By Margaret Hicks
Eagle Staff Writer
mhicks@theoklahomaeagle.net
All Eyez On Me is a film that can be viewed from two points of view. One, the viewpoint of the filmmakers who say it is “the true and untold story of prolific rapper, actor, poet and activist Tupac Shakur, from his early days in New York to his status as one of the world’s most recognized and influential voices;” and two, the viewpoint of a film that is just another Hollywood movie.
The True And Untold Story
According to actress, dancer, singer-songwriter, and businesswoman, Jada Pinkett Smith, in a tweet on June 16, 2017, the story is not true, at least the scenes that depict her relationship with Shakur, and there are some facts that remain untold, at least about her relationship with Shakur. Smith called her relationship with Shakur “too precious to me for the scenes in All Eyez On Me to stand as truth.”
On a scale of one to 10 The Oklahoma Eagle gives All Eyez On Me five for its “true and untold story.” It only takes one “alternative fact” to turn a “true and untold story” into something that Hollywood made up.
The Hollywood Movie
As a Hollywood movie, on a scale of one to 10 the Eagle gives All Eyez On Me 10. The casting and acting are superb. Demetrius Shipp, Jr. not only acted and sounded like Shakur, he looks as though they could have come from the same gene pool. The story was an excellent story that imparted knowledge about the Black Panther Party, society in general, being black and conscience living in a predominately unconscious America.
An Inside Look
To understand All Eyes on Me from the view of someone with first-hand knowledge of the rap industry, and someone who knew Shakur, the Eagle reached out to Public Enemy’s Richard Griffin, better known by his stage name Professor Griff (or Griff), a rapper, spoken word artist, author and lecturer. When asked to give his thoughts on the film, Griff said that, “Over all it was disappointing in the way it was put together, the quality of it. The acting was good, that brother (Demetrius Shipp, Jr.) nailed it man!” Griff said there was something about the film that just didn’t hit the mark for him because when you think of Tupac, you think huge man. The film did not measure up to the man. However, he gave props to the actors, director, and producing for making the film happen with what they were given.
To see more of what Griff had to say, he has a YouTube video that speaks on “All Eyez on Me” movie and whether Tupac was a Walking Contradiction?
A TV Mini Series?
Griff said he understands how Jada Pinkett Smith can say that her memory of Tupac “is too precious to let it go down like that.” His advice to her is “…step up, do a series, a television series. Make a deal with Life Time or somebody, and make it right. Am I right or wrong? Your husband is Will Smith, you’re in the position to call some people to the table…and make some deals and make some things happen.”
