No disrespect to his acting abilities, but I never bought Taye as a Hip-hop industry type cat. He was waaaay to R&B with his slick suits an all. He had no street flavor whatsoever, and should taken a look at how some of the real b-boys (b-men) get down. Am I wrong?!? P.S. Could HBO play this movie just a FEW MORE times?
shareI thougtht he SAME thing when I saw it again recently.
He would have been better as a friend, or a wall street associate. But a lot of the hip hop swagger felt forced. It seemd like he was trying speak 2 octaves deeper a few times, and it just didnt sit well with me.
I was OK with Sanaa through most of it. Def was hilarious & QL was great.
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Hows the way you dress or speak got anything to do with your love for hip hop?
shareI would assume that he is more of an R&B person also, but I know tons of people with varying personalities and styles that love Hip-Hop so I was fine with it.
shareTaye's character wasn't supposed to be street because the kind of hip hop music he grew up on wasn't that kind of music, the artist he and his love interest grew up on true Hip Hop music, what the OP is thinking of is rap music, you claim Taye doesn't come off as Hip hop because he prefers a suit over a hoody, or a baseball cap, etc and you say that makes him more R&B. The way somebody chooses to act and dress has absolutely nothing to do with there choice in music.
shareI agree. I am probably the biggest Hip Hop fan in the country I reside and at glance, I might just look like an Indie-Bendie or just a normal looking computer geek. I Don't rock a hoody nor really baggy pants (probably because it's always hot here) but I still love Hip hop.
shareI can tell this comment was posted several years ago. As of now, hip hop heads don't necessarily resort to wearing baggy clothes and Timbs. Take a look at Kanye and Will I Am and Pharell, and you'll see that hip hop has gone preppy!
I think Taye was believable in his roll, not as a hip hop head but as a music producer. Slightly geeky but ambitious and loving of hip hop. He and Sanaa did a fine job.
I agree with OP...I had this discussion wiht my cousin earlier. He just seems forced as a hip-hop head; not natural. It doesn't have anyway to do with how he dressed, but it just seemed like if his character studied it to get next to a girl, not like it was apart of his life.
shareI thought he was pretty believable in here. Same with Sanaa, Def & Queen Latifah.
"I am the ultimate badass, you do not wanna `*beep*` wit' me!" Hudson in Aliens.
I thought he was very believable. One of the posters said that hip hop has gone preppy...which is true...however hip hop has been preppy before. Wealthy kids wore preppy clothes back in the day, and often hip hop emulates and tries to represent wealthy status (of course it's deeper than that). Look at many old school artists and you will see plenty of preppy looks.
I think Taye played the role very well for a hip hop head that got his "grown man on" and yeah also even sold out a little....something many people go through when trying to balance earning a living doing what we love with living a nice life.
I identified with him because people are often shocked to see that I love hip hop due to the way I dress and act, although I am definitely from the "hood" and hip hop is my first and greatest love. True hip hop has no borders, way of speaking, or standard look...that's what makes it so great. As another poster stated...I'm referencing hip hop, not rap.
This is funny to me as SO many professional people (for the sake of this convo - I'm discussing in the black community). Most of us in the age range of 30s - 40s grew up in the hood and were the first to go to college and become successful. You don't get your degrees and then say, WELP I guess I better let hip hop go and pick up some jazz. Furthermore, all hip hop wasn't about being in the hood.
We still find the music relatable. Just because you grow up and don't follow the hype of current "hip hop" doesn't mean you forget your roots or lost your way. I have an MBA and many of my friends have MBAs, doctorates, law degrees, are news reporters or are medical doctors. My husband is an aerospace engineer. We all listen to old school (i.e., REAL) hip hop. Furthermore, we still are cool with the folks we grew up with, whether they are white collar, blue collar or straight up thugs. It's the music and our past experiences that connect us.
Stop sounding ignorant with this ish. I seriously found Sanaa and Taye believable. Taye's character is NO different from P. Diddy (granted he's a hot mess), but he went to Howard University and was about his business in the music game. As for Sanaa's character, do you really think Ray Ray and Booty Boy can actually be the editor-in-chief of a Hip Hop magazine?
Ugh. I just can't stand narrow-mindedness.
You people are the disease, but I've got the cure. ~Morgan on "Chuck"
To the OP...
Why do you limit his character and force him to be a stereotype...should he have dressed like the rapping puppy guys? "Street Flavor?" So he should have walked around in an oversized jersey, saggin pants...some Timberbland boots...wife beater and bling bling?
That was the whole point of his character, he was different from what Hip Hop had become, also...what's wrong with dressing like he had some common sense, he'd been exposed to more than the streets...and actually found his own identity.
"But nah G...he gotta rep his hood, show some swagger...make them fools recognize...knaw mean?"
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