Nas will be helping adapt the 1984 film, Beat Street, into a Broadway musical. He announced the project while presenting a screening of the classic hip-hop film at the 2024 Tribeca Film Festival on Friday in celebration of the film’s 40th anniversary. In bringing the movie to the stage, he’ll be serving as a producer alongside several key filmmakers from the original. They include Arthur Baker, who was an original co-producer, composer, and music producer as well as Michael Holman, who was an associate producer of the original film.
“Beat Street wasn’t just a film – it spread the revolution of hip-hop culture throughout the country and the world. It left an indelible mark, inspiring generations of young artists and creating new hip-hop fans alike,” Nas told The Hollywood Reporter. “It’s a thrill for me to join the creative team of Beat Street, bringing the raw energy of hip-hop into the fabric of Broadway. It’s an honor to breathe new life into this iconic work and celebrate its enduring legacy.”
Nas Poses With Martin Scorsese & Robert De Niro
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JUNE 15: (L-R) Martin Scorsese, Nas and Robert De Niro attend the “Mean Streets” Screening during the 2024 Tribeca Festival at Beacon Theatre on June 15, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images for Tribeca Festival)
The original cast for Beat Street featured Rae Dawn Chong, Guy Davis, and more in addition to several hip-hop artists. Those included DJ Kool Herc, Afrika Bambataa & The Sonic Force, Doug E. Fresh, Treacherous Three, and Melle Mel. Check out a trailer for the original film below.
“Beat Street” Headed To Broadway
In addition to celebrating the 40th anniversary of Beat Street, Nas also recently made an announcement in honor of the 30th anniversary of his classic album, Illmatic. He’ll be embarking on a tour to perform the project. Be on the lookout for further updates on Nas on HotNewHipHop.
About The Author
Cole Blake is currently an Editor at HotNewHipHop based out of Brooklyn, New York. He began working at the site as an intern back in 2018 while studying journalism at St. John’s University. In the time since, he’s graduated with a bachelor’s degree and written extensively about a wide range of topics including pop culture, film & television, politics, video games, sports, and much more. He’s also covered music festivals such as Gov. Ball and Rolling Loud. You can find him publishing work for HNHH from Monday to Wednesday or on weekends.
On the sports front, Cole’s a passionate NBA and NFL fan with his favorite teams being the Indianapolis Colts and Los Angeles Lakers. He also roots for the Yankees whenever he finds himself at Yankee Stadium or the Red Storm when in the company of other SJU alumni.
His favorite hip-hop artists are billy woods, Earl Sweatshirt, Cam’ron, MIKE, and Mach-Hommy.
This post was originally published on this site be sure to check out more of their content.
