Jay -Z. Dash and many of their friends from Marcy Projects in Brooklyn. -- Jay -Z sags that writing the movie was ;..... Just like writing the video treatments" to the music videos that accompany his three albums. The whole movie was shot j in a week in parts of Brooklyn. Manhattan and Ft. Lee. N.J. ]i!IÏ!jr To date. the video has sold 81.000 units, according to SoundScan. He expects to put out one more straight -to-video release and then embark on a feature - length film. RZA'S DIGITAL DUO This summer. Wu -Tang Clan visionarg Rza embarked on a similar home -video project. titled "Bobbg Digital." It's a story about Rza's alter ego. Bobbg Digital. who appears when Rza drinks a magic formula he discovers while doing chemical experiments in his lab at the fictional Wu- Mountain. Digital, who wears a different ege patch to match each of his various outfits, is depicted as a womanizing party- animal with super powers he uses to his benefit. Video The movie. which was shot in New York and Philadelphia. was directed by Rza, who also stars in the film as himself and the title character. It is being produced by Uncle Ralph Productions. a The ap a company owned by Video Music Box co- founder. Artists .rite -And Direct, Produce And Star In Ralph McDaniels. Although the film is more cre- Their llIwn Storiesfor Direct-To-video features ative than it's progenitors. Rza BY SHAWNEE SMITH sags the movie was totally impro- vised. "I had no script. just an Illaster P made hip -hop history in 1997 when he released outline." he sags. the direct -to -video movie "I'm Bout It." which was writ- Kurupt He sags he did ten. directed and produced bg -as well as starred -the get a few tips New Orleans rapper. The movie chronicled P's life in the from Warren Beatty when he worked with the filmmaker /actor projects of New Orleans and his fight to rise above the on the "Bulworth" soundtrack. drugs and violence that surrounded him. The movie The film features many of the Wu -Tang Clan members and affil- co- starred mast of his No Limit labelmates. including Sillk The iates like Big Baby Jesus [formerly Old Dirty Bastard]. Ghostface Shocker. Tru and Mia X. and featured rapper Mack 10 and sea- Killah. Killarmy and Digital Underground's Humpty. It also includes a soned actress Helen Martin ["227 "]. few martial -arts fight scenes. which were choreographed with the The video helped put P on the national map. He used the advice of filmmaker John Woo. Rza sags. although there are fight movie to vividly showcase and entertain audiences with a tale of scenes in the film. the main theme is to tell people "to put away the guns and use the hands." The film will also feature a few scenes that depict authentic ghetto scenarios like a rhyme cipher and that of a few gods from the Five Percent Nation building on the mathematics of the dag. The movie will be released through Wu -Films and is set for a mid- to late- November street date. Rza is using the film's soundtrack. "Bobby Digital In Stereo." to introduce a blend of hip -hop and elec- tronic music "It's gonna be like techno sounds with a hip -hop drum pattern." he sags. "It has sort of a reggae feel and a digital pulse." Rza. Killarmy and Method Man are slated to record tracks for the album. SURVIVING DEATH ROW Death Row graduate Kurupt is currently in prepro- duction of a 90- minute film based on his life. Slated to be a direct -to -video release, the movie is expect- ed to be titled either "Dead Or Alive" or "Alive" or "Three The Hard Way: A publicist for the label sags JayZ opinion is swaging in favor of the first title. The movie is expected to be released in the spring of 1999 his rough Southern upbringing amid an industry that was ruled from ANTRA Films. a subsidiary of ANTRA Holding Company. The by video and movie images of ghetto life in the Northeast and movie. which has a $1.4 million budget. was written by filmmaker West Coast. The video sold 204.000 units. according to Barry Michael Cooper. who wrote "New Jack City." "Sugar Hill" and SoundScan. "Above The Rim." P's second home -video release was "MP: Da Last Don." He also Like "I'm Bout It." and "Streets Is Watching." the film will high- made a major motion picture. "I Got The Hook -Up." which was dis- light Kurupt's comeuppance in Philadelphia and then in tributed through Miramax. Both were released in 1998. but nei- Hawthorne. Calif. It will also map his rise as an artist signed to Dr. ther equaled the success of "I'm Bout It." "Oa Last Don" sold Lire and Suge Knight's Death Row Records. 147.000 units. according to SoundScan. But the movies further Unlike many other Death Row defectors. though. the movie solidified P as one of the top marketers of hip -hop in 1990 and isn't expected to be a Dr. Ore or Knight basher. according to the progenitor of hip -hop artist -driven direct -to -video movies. Joseph M. Marrone. CEO /chairman of ANTRA Music Group. "Death Row was the education that allowed [Kurupt] to have the ability JAY -Z'S STREET and foresight to do what he's doing now" says Marrone of his In 199B. a few other rappers followed P's lead. Roc -A-Fella partner Kurupt. who functions as president of ANTRA Records. Records co- owners Jag -Z and Damon Dash released Roc -A -Fella Kurupt will star in the film. as will TLC's Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes Films' "Streets Is Watching." The film was written and directed by and upcoming ANTRA artists Orex and Baby S. The soundtrack the two and is the story of "Roc -A -Fella Records and another will also feature music from Kurupt. Lopes and acts signed to storyline we couldn't keep up." sags Jay -Z. The movie features both of the artists' labels. 50 BILLBOARD SPOTLIGHT BILLBOARD DECEMBER 5. 1998 www.americanradiohistory.com.