Respect all the ladies, I do it on the daily." He then grabbed the Director of The Tale Jennifer Fox’s hand, looked directly at her and rapped "Your heart and mind, baby follow it. Smile, happiness, you model it. When you feel the opposite, I want you to know, your being is beautiful." He fittingly closed out the performance with "After this rhyme, I’m going to get some Grey Goose". Additional guests included: Jason Ritter, Elizabeth Debicki, Ellen Burnstyn and John Cho. 24 • HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY
The festivities continued at the Grey Goose Blue Door with Armie Hammer, Lakeith Stanfield, Tessa Thompson, David Cross, Danny Glover, Terry Crew, Forest Whitaker, Boots Riley and Steven Yuen who celebrated the premiere of their film Sorry to Bother You, joined by John Legend. Tessa Thompson wore a royal blue Solace London top, Louis Vuitton boots, and carried a Louis Vuitton bag. The evening rounded out with the after-party for Idris Elba’s directorial debut film Yardie – an adaption of the 1992 Victor Headley novel about the collision of Jamaican culture in London, which he put a lot of his own life and career experiences into. Idris was joined by the cast including Aml Ameen, Akin Gazi, Shantol Jackson, Sheldon Shepherd, and Mark Rhino Smith. Additional tidbits from the evening include: Tessa Thompson and Lakeith Stanfield were overheard having a heart to heart while talking about the trials and tribulations of their rise to success in the industry, saying the perimeter of success is always changing. Lakeith said he always welcomes any challenges that comes his way, with Tessa jumping in shouting "and alcohol!" as she cheered her Grey Goose Apple Pie Cocktail in the air. Idris Elba hijacked the tunes at the Grey Goose Blue Door during the Yardie after-party. He only requested espresso martinis, djing for guests into the wee hours of the night.
Photo 1 Recording Artist Common(left) & Director Jennifer Fox(right) Michael Kovac/Getty Images HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY • 25
Photo 2 Forest Whitaker) - Michael Kovac/Getty Images 26 • HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY
Photo 3 Lakeith Stanfield, Tessa Thompson, Boots Riley, Steven Yeun and Armie Hammer - Michael Kovac/ Getty Images HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY • 27
R
obyn Lively (The Karate Kid Part III, Teen Witch) and Shanola Hampton (Showtime’s Shameless, You Again) will star in Through the Glass Darkly, a psychological thriller written by Lauren Fash and Susan Graham and directed by newcomer Fash. Lively and Hampton play Charlie and Amy, an unlikely duo that team up to solve the recent kidnapping of a local girl, a crime which echoes the disappearance of Charlie’s own daughter. The script was featured in the Sundance/Women in Film financing intensive in 2017. Graham of However Productions is producing along with Autumn Bailey-Ford, of Autumn Bailey Entertainment, and Carmella Casinelli, of Bon Aire Productions. The film is executive produced by Stacey Davis and Jim Rine. "We are honored and thrilled to have Robyn and Shanola in this film. Their passion for this female-led project and their dedication to bringing these complex women to life is truly inspiring," said Graham. Set in 1997, Through the Glass Darkly follows Charlie, a 43-year-old woman recently diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, living in small town Georgia with her wife. When Elodie Carmichael, granddaughter of the town’s matriarch, goes missing, paranoia shakes the core of this sleepy community, reviving old ghosts and long-buried secrets. "Through the Glass Darkly, a film I’m dedicating to my grandmother, will delve into the mindset of someone suffering from Alzheimer’s. The film will be shot entirely from Charlie’s point of view. I want people to experience the dark tension of a mind torn between reality and delusion. and yet, how a person’s innate character can hold fast despite this insidious illness," said Fash. Through the Glass Darkly is scheduled to shoot in and around Jasper and Ellijay Georgia through early March 2018. The film is being repped by ICM. Lively is repped by Insurge Entertainment and Management 360; Hampton is repped by APA and Reel Talent Management. 28 • HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY
Shanola Hampton For Hollywood Weekly Magazine Photo Design by Christian Patrick Lopez
Robyn Lively For Hollywood Weekly Magazine Photo Design by Christian Patrick Lopez
HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY • 29
MR. Dash’s "Honor
A Violent Soulful Rendition of Urb By Alison Kugel
30 • HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY
T Up"
an Life
Stills From Damon Dash’s Movie "Honor Up" Edited by Christian Patrick Lopez
he life of Damon Dash appears to be an epic triumph to some, a Shakespearean tragedy to others. It depends on where you’re standing when you look at him. After speaking with the hip hop mogul turned entrepreneur and filmmaker, I can tell you Dame Dash’s story is more nuanced and complex; and is still being written. Dash hopes his new film, Honor Up, a semi-autobiographical story about the code of street honor, executive produced by Kanye West, and starring Dash, Nicholas Turturro, Michael Rispoli and Cam’ron; will give audiences an authentic portrait of who he is beyond the media’s checkered narrative. He tells me the unwavering code of honor depicted in the movie has informed every choice he’s made in his adult life. A kid from Harlem, New York, who lost his mother in his youth, Dash quickly took on a hustler’s mentality, adopting the OG street code which propelled him from promoting nightclubs and rap artists to
reaching the apex of the music industry with the success of he and Jay Z’s Roc-A-Fella records label, and the urban lifestyle brand, RocA-Wear. It was Dash’s unwavering vision and tenacity, and his loyalty to artists he believed in, that launched the careers of Jay Z, Kevin Hart, Kanye West and his ex-wife, fashion designer, Rachel Roy. Since splitting from Jay Z and dissolving Roc-A-Fella records, he’s been painted by the entertainment industry as an incorrigible and unruly outsider; a man who wouldn’t drink the Kool-Aid or fall in line with Hollywood or music industry politics. As Dash made clear to me during out conversation, he refuses to ever bow down to corporate demands, and therefore chooses to self-fund his many projects, from film and art to fashion. After years of personal and professional heartbreaks, Dash found an unwavering ally in longtime love and business partner, Raquel Horn. Horn is Dash’s creative muse and collaborator, while Dash is Horn’s mentor and idea facilitator. Together, the two have launched Dame Dash Studios, Dash Diabetes Network, their Poppington fashion line, and the beginnings of an independent movie studio. DD is a man in his creative renaissance… and in love. HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY • 31
Allison Kugel: Tell me about the most influential people in your life… birth to present day? Damon Dash: My mother was a big influence in my life. She passed away when I was fifteen. I would say Muhammad Ali was a big influence on my life, my OG Daniel (Dash’s childhood mentor, Daniel Jenkins, the inspiration behind Dash’s new film, "Honor Up") is one of the most influential people in my life from when I was younger. That was one of the reasons why I made the movie, Honor Up. AK: Your mom passing when you were fifteen, how did it impact who you became? DD: It made me fearless. The one thing I was afraid of up until I was fifteen was that my mother would die, and then she did. It made me very aware of my mind, in that, if you worry about something it usually realizes itself. I try not to worry about anything. Because my mother spoiled me, and she wasn’t there to spoil me anymore, it made me the business savage that I am. I wanted to maintain that lifestyle. At the time, my pops wasn’t going to be able to give me that, so I had to do it myself. I think in a strange way, if my mom was still here I wouldn’t have made the history that I’ve made, because nothing would have felt so urgent. Someone can teach you how to survive, but you really don’t get those skills until you have to. [Her passing] made it 32 • HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY
where I had to, and she taught me well. AK: You refuse to take a paycheck. You’re someone who has to have ownership in everything you do. Speaking for myself, I can say there was a time in my life when I asked myself if I was for sale, or if I was not for sale. Can you recall a defining moment when you asked yourself that same question, and determined that you were not for sale? DD: I’ve been a street entrepreneur since I was very young, since my mother died, because I had no choice. I’ve never had a boss. I’m from Harlem and I think I’m cooler than everybody, so it would be hard for me to have someone telling me what to do. It’s not about working for somebody, because I always have equity. I have something, and then I may need to take it to another level, so there would be a business relationship or a partnership. But I would always walk away from certain partnerships, because I didn’t like the moral value of that person. I would probably end up having to strangle them because it’s very frustrating when people don’t have principals and morals. It’s offensive when someone that I don’t respect presents me with an opportunity to work for them and tries to control me. I don’t even know what that means, working for someone else. It’s not a mathematical equation that makes sense to me.
AK: How do you define God? DD: You can’t define God. That’s how I define it. It’s undefinable. I can’t fathom God; just one entity controlling everything. I have no idea, and the 90% of our brain that we can’t use or access, we can’t really fathom what that is. Maybe if I had access to more of my brain, I could begin to fathom that. AK: You don’t have a sense of knowing, or belief about it? DD: If there is a God, it’s a woman. AK: and why do you say that? DD: Why wouldn’t it be that way? Men are stupid. God could never be a man, because men are too insecure. There’s wars, we fight. It’s illogical and stupid. That’s all insecurity. I don’t think God would have those characteristics. AK: What did you learn about love from your time with Aaliyah? DD: I learned exactly how happy love can make a person. It was a feeling that I never knew existed before. What it did teach me is to recognize love, and to appreciate love. It also taught me never to mess with an artist, because they’re always on the road. You never see them. The more you love them, the more you miss them. It made me appreciate what I had in that moment, and it made me recognize love with my girl Raquel (Dash’s girlfriend and business
If the
Stills From Damon Dash’s Movie "Honor Up" Edited by Christian Patrick Lopez
re is a God, it’s a woman. HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY • 33
Aaliyah, courtesy of Wikipedia
partner, Raquel Horn). I knew that feeling. It was familiar to me, because I felt that with Aaliyah. AK: Describe Aaliyah’s character; the person you knew her to be. DD: Aaliyah loved life. She loved to laugh. She was color blind, a great soul, a ridiculous amount of swag and great taste. and those were the same exact qualities I saw in Raquel. For me, the greatest thing about Aaliyah was that we were both from somewhat of an extreme circumstance, you know, urban, in the hood. and we both had such a desire for things that were so unhood. But in those environments that were unhood, we would still have that hood swagger and we could laugh at things. Aaliyah and I used to spend a lot of time laughing at the corniness of life. 34 • HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY
She loved to laugh. She was color blind, a great soul We both found people’s insecurities very funny. AK: How many times in your life have you had that feeling? DD: Two. Aaliyah and Raquel. AK: Would you like to see a movie made about your beginnings, during the rise of Roc-A-Fella Records, and that time in your life? DD: That’s inevitable, whether I make it or somebody else does. I am very aware and clear of what I have done, and my impact on this world. They’ve already made Aaliyah’s story, and I was in that. Let’s say they don’t do my story, everyone else’s story that I’ve been a part of, I’ll be in there. At the end of the day, I like to control my likeness, so I’ve already started that process. This movie, Honor Up, is
about me and my ideals growing up. AK: We’re going to get to the movie, so don’t comment on it yet because we’re going to go in-depth with it. DD: I love when a woman tells me what to do. AK: (Laughs) What is your opinion about how the media has cast you over the past decade? What have they gotten right, and what have they gotten wrong? DD: I’ve been able to manipulate them exactly the way I’ve wanted to. I’m very aware that an independent person like me that does things on his own, that my success would mean other people’s failure. Everyone that’s getting robbed, and everyone that’s doing the robbing, would fail. I’m the guy that doesn’t rob and does everything honorably.
If I can show that I can do things honorably, that would make other people need to do things honorably. The way they were portraying me in the newspapers, it wasn’t very intelligent. AK: Do you think you’ve been caricaturized? DD: In the beginning, it was more brazen and arrogant, and about me pouring champagne on women, which was a character. That was Champagne Dame. They never showed DD the businessman; DD, the single father raising his son alone from the time he was eight years old; DD living with Type 1 Diabetes; or the man who’s running all these different companies. AK: Where did the negative portrayals of your character come in?
DD: I didn’t want to do Roc-A-Fella anymore. I wasn’t trying to just do music. I didn’t want to be typecast. I wanted to do fashion. I wanted to do things that were multicultural, and I wanted to run around the world. and I knew walking away from Jay Z, that all Jay Z fans were going to start with me and try to get at me. I know that controversy sells papers. At that point, I was like, "Yo, I’m about to Makaveli myself (a reference to the late Tupac Shakur). I’m out. I don’t really need to be here no more. I want ya’ll to leave me alone." I needed everybody to think I wasn’t doing well so nobody would ask me for nothing no more. But all those years, I was owning Rachel Roy, a $75 million company. I was running around the world, I had galleries and things like that. But Dame was under the radar. and they left me alone. I always thought it was funny that they made me the underdog. I could have been nice. I could have worked with these people that have no morals and no values and spent their money instead of having to keep re-investing my own money. AK: But you walked away. DD: I decided freedom was priceless, happiness is priceless. I needed to raise my daughters. It wasn’t conducive for my daughters in a hip hop environment, because you have a bunch of young, insecure, aggressive men. and I
didn’t want to have to go to jail for nothing. I realized that with the internet there is no buffer, and I can tell the truth whenever I want. No one can stop me. Whoever wants me will come find me, and they’ll see the truth. AK: Let’s talk about your new movie, Honor Up. You wrote and directed this movie, you play a central character, and you put up your own money to make it. How long has this story been in you, wanting to come out? DD: I always knew I would tell this story, but what made me want to tell it now, and in this way, was a moment when I was hearing a lot of things about people I was close to from my past, that contradicted all
our morals and values. It bugged me out, because these were the people I respected the most. I just couldn’t believe it, and it hurt. Then there were other things going on that were bringing me down. [Director] Lee Daniels (Precious, Lee Daniels’ The Butler) owes me $2 million. He’s doing well and he’s running around, and he’s not paying me. The shit is pissing me off. Where I’m from, he would have ended up in a trunk. You know what I’m saying? I can’t do those things, and I’m not going to do those things. So I made a movie about it. I want people to understand my morals and principals, why I don’t look the other way and who taught me. I also ran into my OG (a mentor of Dash’s named Daniel Jenkins),
who I hadn’t seen in about twenty-five years. He was a guy who was very influential in the neighborhood. Because he was cool with me, all the dangerous guys looked at me a certain way as well, so I never had to be scared. One day I saw him walking across one of the toughest blocks in Harlem and he had his kids with him. He was fresh, his kids had little motor cars and they were fresh, and I was like, "That’s the kind of dad I want to be." I want to be that guy as a dad. That was probably the most impactful lesson he ever taught me, because I’m a great dad and that’s more important than anything. When I finally got back with him, I knew I had to make a movie about our story.
[TO BE CONTINUED]
Stills From Damon Dash’s Movie "Honor Up" Edited by Christian Patrick Lopez HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY • 35
Host, Cedric The Entertainer
Industry Visionary Award Winner, AVA DuVERNAY
Actress, Regina Hall
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Omari Hardwick & Cedric The Entertainer
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