Why Chadwick Boseman is named Stormin' Norman.
Norman Whitfield was just one of the best and most prolific Songwriters of the Motown era. It is no wonder or mystery that the Bloods followed Stormin' Norman or why Spike Lee gave the character that name. Just a perfect Easter Egg for this film.
Selected singles production/songwriting credits:
1963: "Pride & Joy" – Marvin Gaye (US #10, US R&B #2)
1964: "Too Many Fish in the Sea" – The Marvelettes (US #25, US R&B #5)
1964: "Needle in a Haystack" – The Velvelettes (US #45)
1964: "He Was Really Sayin' Somethin'" – The Velvelettes (US #64, US R&B #21)
1964: "Girl (Why You Wanna Make Me Blue)" – The Temptations (US #26, US R&B #11)
1966: "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" – The Temptations (US #13, US R&B #1, UK #21)
1966: "Beauty Is Only Skin Deep" – The Temptations (US #3, US R&B #1, UK #18)
1966: "(I Know) I'm Losing You" – The Temptations (US #8, US R&B #1, UK #19)
1967: "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" – Gladys Knight & The Pips (US #2, US R&B #1), also recorded by Marvin Gaye (US #1, US R&B #1, UK #1)
1967: "You're My Everything" – The Temptations (US #6, US R&B #3, UK #26)
1967: "I Wish It Would Rain" – The Temptations (US #4, US R&B #1), also recorded by Gladys Knight & The Pips (US #41, US R&B #15)
1968: "I Could Never Love Another (After Loving You)" – The Temptations (US #13, US R&B #1)
1968: "The End of Our Road" – Gladys Knight & The Pips (US #15, US R&B #5), also recorded by Marvin Gaye (US #40, US R&B #7)
1968: "Cloud Nine" – The Temptations (US #6, UK #15)
1968: "The Nitty Gritty" – Gladys Knight & The Pips (US #19, US R&B #2)
1969: "Friendship Train" – Gladys Knight & The Pips (US #17, US R&B #2)
1969: "Runaway Child, Running Wild" – The Temptations (US #6, US R&B #1)
1969: "Too Busy Thinking About My Baby" – Marvin Gaye (US #4, US R&B #1, UK #5), originally recorded by The Temptations
1969: "I Can't Get Next to You" – The Temptations (US #1, US R&B #1, UK #13)
1969: "Don't Let The Joneses Get You Down" – The Temptations (US #20, US R&B #2)
1970: "You Need Love Like I Do (Don't You)" – Gladys Knight & The Pips (US #35, US R&B #3), also recorded by The Temptations
1970: "Psychedelic Shack" – The Temptations (US #7, US R&B #2, UK #33)
1970: "Ball of Confusion (That's What the World Is Today)" – The Temptations (US #3, US R&B #2, UK #7)
1970: "War" – Edwin Starr (US #1, US R&B #3, UK #3), originally recorded by The Temptations
1971: "Smiling Faces Sometimes" – The Undisputed Truth (US #3, US R&B #2), originally recorded by The Temptations
1971: "Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)" – The Temptations (US #1, US R&B #1, UK #8)
1972: "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" – The Temptations (US #1, US R&B #1, UK #8), originally recorded by The Undisputed Truth (US #63, US R&B #24)
1973: "Masterpiece" – The Temptations (US #7, US R&B #1)
1973: "Law of the Land" – The Temptations (UK #41), also recorded by The Undisputed Truth (US R&B #40)
1973: "Let Your Hair Down" – The Temptations (US #27, US R&B #1)
1974: "Help Yourself" – The Undisputed Truth (US #63, US R&B #19)
1975: "It Should Have Been Me" – Yvonne Fair (US #85, UK #5), also recorded by Gladys Knight & The Pips (US #40, US R&B #9)
1976: "Car Wash" – Rose Royce (US #1, UK #9)
1976: "You + Me = Love" – The Undisputed Truth (US #48, US R&B #37, UK #43)
1976: "I'm Going Down" – Rose Royce (US #70, US R&B #10)
1976: "I Wanna Get Next to You" – Rose Royce (US #10)
1977: "Ooh Boy" – Rose Royce (US #72, US R&B #3, UK #46)
1977: "Wishing on a Star" – Rose Royce (UK #3)
1978: "Love Don't Live Here Anymore" – Rose Royce (US #32, UK #2)
That list of hits is just astounding.