The story of female hip-hop trailblazer Roxanne Shante is getting the biopic treatment.
Co-produced by Forest Whitaker, Roxanne Roxanne will reportedly tell the story of Roxanne’s early beginnings in hip-hop as a fearless 14-year-old MC who set the rap world ablaze with the release of her “Roxanne’s Revenge” response record in reply to the UTFO single “Roxanne Roxanne,” in 1984. The film will chronicle the infamous Roxanne Hip-Hop Wars that spawned as a result of the track and take viewers back to the early days of hip-hop culture in the ’80s.
Filming for the project is currently underway in Queens and Roxanne, whose real name is Lolita Shante Gooden, shared a photo of herself and Nia Long on set earlier this week. Taking to her Facebook page, she revealed in the photo’s caption that Nia would be playing the role of “Miss Peggy” as the two took a break for a quick photo op. “When your sister Nia Long is playing your Mama MissPeggy You can only feel so honored and so so blessed. #roxanneroxanne The Movie The Roxanne Shante story #plzbelieveit,” she wrote.
The movie will also feature actors portraying several other hip-hop icons including Nas, Biz Markie and Kurtis Blow. Nina Yang Bongiovi, Mimi Valdés, and Erica Brady will join Forest Whitaker as co-producers, according to an earlier report from ShowBiz.
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