Music plays an important role in the Beverly Hills Cop movies. The soundtrack for 1984’s Beverly Hills Cop hit No. 1 on the US Billboard 200 thanks to popular singles like “The Heat Is On” by Glenn Frey, “New Attitude” by Patti Labelle, and, of course, “Axel F.” That’s how cool Axel F. himself, Eddie Murphy, was in the 1980s — he could turn a instrumental track from a German composer into an honest-to-god hit. But Murphy is still plenty cool these days, and for Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F, the fourth film in the franchise and first in 30 years, he enlisted Lil Nas X for “the best song of all time.”
On “Here We Go!,” Lil Nas X offers a warning: “Tell them boys you better hide, tell them lay low / Tell them play it safe ’cause we don’t play at all / Tell them boys you better move.” Later, he sings, “There’s a boy inside me and one day he’s gonna go / Somewhere that nobody’s ever ever been before.” The song was written by Lil Nas X, as well as Raul Cubina, Mark Williams, Jarrod Morgan, and Harold Faltermeyer, whose “Axel F” is used as a sample.
You can listen to “Here We Go!” above
Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F, which also stars original cast members Judge Reinhold, John Ashton, Paul Reiser, and Bronson Pinchot and newbies Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Taylour Paige, and Kevin Bacon, debuts on Netflix on July 3.
This loss of news and entertainment history is a bummer, but it’s not surprising. There’s actually already a name for what’s going on here: We’re in the Digital Dark Age.
To be clear, Paramount isn’t the only offender, and this is far from a new problem: The term “digital dark age” was used as far back as 1999, and it refers to the loss of information and resources due to outdated digital file formats, lack of preservation, and other reasons.
Pew Research Center shared some startling data last month. Their analysis found that 38 percent of webpages that existed in 2013 are gone today. Furthermore, 23 percent of online news articles contain at least one broken link.
The MTV News archives were full of original journalistic work that’s an important part of its era. This 2005 interview with Gerard Way as My Chemical Romance was achieving mainstream success? Gone! (“But you put a link!” Yes, more on that in a second.) This 2014 Jay-Z interview about tensions with Nas and Cam’ron? Zapped! This 2003 feature written shortly after the death of Elliott Smith, providing fascinating historical context about how the world reacted to the loss? Bye-bye!
Then there’s the TV side of things. As Consequence notes, the Comedy Central website hosted the entire Colbert Report series and clips from every Daily Show episode since 1999. Welp, not anymore. That content isn’t otherwise available to stream, either: The Colbert Report isn’t streaming anywhere, and only Seasons 28 and 29 of The Daily Show are on Paramount+.
Not directly related to the issue that sparked this conversation, but preservation is a major issue in the video game space, too. If, for example, you want to play Pokémon Platinum today, a used copy of the game will cost over $100 (per PriceCharting data), and then there’s the matter of getting a working Nintendo DS. So, many have turned to piracy for playing retro games. Valve president Gabe Newell has a relevant, oft-cited quote: “Piracy is not a pricing issue. It’s a service issue. The easiest way to stop piracy is not by putting anti-piracy technology to work. It’s by giving those people a service that’s better than what they’re receiving from the pirates.”
I don’t want to bring potentially unwanted attention to certain preservation efforts, but there are active online communities dedicated to the preservation of large amounts of data. Again, I’m not going to point you in the right direction, but (illegal copies of) retro video games can be easily found online. If you look hard enough, you can find a ton of Colbert Report episodes for free. Less secretively, The Internet Archive has long championed preservation of online resources, and that’s how I was able to link to (archived versions of) those MTV News stories above.
These solutions, though, are imperfect and relatively niche. Most people aren’t going past the second page of Google results in a deep-dive search, or check the Internet Archive when they find a dead link. To the average consumer, this information is just gone. It’s ultimately on those with resources to do their part for cultural preservation, even if it costs them a redirect to PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie.
I won’t pretend to know what it takes to maintain a website network as sizeable as Paramount’s, but surely, it can’t be significantly resource heavy for a company of its scale. (I don’t know if it can, but don’t call me Shirley.) It’s OK, they have an excuse: In a statement, Paramount explained (as The Hollywood Reporter notes), “As part of broader website changes across Paramount, we have introduced more streamlined versions of our sites, driving fans to Paramount+ to watch their favorite shows.”
What they’ve also introduced (or, in acknowledgement of the fact that they’re far from the sole perpetrator here, helped propagate) is a more streamlined version of cultural history, one in which important details have been sanded away, and less glorified but still-valuable information is lost to time.
Complaining is fun, but often pointless. Is there anything we can actually do? On a small scale, yes. The main thing you can start doing today is to use the Internet Archive to back up news stories or any other valuable webpages you can think to preserve. It’s a quick process and an easy way to help yourself and others maintain access to the world’s knowledge.
This is also an opportunity to consider your own personal data. If your phone or laptop died today, how screwed would you be? Would you lose irreplaceable childhood photos, old creative projects, or vital personal information? I personally subscribe to the “3-2-1 Rule“: Maintain three copies of your data (the original and two backups), use at least two different media types for storage (like a hard drive and cloud storage), and keep one copy of the data offsite (again, cloud storage).
Given the variety of forces and interests involved, the Digital Dark Age is probably not a problem that can be fixed. But, there are things we can do to shine a light during these dark times and stop losing recipes.
Ice Cube has always had a soft spot for Friday. He wrote the screenplay for the 1995 original, and has continued to shepherd the franchise through various sequels in the 2000s. He’s struggled mightily to close out the franchise on his terms, however. Ice Cube has been pushing to get Last Friday made for over a decade. He’s hyped up the film in interviews, and even teased the return of beloved characters. Thankfully, the red tape has been sifted through, and Last Friday appears to be underway.
Ice Cube broke the news during a recent interview with Sirius XM’s Flavor of the Week. He told the host that he was able to work a deal out with Warner Bros. thanks to executive Michael De Luca. “They have new leadership,” the rapper explained. “My man Mike DeLuca, who used to be at New Line when I first started, when I first did the first Friday and Players Club and All About the Benjamins. Mike DeLuca was there, so now he’s running Warner Brothers.” This is a complete turnaround from Ice Cube’s earlier Warner Bros. comments. In 2021, he criticized the studio for hijacking the franchise and slowing progress.
The N.W.A. frontman told Flavor of the Week that he was frustrated over how long the process was going. To further add to the tension between Ice Cube and the studio, several Friday cast members died during the wait. “I was a little hot ’cause they had took so long. Because John Witherspoon passed away,” he recalled. “Tiny passed away. A.J. Johnson passed away. Man, we keep losing people. And y’all keep d*cking around not doing the movie the way it need to be done.” Ice Cube reiterated that De Luca was the man that revived Last Friday. “They want to do it. But the key is it gotta be done,” he noted. “So, they finally came to their senses.”
The thing are waiting to see is whether Chris Tucker will return as Smokey. The actor was a fan favorite in the original Friday, but he hasn’t appeared in any of the sequels. In March, Tucker went on to V-103 and gave his thoughts on returning. He didn’t rule it out, but he wants to make sure it’s a quality script before he agrees to anything. “At this point,” he explained. “I’m only doing stuff that I know that I could do my best. And I can have a lot of fun, got to be right.” Hopefully Last Friday turns out right.
Late last year, Jonathan Majors was found guilty of assaulting and harassing his ex-girlfriend, Grace Jabbari. Regardless, the actor doesn’t look to be letting his conviction get in the way of his career. Recently, it was revealed that he’ll be starring in an upcoming supernatural thriller film, which will be his first role following his highly publicized trial.
Reportedly, he’s been cast as a CIA investigator who begins to struggle with mental health issues as his love interest is targeted by mysterious forces. The film, titled Merciless, does not yet have an official release date. It’s not been attached to a major studio yet either. It’s being directed by Martin Villeneuve, however, the younger sibling of Oscar-nominated director Denis Villeneuve.
Jonathan Majors attends the “Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania” UK Gala Screening at BFI IMAX Waterloo on February 16, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Karwai Tang/WireImage)
Sound of Freedom‘s Christopher Tuffin will produce the upcoming indie film. He reportedly plans to share more details of the project at the Toronto International Film Festival later this year. Filming is expected to begin this fall, so it’s not looking like it’ll arrive anytime soon. Other cast members have also yet to be announced. Majors’ conviction is likely to stir up some controversy at the heels of his conviction, though it doesn’t appear as though Tuffin will let that stop him from working with whoever he sees fit for the role.
As for Majors’ current legal issues, he’s now facing a lawsuit from Jabbari, the same ex he was on trial for allegedly assaulting. His motion to drop his assault and harassment charges was also denied back in April. What do you think of Jonathan Majors snagging his first film role since his assault trial? Are you looking forward to seeing Merciless or not? Share your thoughts in the comments section down below, and keep an eye on HNHH for more updates.
50 Cent has built a media empire over the last two decades. He may not be topping the charts anymore as a rapper, but his production companies have been wildly successful. He recently sold a documentary about his least-favorite mogul, Diddy, to Netflix. The G-Unit founder is also launching G-Unit film and TV studios, which will become the second-largest black-owned studio in the world. The Root suggested that 50 might be edging in on Tyler Perry’s territory, but the rapper was quick to set the record straight.
The Root posted the headline “50 Cent Gearing Up To Be A Tyler Perry Rival?” on June 17. 50 Cent then responded to the headline on Instagram. “I’m doing great but you’re getting it f*cked up,” he wrote in the caption. “If you think me and Tyler will be at odds at any point.” The rapper revealed that the opposite is actually true. Tyler Perry, the brain behind dozens of successful films, is actually helping 50 Cent to get his studio off the ground. “He’s helping me, already going out of his way to aid my progress,” he stated. “So in the nicest way, cut the sh*t.”
50 Cent has no problem beefing with people. He’s been doing it since before he got famous. His first big song was literally about robbing rappers who were richer than him. It’s worth noting, because if he goes out of his way to state there’s no beef, then it’s pretty convincing. Those who have been keeping up with 50’s business moves won’t be surprised by the fact that he’s working with Perry. The rapper mentioned Tyler Perry during a recent Power screening in New York.
50 claimed that Perry had become an invaluable source for both him and G-Unit Films. “So I talked to Tyler on my way here,” he explained to the audience. “Tyler is no joke. He’ll f*ck you up if you think he Madea.” 50 Cent took a surprisingly humble approach when discussing the filmmaker. “He don’t talk to me like that,” he asserted. “I don’t know if he’s tougher when I’m he’s talking to me, but it just feels like I can learn some things from him.”
Janelle Monae has always been recognized as an incredible musical talent. They have won Grammy Awards and received glowing praise since their debut album in 2010. Something that day one fans may not have expected, however, was Monae’s seamless transition to film. They have proven just as adept at playing pivotal roles in Oscar-nominated releases like Moonlight and Hidden Figures (both 2016). Part of the reason Janelle Monae has managed to transition so well is because they have a very specific process when it comes to picking scripts.
Monae revealed their process during a recent interview with The Guardian. The main point of attraction? A movie role has to have a very specific kind of vibration. “Really, I love to get to know the characters and feel with anything I’m doing,” they told the outlet. “I really have to feel it in my p**ic hairs – they have to vibrate.” Monae pointed to their acclaimed dual performance in the 2022 thriller Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery as an example of this vibration. “My underarm hairs definitely tingled when I got the Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery script,” they quipped.
Janelle Monae Prioritizes Roles That Make Them “Vibrate”
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MAY 06: Janelle Monáe attends The 2024 Met Gala Celebrating “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion” at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 06, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Theo Wargo/GA/The Hollywood Reporter via Getty Images)
Janelle Monae has a secondary metric for picking movies, and its the director. They had such a good time with Glass Onion director Rian Johnson, that they even voiced their desire to appear in the third installment in the series. “That was exciting, to go to Greece and work with Rian Johnson,” they added. “Who is a wonderful human. I’m so excited for Knives Out 3. I want to be a part of it so badly that I might get plastic surgery and audition as a brand new character.” Given that the Knives Out franchise makes a point of changing its cast each time out, Monae is unlikely to get their wish.
Fortunately, Monae doesn’t need to rely on sequels. The multi-faceted entertainer is set to play the iconic Josephine Baker in the upcoming TV series De La Resistance. The series will be made with A24, and will focus on the period of time in which Baker was a performer and a spy for the French Resistance during WWII. Janelle Monae added a third, more light-hearted metric for how to cast them, and its pretty simple: candy. “I love places that have snacks like Skittles and M&Ms,” they quipped.
Nas will be helping adapt the 1984 film, Beat Street, into a Broadway musical. He announced the project while presenting a screening of the classic hip-hop film at the 2024 Tribeca Film Festival on Friday in celebration of the film’s 40th anniversary. In bringing the movie to the stage, he’ll be serving as a producer alongside several key filmmakers from the original. They include Arthur Baker, who was an original co-producer, composer, and music producer as well as Michael Holman, who was an associate producer of the original film.
“Beat Street wasn’t just a film – it spread the revolution of hip-hop culture throughout the country and the world. It left an indelible mark, inspiring generations of young artists and creating new hip-hop fans alike,” Nas told The Hollywood Reporter. “It’s a thrill for me to join the creative team of Beat Street, bringing the raw energy of hip-hop into the fabric of Broadway. It’s an honor to breathe new life into this iconic work and celebrate its enduring legacy.”
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JUNE 15: (L-R) Martin Scorsese, Nas and Robert De Niro attend the “Mean Streets” Screening during the 2024 Tribeca Festival at Beacon Theatre on June 15, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images for Tribeca Festival)
The original cast for Beat Street featured Rae Dawn Chong, Guy Davis, and more in addition to several hip-hop artists. Those included DJ Kool Herc, Afrika Bambataa & The Sonic Force, Doug E. Fresh, Treacherous Three, and Melle Mel. Check out a trailer for the original film below.
“Beat Street” Headed To Broadway
In addition to celebrating the 40th anniversary of Beat Street, Nas also recently made an announcement in honor of the 30th anniversary of his classic album, Illmatic. He’ll be embarking on a tour to perform the project. Be on the lookout for further updates on Nas on HotNewHipHop.
On August 9, Apple TV+ will launch The Instigators, a criminal comedy that takes a lighter approach to the heist genre. Starring in the next movie with Matt Damon and Casey Affleck are Jack Harlow as well. The action-packed trailer was posted by the actors on Thursday, June 13. For a mere two and a half minutes, viewers are introduced to Damon as an ex-Marine planning his first robbery with the help of a younger, more experienced team, which includes Harlow.
The movie, which was first revealed a year ago, is the continuation of Harlow’s acting career, which has drawn some “mixed” reviews. Although Harlow has received accolades for his performance, his previous film, a remake of White Men Can’t Jump, was heavily criticized for being very much inferior to the original. Additionally, Paul Walter Hauser, Ron Perlman, Hong Chau, Michael Stuhlbarg, Alfred Molina, and Ving Rhames make up the rest of the all-star cast of The Instigators. Since Doug Liman is also directing it, perhaps people will begin to believe all those claims that “Apple TV has the best content.” Someone someone instruct Netflix on how to accomplish this.
In a 2022 interview, Harlow talked about getting his first acting job with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe. “You know, I did the work to get it. I put the time in with the script, I sat with it. I considered things,” he explained. He continued saying, “I tried to be egoless during the audition, take notes, do what I had to do, and it came…. I just want to kill it. I just want to be good, and I want to do everything I can to make it good.” Furthermore, Jack Harlow is now loking to expand and solidify himself in the movie world.
“There was an initial excitement about announcing it and just the buzz that comes with saying, ‘Look, I’m in a movie.’ Everybody [is] like, ‘Wow, that’s crazy.’ But after that, [the] dust settles,” the rapper continued. “It’s either just going to be there was an announcement you were in a movie and nothing else, or you get that, and it’s like, ‘Wow, and you brought it. You brought it.’ So, I’m starting to look at it how I look at the music, and it’s my first one, so I care a lot about it.” Overall, The Instiators looks like it’ll be a good time, and Jack harlow looks good in it.
Remember The Town? You know, the 2010 Ben Affleck movie about professional bank robbers from South Boston that earned Jeremy Renner a nomination for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar? What if someone did that movie again, but just a little off-kilter?
Well, that’s pretty much the premise of The Instigators, Apple TV’s new crime comedy starring Matt Damon, Casey Affleck, and Jack Harlow. That’s right, instead of a hard-hitting family drama, the story is now a comedy. Instead of a professional crew looking for one last score, it’s an over-the-hill ex-Marine staging his first heist with the help of a young crew including Harlow, who all appear more experienced than him. And, of course, instead of a grimacing Ben Affleck, you’ve got his jaunty best friend. I need to see this, like, yesterday.
The film was originally announced last year and continues Harlow’s foray into acting, which has received … “mixed” reactions. While Harlow’s acting itself has been praised, his prior movie, a remake of White Men Can’t Jump, was widely maligned (unfairly, in my opinion) for not being as good as the original (such things so rarely are). Jack clearly has no fear of failure here; he shared the trailer on Instagram:
The rest of the The Instigators cast is an all-star roster consisting of Alfred Molina, Hong Chau, Michael Stuhlbarg, Paul Walter Hauser, Ron Perlman, and Ving Rhames. It’s also directed by Doug Liman, so maybe people will finally start taking all those “Apple TV has the best content” takes seriously. Someone tell Netflix this is how it’s done.
Watch the The Instigators trailer above and stream the movie in full on August 9.
Most people would have a hard time finding something to criticize Rihanna about (well, except for how long it’s taking her to release a new album). Rihanna is fine with picking on herself, though, as she’s been known to bust out some self-deprecating humor about her forehead. Now she’s back at it again with the forehead talk as she makes her pick for who she’d like to portray her in a movie.
Earlier this week, on the red carpet of a Fenty Hair launch event on June 10, Rihanna was asked about who should star in a potential biopic about her. She responded, “Taylor Russell. You know why? Because she’s got, like, a nice forehead. She’s, like, fly. And I feel like I want to be her, so I want her to pretend to be me. I want people to see me in that light.”
The Canadian actress is known for starring in the Netflix series Lost In Space, as well as the movies Waves and Bones And All. She hasn’t publicly responded to the Rihanna shout-out yet, but she did supposedly have a significant connection to the music world recently: It was reported last month that she and Harry Styles broke up after nearly a year of supposedly dating.
