American Gangster: What Happens When They Put a Brother on the Wall

I just came back from seeing American Gangster, and my most prominent thought is Do the Right Thing. I know, two different directors, and with the exception of Ruby Dee different casts, but the similarity of two simple scenes was left etched on my mind. In the words of Buggin' Out (Giancarlo Esposito) from Do The Right Thing, "Why ain't there any brothers on the wall?"

What trips me out in this historical fiction (mostly historical, but adapted for the screenplay) is the subtle commentary on race that director Ridley Scott does not play up, but he does recognize. In Russell Crowe's character's attempts to figure out who disseminated Blue Magic, he starts by placing pictures of suspects on the wall. The bulletin board in his office quickly becomes full of Italians. Watching it, I did all but say, "Hey Sal, why ain't there any brothers on the wall?" Time and time again the idea that it would be ludicrous for a black man to have power over the drug game was hinted at. Once Frank Lucas was discovered, the question then became "Who does he work for," and the Italians still remained on the wall.

American Gangster is a difficult movie to dissect. While many are quick to put it with the legions of mob films like Godfather and Scarface(which I admittedly haven't seen), the film becomes complicated with race issues which then gets tied up with morality. Hearing cheers in the theater as Frank Lucas, a black man, took over the drug trade in Harlem, it became necessary to pause. You want to say yes for black business, but not to black on black crime. Is black on black crime better than Italian on black crime? Is that a question that should even be justified?

Still in the end, a racial scorecard is kept and Blacks still lose. At one point in the movie Lucas mentions that these are immigrant groups that came to America after Blacks were first imported as slaves, and they too were able to exploit blacks. If you need a movie reference for the history of this, go watch Gangs of New York. Frank Lucas ends up in jail and his family and operation are torn down, but the mob families go untouched, and are even used as a possible threat to Lucas's career.

Thinking back to how everything came down the weakest link proved to be one of Frank's brothers, who allowed himself to be wired in order to save his life. Is this to say that blacks can't mobilize because the one that's threatened always gives up the answer instead of fighting to the end. It was always the house slave that told the master about the plots to run away, wasn't it? If that's the case then I say the disciple Peter was black, because he betrayed Jesus three times in less than 24 hours.

So, American Gangster doesn't leave any main character as the hero. Frank snitches, Russell Crowe's character is extremely flawed (and really just took on Frank because he found Blue Magic on his dead friend) and the crazy NY detective commits suicide because he was crooked. Still, the mob can go on and live their life and continue to destroy families. Should we honor the mob? No. But something about the resilience of Ruby Dee as Frank Lucas's mother leaves a beacon of hope for us all. Maybe, the real lesson lies in her strength and her largely untold story.


On another note, isn't it strange that JayZ's most acclaimed album since Reasonable Doubt brings him back to the drug game. I know there are deeper lessons about life, business prowess, and respectability to be gained from the movie as well as Mr. Carter's album, but it's interesting to note that his tales of being rich and a mogul don't strike the same cord as his rhymes about an O-Z.

HAUL,
The Queen


P.S.
props to Russell Crowe on the accent, and Cuba Gooding Jr. I still have a bone to pick with you. Don't dupe me into thinking you're going to do something worthwhile ever again. I think I've lost whatever hope I was holding out for you

CALL OUT

Let's hear it, one for the coons on UPN 9 and WB
Who 'Yes Massa' on TV, what ever happened to Wheezy? The Red Fox's?
Never got Emmy's but were real to me
Let's hear it, two for the spooks who do cartwheels
'Cause they said they played they parts well
Now they claim caviar, hate that oxtail
Lambda Sigma Phi badge on lapel
Whitey always tell him, "Ooh, he speak so well"
Are you the one we look to, the decent Negro?
The acceptable Negro -- hell nah
But they say, "These are our heroes"

One of Nas’s lesser known works, Coon Picnic focuses on what he viewed as coonery by blacks in contemporary media. Nas ends the chorus with the words, “These are our heroes,” in a sarcastic tone, pointing out the obvious flaws of those who are looked up to within the black community. Several colleagues reacted to this song when it came out, questioning Nas’s right to say anything about this topic at all. This is the same man that rapped on “Oochie Wallie” and along with Ginuwine said “Owe me back like 40 acres to blacks, Pay be back when you shake it like that,”-- points that will forever be his Achilles heel. Nas even realizes this point on his own song including a heckler at the end who derides the rapper for flaunting his wealth while making these comments.

After obviously attacking Kobe Bryant for his relations with white women who are of questionable status (a hotel worker and a former “video actress*”) in the first verse, and ranting some more, Nas starts blatant name calling towards the end, and called out Cuba Gooding Jr.

Now I’m calling him out as well, and his brother Omar is included: Let’s get it together people.


My beef with the Gooding brothers, as highly irrelevant as they may seem to be today, is not the same as that of Nas. I’m not as pre-occupied with them being “acceptable” as I am with them being as foolish as the foolish Galatians. They need to be smacked, hard, and then someone needs to smack their agents.

There have always been people that begin with promise before their career takes a turn fir the worse, but in the case of these brothers, their trajectory is a hair short of a low down and dirty shame. Lesser blame should be placed on Omar Gooding, since he obviously did not have the good fortune of his brother. Although riding on Cuba’s coat tails, his most memorable works are Hanging with Mr. Cooper, Smart Guy and Baby Boy. There was no golden role available for him to jumpstart his career. From there he went on to have some more supporting roles in movies like The Gospel, but also relies on episodes in an assortment of shows to stay relevant. It’d be one thing if he just moved on, but since he’s still trying, he needs to get it together. Omar is not exactly leading man material—he does not have the looks and has not shown the capability to do so, but he could make a solid supporting actor/television career, if he and his agent worked it out.

Cuba Gooding is a different story altogether. Despite what may have been witnessed in The Fighting Temptations (a movie I happen to like), he possesses talent and skill at his craft. Jerry McGuire and Boyz n the Hood are evidence of the brilliant work that he can do. But dear dear Cuba seems to have a problem with not taking roles. His IMDB roster leads one to think that his agent’s advice is to do every movie placed in front of you—leading to less than stellar works such as Daddy Day Care. After acting in Pearl Harbor and Men of Honor, Cuba Gooding then proceeded to star in Rat Race, Snow Dogs and Boat Trip. Although these movies may have taken in a decent amount at the box office, they only lessen his value as an actor. With each new commercial for an upcoming Cuba Gooding Jr., film , a roll of the eyes and queasiness is to be expected. These roles are acceptable for Ice-Cube, but not for someone with obvious talent and who is primarily an actor. Cuba, you and your agent are being called out for accepting stupid roles. Absence makes the heart grown fonder, and a few years could have gone by before American Gangster, which premieres later this fall, and an adoring fan base would have waited. Instead, you receive mumbled hallelujahs and silent prayers that your other works currently in production are well made, sensible films. Dabble in the goofy, but do it sensibly. This is my call out. And no…the Nas song don’t really got much to do wit nething, I just thought it was a song that more people should be aware of.

POP CULTURE THROWBACK OF THE WEEK

Hanging with my man he's oh so...Yo Coop you're on!

So maybe Mark Curry hasn't had the best career post Mr. Cooper, but this is really for Ervin as played by Omar Gooding. I've had an S.O.S. sitting in my drafts for Omar and his brother Cuba for weeks. I'm too torn up to discuss right now, so I'll just give Cooper his due. Mark Curry is funny. Plus this show also had great actresses of the nineties Dawnn Lewis (aka Jaleesa from A Different World) was on a season, Holly Robinson Peete was a leading cast member and Raven Symone had a spot too.

Also please don't hate on the video. God bless whoever sat and videotaped their screen so we can all sit and watch Hanging with Mr. Cooper