Russell Simmons is bringing hip-hop to Broadway.
In an interview with Rolling Stone, Rush revealed that he was inspired by the hard rock musical, Rock of Ages. After seeing the show, Simmons said that this venture became “the most obvious thing in the world,” calling The Scenario the hip-hop version of the jukebox classic.
The play will ”be half-concert, half-storytelling. Something like this deserves a little bit of a love story and a little bit of [Public Enemy’s] ‘Fight the Power.’”
“The life story of hip-hop is Ice Cube’s Are We There Yet?, not [N.W.A’s] ‘Fuck tha Police,’” he said while explaining the difference between The Scenario and Holler If Ya Hear Me. “It’s Ice-T [playing] the longest-running cop on TV. That’s hip-hop. It’s “Jesus Walks” as much as it is ‘Fuck Tha Police.’ The celebration of poetry is not defined by one poem.”
Russell is teaming up with hip-hop historian-author Dan Charnas (The Big Payback) to write the script. The musical, which Simmons and Tony award winning Scott Prisand will produce, is set to hit Broadway in late 2016. It will feature a mix of actual rap songs and musical versions of classics. This is Simmons second Broadway venture, the first being his adaptation of his hit HBO show Def Poetry Jam back in 2002 for which he won a Tony award (who knew … ).
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