Promoting their first independent film release What Now, Sumerian Records founder Ash Avildsen spoke with DX on recruiting Bone Thugs N’ Harmony and Ice T for roles.
Avildsen, who directs and stars in the romantic comedy about dating in the social media era, said the relationship with Bone Thugs N’ Harmony stems from his relationship with Bizzy Bone, who plays the role of B-Murda. Bizzy released Crossroads 2010 through Sumerian.
“I think Bizzy has a comical vibe to him, but he can also be serious,” Avildsen says. “He did a great job and it was really crazy doing the other scenes with Krayzie, Layzie and Flesh.”
There’s also a scene featuring a parody of Bone Thugs N’ Harmony’s breakout single “Thuggish Ruggish Bone,” which Avildsen proclaims as the moment his life came full circle. Longtime manager for the Cleveland-rasied, West Coast-based group, Steve Lobel, has a cameo as well.
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It also makes sense for Ice T to have screentime in What Now, as Sumerian released Body Count’s fifth album Manslaughter which featured a recorded version of the original “99 Problems.” According to Avildsen, he wanted to drop a little knowledge on the track and influential metal band.
“There’s a scene where Joseph Cassiere’s character Joey is talking to his girlfriend about it originally being an Ice T song before it became associated with Jay Z,” he says. “When they came out in ’92 with ‘Cop Killer,’ it’s like the edgiest shit there was. Nobody had seen that before, and even Rage Against The Machine were opening for them way back in the day.”
Avildsen says that Ice T was interested in playing a small role in the film after reading the script and was totally personable on set. “Some actors of his level have a level of pretentiousness, but he doesn’t have that at all or a holier-than-thou attitude,” he says. “Ice is the complete opposite.”
Avildsen hopes for What Now to grow outside of music and wanted to start with something that was inspired by Doug Liman’s 1996 film, Swingers. The next film in the pipeline will be modern-day rock drama When The Music’s Over.
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What Now is available on various video on demand services including iTunes and Google Play.
Watch the trailer below:
