Rap icon Nas joins a creative team to bring a musical adaptation of the 1984 hip-hop film classic to the stage Beat Street to Broadway.
Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones, better known as Nas, made the announcement this evening at a screening of the 40th anniversary of Beat Street at the Tribeca Film Festival. The Grammy winner said he has joined the creative team adapting the film for Broadway.
Additional members of the creative team will be announced in the coming weeks. A production timeline has not been announced.
The Beat Street The musical is produced by Arthur Baker, Michael Holman and UK-based technology investor Richard Fearn and will expand on the film and create new material to complement the film’s musical numbers. Producer Holman was associate producer of the original film and Baker was its co-producer, composer and music producer.
In a statement announcing the festival, Nas said: “Beat Street wasn’t just a movie – it spread the revolution of hip-hop culture across the country and around the world. It left an indelible impression, inspiring generations of young artists and creating new hip-hop fans. It is a pleasure for me to join the creative team of Beat Street, brings the raw energy of hip-hop into the fabric of Broadway. It is an honor to breathe new life into this iconic work and celebrate its lasting legacy.”
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Set in the early 1980s and released in 1984. Beat Street revolved around a group of up-and-coming young talents in the South Bronx, including a graffiti artist, a DJ and a breakdancer, “who pursued their dreams in the emerging hip-hop scene while facing the challenges of city life.”
The film starred Rae Dawn Chong, Gus Davis and Jon Chardiet and featured major artists of the era, including Doug E. Fresh, DJ Kool Herc, Afrika Bambataa & The Sonic Force, Us Girls, The Treacherous Three, Magnificent Force, The New York City Breakers, Rock Steady Crew and Grandmaster Melle Mel & The Furious Five.
One of the first films to authentically portray hip-hop culture, Beat Street has been cited as an influence by artists such as Ice-T, Ice Cube, LL Cool J and Lin-Manuel Miranda, to name a few. The popular soundtrack was released in two volumes (also produced by Baker), with Volume One being among the first rap albums to be certified gold.
The film was produced by Harry Belafonte and David V. Picker, with music by Harry Belafonte and Arthur Baker, a story by Steven Hager, a screenplay by Andrew Davis, David Gilbert and Paul Golding, and directed by Stan Lathan.
ShowTown Theatricals will serve as general manager for the stage musical, with Nathan Gehan and Jamison Scott of ShowTown Productions serving as executive producers.