Music business, started moving on a global s sle, and i had to learn the language. Our world up next. Welcome back to our world with black enterprise. Spike lee is no stranger to controversy. For 30 years hes directed and produced films that went against the grain of hollywood. Some of which include jungle fever, malcolm x and red hook summer. His latest movie, chiraq, promises to be another one. I sat down with perhaps one of the greatest independent filmmakers of our generation. Take a look. Were going to have to spike lee, thanks for joining us on our world. How are you doing . All is good. You are a legendary director considered worldwide unquestionable. What question are you asking . Youre asking me . Youre legendary. But what i find to be fascinating is how could a legendary director have a hard time making a film . Well, legendary doesnt necessarily transform into getting your film made. Hollywood is the film business. And were in a situation where the people who make the decisions what films get made, what films dont get made, do not reflect the audience of the United States of america. They do not reflect the and thank god for amazon, my agent and i bart walker went to sundance last year, 2015, script in hand, budget. Had a couple actors attached. And everybody said no. And amazon, they said interested. If you look at the hollywood releases last couple of years, lets leave killing hearts and comedies out of it, dramas mostly films. Not making a judgment on these films just making statements. Most of the films released have been about the Civil Rights Era or slavery. Were going to have something thats dealing with today. Homicides in chicago, illinois have surpassed the death toll of American Special forces in iraq. Chiraq where we at . Land of pain,isery and strife. People are debating on whether i should name this film chiraq like the mayor of chicago. But i didnt even come up with that term. That term came up by local chicago rappers who live on the south side of chicago who felt and still feel today that iraq is safer than their neighborhood, than their block. K. In fact, the impetus for me doing chiraq came from people from chicago commenting on my instagram. Because i have a friend, great graphic artist, his name is adrien franks. Every time a black person got murdered by the cops or private citizens, he would send me a portrait. So i put that portrait on my instagram. And every time i did that, someone in chicago was saying, all right, were cool with travon, were cool with mike, we but when you do something about chicago . There are a lot of things that i think that kept the focus of what the film is about which is saving lives. In the making of this film i noticed a lot of controversy around the film. Can i just say this, though . Sure. From today lets come up with a different word that says controversy. I think thats a label that doesnt really do justice to what everybody thats a controversial filmmaker. Controversial film. Its just like a lazy label. Okay. How about this, then . Theres a lot of discussion. There you go. You like that . Okay. Discussion. Dialogue. A lot of dialogue, pro, con, about chiraq. And i think its largely because its satirical. People are saying were being down, murdered on the streets of chicago, that were treating it with jokes and too light. And i like to say, my rebuttal. Okay. Would Jennifer Hudson be in a film that made fun . That made light of her mother, brother and nephew who got murdered in chicago . Right. Why would she be part of that . Shes not stupid. Right. That. Why would she do something to dishonor them . Why would the women of the Organization Purpose over pain, the organization of women who have come together, bonded by the fact that they lost children so when everyone sees chiraq they walk out of the theater what do you want them to vile intelligence. We have to get active. And look, i understand that it makes you numb. I mean, you cant keep up. I mean, travon, sergio, this is going on and on and on. But were not going to do it for ourselves, we have to do it for our children. And i think we have to understand were americans. And gun violence affects everybody. Themselves up. Right. In the hoods of america. Yes. I think watching chiraq you walk away with that understanding that this impacts everyone. Spike lee, youre outspoken. You are legendary to me and many others we wish you the best. Got to finish strong, right . Got to finish strong. Coming up we hear from the cast of the Broadway Musical break. Welcome back to our world with black enterprise. Its been more than 30 years since the color purple and alice walker 1983 Pulitzer Prize for fiction. In the second time in ten years, this critically acclaimed Broadway Musical has hit the stage. We sat down with Jennifer Hudson and cynthia revo to talk about their roles. Take a look. Just as close as love means to everybody is in some way part of the color purple. Rising like a flower, its a hope that sets us free your heartbeat makes my heartbeat from the previews weve seen the audience come in, and weve literally watched them break, you know . But because they are here something resonates in them. Its powerful to watch. Seeing that shows some type of release. Some of them holler out. One lady literally broke in her own lap and just bawled. So to see that its like we know were doing our part. Jennifer is taking on the role as the brassy sassy shug avery in her broadway debut. Shug is like the light of it all. Even in the wardrobe shes the she uplifts the room. Shes glamorous, shes strong, she is her own individual and she does not tell anybody she says ive always been the type of girl who had a lot to say. Ive always been the kind of girl that had a lot to say i say what is on my mind to shine my way she brings that light. She uplifts everything. Hudson and revo are joined nightly by their cast mate Danielle Brooks who plays the role of sophia. All three ladies rely on each other to carry them through the performance. I think were all learning from each other very much. I learn from them and they learn from me. We have moments where we are on the stage and were just seeing each other and it empowers us. Its our broadway debut together. Together. [ inaudible ] right now all i want to do is mike oprah prouou mike broward proud, alice walker proud. Try to live up to the expectation. One thing we are all expecting is for these leading ladies to bring hope the tony. I never think about the accolades of what may come or let me do this for this i wardaward. For me its all believing in what im doing. As long as i do my job, play the role, whatever will come will come. You never know. Up next, music producer swizz stay with us. Welcome back. Superstar music producer swizz beatz has 300 million albums sold. Now hes one of the newest faces in fine art. I visited him in his new york studio to talk about his latest project for miamis art bazel, his music career and so much more. Take a look. Back here is the studio. Who was the last one on this mike right here . Me. And this is an artist thats going to be in the collection. These artists are going to be in the show. We have Dustin Yellen over there, Michael Vazquez over there, we have doze. The reason why i wanted to do my own fair, it has never been done. This is something new. I know all the artists they would call me and tell me their dealing with. I would always help them whether its hotel rooms, flights, selling a piece for them, everything. I said, you know what . If i was ever in a position to do something different, i want to liberate the artists at bazel, right . So i came up with this idea for the show called no commissions. So i gave all the artists their booths for free. No commissions. Yeah. And they get to keep 100 of what they make. You know swizz beatz has come a long way. Lets go back. Go way way way back, right . I read one year in your life you said that you were literally homeless sleeping on a thin mattress in your uncles house . Yeah. And then a year later you sold 1 million albums. Yeah. Just like that. Put us in that. Because not very many of us have gone from zero to 100 before like that. Both my uncles and my aunt and i couldnt stay at my dads house because it just too many rules over there for me. I just needed the freedom to just be in my zone on a creative level without all the rules. Right. And so i landed at my uncles place. I mainly was sleeping in the studio floor. I remember having like rashes on my arm and like on my face when the pillow would move and im on that hardwood floor. But it was just like, i just had a drive. I knew i was getting close to something. How did you know you were literally on the right track . Okay. So a lot of things, like i said, if it was money drivenr business driven which it wasnt at that time, i was just literally having fun. I just found my space and my comfort zone in creating musically especially on a production side coming from being a dj which took up a lot of my time. And then when i transitioned over it was more of a learning the next level and produce and feel comfortable as a dj . But no one knew me as producer. So in the studio i had to prove myself a lot. Fast forward to the future, 300 million albums that youve contributed to. What do you attribute the success of your career to . Just dedication. Just never being comfortable. Like this plaque that they presented to me would be like the first plaque since i was 18, 19, that im actually going to hang. Because i never looked for those awards. Swiz swizz beatz is building his entrepreneurial schools at harvard. I started moving on a global scale and made to learn the language. I know that at harvard youre staying in the dorms . Yeah. Because, i mean, that same jail cell. And as im in that dorm room sitting there i have a lot of time to reflect in that small dorm room. But i also was very humbled because a lot of those people in my class have very successful. So with your experience at harvard already, how is that shaping the Business Decisions that youre making now . Harvard has been the best investment that ive ever made in my life. And i think that whether its harvard or wherever you go, i think education is very important for you to invest in, invest in yourself. Because the only way that youre going to be on the top of your game. Being at the top of his game is allowing beatz to expand his influence in art and in music. Since were talking about art, i know youre on the board now of the brooklyn museum. Yes. You talked about wanting to bring art to the next level. What is bringing art to the next level. Letting people understand art is not just for rich people. Thats why when i first wento reebok f fe years ago, part of my deal was to keep the estate part of the deal. And the reason why i wanted that a part of the deal was because i could bring people into the art world through fashion. So i put basqua face on all these shirts so people can know what it looks like. I think that in order for this world to move forward, you have to be forward thinking mentality. Wiz swizz beatz, thanks for inspiring so many like myself. Thank you, too. Know doubt. Definitely. Up next we have a little fun in seeing how swiz beatz handles himself in th did you know pain is caused by aggravated nerves . Aspercreme with lidocaine desensitizes aggravated nerves with no odor. Aspercreme with lidocaine. Relieve the nerves. Welcome back to our world with black enterprise. We just witnessed a personal side of superstar music producer swizz beatz. Now lets see him sweat under the intense heat of the hot seat. So i tell you what. Im going to put you on the hot seat. Want you to tell me this right off the top. I know youre good off the top. Like freestyling. So you ready . Okay. Your top five dead or alive. Hiphop. Okay. Dmx, jd kiss, b. I. G. , cove, always that last one. This is the last one that whos your favorite personal for the on instagram . It wasnt your wife. Im like man, you caught me with that one. Okay. What would your medium superpower be . I just need to fly a little bit. Just a little bit. I just need to fly a little bit. I hate traffic. If i could just hover over some traffic youd be good. Id be on time more. Last question is, whats one thing that you believe that most people dont . The sky is not the limit its just a view. Right. Why should we be boxed in . Like a lot of people believe that their comfort zone is their only zone. I believe that the world is a traveling place. Right. Right . Even if you cant physically travel the world, you can visually travel the world. We learned a lot from swizz. And that does it for this edition of our world with black enterprise. Be sure to visit us on the web at blackenterprise. Com ourworld. Like us on facebook and follow well see you next week. Axl made varsity. How bout this kid . Oh, my gosh. Axl oh, im so proud of you. Uh, gross. You know the rules. Christmas and birthdays only. Fine. Ill hug your dad. Still gross. frankie truth is, i wasnt just happy for axl. You see, when your sons on varsity, you get to escort him onto the field before the big homecoming game. camera shutters clicking
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