Book Review: Seth Ferranti - The Supreme Team: The Birth of Crack and Hip-Hop, Prince's Reign of Terror and The Supreme/50 Cent Beef Exposed

Queens, New York has a storied Hip-Hop history.  It has produced some of the most popular and influential rappers of all time.  It also has another legacy, albeit one much darker.  During the 1980’s, it served as ground zero for New York City’s drug trade.  The Southside was a hotbed of activity, lorded over by a new generation of violent and ambitious hustlers.  The most fearsome and remarkable of this new breed was the fabled Supreme Team.  Headed by the charismatic Kenneth “Supreme” McGriff, the team set up shop in the Baisley Park housing projects, from which they instituted a reign of terror.  Their style and swagger left an impression on a generation of rappers, many of whom would take their crack game gospel worldwide.

Rider on the Storm: ‘The Road Warrior’ Celebrates its 30th Anniversary

Though the Western fell out of favor with audiences decades ago, the action genre has been faithfully carrying on its traditions ever since.  However, some action films aren’t satisfied with placing the archetypes and tropes of their forebears in a more modern setting.  Some filmmakers have gone so far as to create dystopian futures where the stories and images of the old west can thrive.  These imaginary landscapes functioned in much the same way as the western frontier of popular American myth.  The most famous and influential of these was writer/director George Miller’s Mad Max trilogy, the second entry of which proved to be revolutionary.  So effective was its presentation, that it arguably spawned its own sci-fi subgenre.  

LBP Stunts Chicago Pays Homage to ‘The Raid: Redemption’

Imitation is indeed the sincerest form of flattery, and the internet has made it easier to exhibit such tributes to the masses.  It used to be that the influence of an instant classic would take time to show up in popular culture.  Now, thanks to video sharing websites like YouTube, homages and imitations can show up in a matter of months, weeks, or even days.  LBP Stunts Chicago has taken full advantage of such resources, and frequently uses them to channel their various influences into a number of creative ventures.  They have recently done so with The Raid: Redemption, offering their take Gareth Evan’s martial arts masterpiece in less than 60 seconds.