With Mr. Untouchable, the latest film being produced by Damon Dash Enterprises, landing in theatres later this month, Damon Dash spoke with SOHH exclusively about the legacy of Nicky Barnes, and his thoughts on the American Gangster film and former partner, Jay-Z's upcoming album.
Mr. Untouchable is the Marc Levin directed documentary about the rise and fall of Nicky Barnes, one of Harlem's biggest **** dealers and most infamous informants. For Dash, a Harlem native, it is a legend he was raised on and one he has worked for years to bring to the screen.
"Up until I was like 10 or 11, Nicky Barnes was the guy I wanted to be," Dash told SOHH. "He was the guy that had the car, the girls, the jewelry. He was arrogant, he had the swagger and that's really what Harlem is. Until he flipped, he was my hero."
Dash initially worked towards making a dramatized version of the film, procuring rights to the story first through David ****, longtime Barnes attorney, then via Joseph "Jazz" Hayden, Barnes' former associate who has since become a political activist.
"I got the script written numerous amounts of times but black gangster flicks really don't check in Hollywood, so it's hard to get a studio to make it," Dash explained. "I was talking to Marc (Levin) about another project he was doing called OG and he was telling me he's about to do Nicky Barnes."
"Every other culture has their story, has their Goodfellas and their Casino, the Irish had it, the Italians get it, why can't we have it," Dash asked. "I don't want to glorify him because the majority of people I know from Harlem that heard I was doing anything with Nicky Barnes was like 'Yo, let him die! Do not bring him back to life because people might get the wrong message.' When I saw the way the documentary was you don't really love him, you understand him, but you don't love him - you actually hate him when you walk out."
Times are good for films about Harlem drug dealers, Ridley Scott's ddramatic story of Barnes rival Frank Lucas, starring Denzel Washington, Common, T.I. and Russell Crowe, coincidently, is being released in November.
"Everybody wants to know what American Gangster is going to be," Dash said. "If that does well, it will open a lot of doors for us to do other things that kind of relate to the urban marketplace."
The film has already been praised by Dash's ex-business partner, Jay-Z, who plans to release an album inspired by the movie next month.
"Every time I hear Jay-Z is making a record I get excited because I'm a fan of him as a rapper," Dash told SOHH. "But it's almost like when you hear [Michael] Jordan is coming back to the league, happy-sad, like 'Damn man, he's coming back but his knee is not the same!'" Dash said. "I hope he does a good job, I hope he comes back and does right by it."
But Dash is not convinced that Jay-Z's early attempts at recreating old successes will meet the high standards he remembers of early Jigga.
"If Jay is gonna come back with that Reasonable Doubt, @#!* let's do it," Dash continued. "I don't care, because overall I'm a fan, regardless of what he did and how he did it, but if he doesn't bring the ruckus and it's 'I'm getting it...' [mockingly reciting the chorus to Jay's new single "Blue Magic"], how would you feel? "
Mr. Untouchable hits theatres on October 26.
http://sohh.com/articles/article.php/12806
