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*“State Property” producer Damon Dash and executive producer Kanye West teamed to present the explosive crime drama “Honor Up,” starring rappers Cam’ron, Murda Mook, Blackface and Smoke DZA. The film is based on Dash’s upbringing in Harlem anhttps://eurweb.com/tag/damon-dash/d some of the trials and tribulations he faced on his rise to success.
Dash stars as OG, a drug lord’s lieutenant struggling to maintain the code of honor—protect the family—within his unruly crew after a Harlem shootout. Also featuring Nicholas Turturro and Stacey Dash, “Honor Up” reveals a deadly underworld where beats pound as bullets fly and even outlaws must live by the code.
Scroll up to watch the trailer.
EUR/Electronic Urban Report caught up with Dame to dish about his directorial debut and his creative collaboration with Yeezy on the project.
Peep our conversation below.
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“Honor Up” is based on your upbringing in Harlem, so talk about some of the themes or ideas explored in this film.
Dame Dash: I came from a very extreme circumstance, where you got signed to a ball every game and with that game, if you did things wrong, you end up dying or get killed. And because of that, you played the game correct. A lot of the moves of that game are just principals, morals, honor and integrity. And you’re playing the game based on the rules that you signed on to and if you play the game any other way then you cheated and you’re not considered a good dude. You’re considered a bad dude. So knowing what I survived and I recently come across one of my OG’s, a person that taught me how to act, like, 25 years ago, and in the mix of that extreme circumstance, he never made me do that stuff that everyone else was doing. He actually advised me not to do it. He was a person I looked up to because of his strength and his character and the way he carried his game, his family, his friends and his kids, and how charismatic he was.
I found when I reconnected with him, that he was exactly that same person and it really made me appreciate the morals and the scruples that I have and that I’ve maintained in my life. It just really made me want to make a movie ‘cause I had to start standing behind my artistic point of view because my girl said if you don’t she wasn’t gon’ mess with me no more because she was sick of me investing in other people’s artistic point of views. And I had a camera and I was about to move to L.A. and it was something I thought I needed to make so people could understand the honor of and the morals and principals that I learned from the people that I learned it from. I got to look out for my OG, showcase my experience, show the world about my morals and principals and also express myself artistically.
What was your reaction when Stacey Dash lashed out to the promo poster and seemed to distance herself from the project?
Dame Dash: I’m thinking somebody hacked her Twitter.
What can audiences expect when they experience “Honor Up?”
Dame Dash: They can expect a really strong message. They should expect an artistic experience that should keep them thrilled and that they should learn from. I think there are a lot of authentic things going on in a very authentic way. And I think that they should expect to be happy when they walk out that theater, or if they’re ordering it OnDemand.
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In terms of you collaborating with Kanye for this film, talk about the creative process of putting this project together.
Dame Dash: Well, it was interesting because my prior experience with Kanye, it was me as the executive and him as the artist and him bringing me his music and me giving my opinions on how to roll it out. It took me about three years to finally finish the movie because the edits were wrong and there was a period of time when he was going to work out whatever he was working out and I had time to really focus on the movie and when I showed him the movie, it inspired him to support it. And that’s all I wanted to do. At the time I was like, “All I need is your name.” But if I inspire you and you feel like this is something you want to stand behind, like, I know he was letting me use his name out of respect, and also putting his name on something that he didn’t control or something that I know Kanye’s not used to doing. The fact that the movie’s about honoring up and us helping our OG’s and I’m an OG and that’s exactly what he had the opportunity to do. And he also got creatively inspired and designed the merch for the movie. So that’s been the process.
And I honestly didn’t know what I was walking into. I just wanted to use his name. He’s like Michael Jackson right now and I wanted him to bring awareness to the movie. But he really became a part of the movie and just seeing him so happy to help me. He’s the first person I’ve seen that’s as happy as I am helping somebody. Like, me watching all the people I’ve helped get to where they gotta go has made me ecstatic. I love the feeling, and I always wonder why more people don’t want that feeling. And I saw that feeling in Kanye’s face and I understand exactly what he felt and I appreciated that. I never could have expected him to do what he did, how he did it and with so much taste, and I didn’t ask for it. He just did it.
Right now, you can’t tell me nothing bad about Kanye or Kim Kardashian. They’re A-1 in my book. Before, I could judge Kanye and his family based on what I see in the newspaper or on television even though I’m one of the people that got him where he had to go but there was definitely that distance in between so I didn’t know them. But now I’m actually seeing how they support the people that they love. I watched it with my own eyes and benefitted from it so it gave me a brand new respect for them. It’s easy to say because he did it for me but I’m not used to people looking out for me.
How do you feel about the place of independent films within the industry at the moment? Do you feel they’re being given enough support?
Dame Dash: Based on the platforms and the wherewithal to distribute, it’s a really good time because you could put a lot of money into making a movie but no one will see it because someone doesn’t want to distribute it. Now you have a situation where, let’s say I didn’t get with Lionsgate, I could’ve did this myself. It’s easy to put it in AMC theaters and have it go OnDemand. So I think the steering wheel is in the independent’s hand. A true independent should want to do it from A-to-Z. You don’t really look for no help. You just look for the recognition. If your work is good, they gon’ come. I’ve very confident in that because I’m putting my work and my money behind that. I paid for this movie. I believed in this movie. I put my money where my mouth is and nothing’s gonna stop me from being able to monetize it. So I think the state of independent films is great. The technology is where it doesn’t cost as much to do certain things and there’s distribution and there’s experiences and I love it. I think an independent film is the best way to get recognized. You have to have a point of view to stand out.
What’s your professional philosophy?
Dame Dash: Only ever get paid to do something that I wouldn’t do for free. I monetize my lifestyle and that’s the trick ‘cause it never feels like work. I would also suggest that you build a business with someone that you love because then work always feels like a date.
Do you feel like your fans have yet to see the best of what’s to come from you?
Dame Dash: Yeah…this is my first piece of work as an independent filmmaker that just bought a camera and learned the game from the bottom up. I made another movie already called “The List” that stars Brian White, Columbus Short, Claudia Jordan, I’m in it and Nicholas Turturro, and I’m just going to keep on making different kinds of movies. I have a bucket list of movies that I want to make. I got my next six movies planned out. So I’m trying to give them 2-3 movies a year if Y’all can handle it. It’s just like when I was putting out records. I was putting 2-3 records out a year and always had a big one come in the last quarter. Basically, everything that I’ve done before one a big level, but was funded by other people, I’m going to do now on a big level but it’s going to be funded by me. So, we got our liquor. If you look at the movie, we’ve got the Dusko whiskey and the Dusko Blu in it. All the people that are funded by other people have liquors, I have one too. I have a streaming service, Dame Dash Studios, go to it and you can watch original content 24-hours a day and you could subscribe to it for a monthly subscription. And then also being to buy the clothes and products that you see while you’re looking at it.
My ultimate dream is to be able to make good movies, make the music in the movie, make the clothes in the movie. I made all the clothes I’m wearing in the movie. Make all the liquor in the movie. Basically, everything you see that’s cool I should be making it and you should be able to buy it directly from me. I’d like to be able to do that on an international level. And I’m very curious to see how my movies are gonna check overseas because traditionally black movies don’t check overseas but I think this is a problem: the white people are usually paying for the black movies and that’s the reason you don’t get the right black movie. But when a black man is paying for it and making it and directing it, it should translate throughout the whole world, probably Mars too.
This #KanyeWest x #DamonDash collab is giving us life! #Kanye is designing exclusive merchandise for Damon Dash’s upcoming film, #HonorUp, and we can’t wait! Don’t forget to watch Damon’s films, Blakroc & We Went to China on https://t.co/4D4fExCd32!https://t.co/vnDAHxKjl8 pic.twitter.com/NEhgfFD4OT
— Urban Movie Channel (@WatchUMC) January 28, 2018
There’s a conversation happening now about Hollywood not supporting Black press. What’s your take on this?
Dame Dash: Well, I’m the type of person where I’m not worried or concerned about the way people treat me. It’s gon’ be about the way I treat them. No one let me into Hollywood and paid for my movie so I make my own movie. Because of our platform and the different platforms, we just need to stick together and make our own press and they’ll acknowledge us ‘cause they have to. But I don’t really care of they acknowledge us. I’m not worried about Hollywood. I’m in my own world. I’m worried about Damonwood. I’m never really concerned about what someone’s doing for me. I have too much pride to ask someone to help or to embrace. I ain’t trying to get into your house. I’mma just build my own. I’m not trying to play your game. I’m just going to make my own game and make my own rules. ‘Cause if you’re playing by someone else’s game you can’t get mad at their rules. It’s their house. I’m not trying to be one of those that get in and gets mad at the way I’m treated. I’ll just build my own and I’ll kick you out if you don’t want to abide by mine.
“Honor Up” arrives in select theaters and VOD Feb. 16.
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