After the enormous critical and commercial success of N.W.A biopic Straight Outta Compton, Universal Pictures is reportedly gearing up to launch another hip hop film. based on the 2002 memoir of Def Jam Recordings co-founder Russell Simmons, Life and Def: Sex, Drugs, Money, + God. The film would tell the story of the label’s rise to prominence and its huge influence within the hip hop world during the eighties.
As yet, there’s no official word on who will be in the movie. But as Deadline reports, a couple of big names are already being tossed around to play the main characters, with Michael B. Jordan (note: the actor, not the basketball player) to play Simmons and Wolf of Wall Street star Jonah Hill to play co-founder, and probably the best producer in the world, Rick Rubin.
Def Jam Records is and was home to some of hip hop’s biggest names. From the The Beastie Boys, Run DMC, LL Cool J and Public Enemy, to modern legends Kanye West, Rihanna and Jay Z, it’s undoubtedly one of, if not the most important label in terms of shaping hip hop and bringing it from the streets to the entire world.
Want more? We’ve put together a list of more musical biopics that need to happen.