In honor of the 20th
anniversary of ‘Menace II Society,’ I proudly present this multipart retrospective. The current chapter is posted below. To read the previous chapter, please click here. Thank you, and enjoy!
Chapter V: Gathering the Troops
The Tender Trio had gotten all of their ducks in a row. They now had a script, a star (in a
supporting role), and a studio. The
participation of Tupac Shakur ensured that Menace
II Society would be made in conjunction with New Line Cinema. It was the best deal the trio could hope for
at that time. However, there were early
signs of trouble. Tupac’s erratic
behavior was worsening by the day. The film’s
subject matter openly courted controversy.
When word of the project got around, other Black filmmakers tried to
sabotage it. The studio received a
number of angry calls. Though
undeterred, New Line was definitely cautious.
The brass decided that concessions had to be made. A plot thread involving female gangbangers
was excised. The molls in question would’ve
been charged with setting up “marks” for Caine and company when they jacked
cars. In order to give the film more “heart,”
Tyger Williams added a tearful reunion between Caine and Pernell in a penitentiary
visiting room. The changes appeased New
Line, but even bigger problems were looming just over the horizon.
Before cameras could roll, the other parts had to be
cast. Bay Area rapper Spice-1 was
reportedly in contention for the lead.
The role would ultimately go to Tyrin Turner, whom the Hughes Brothers “discovered”
on an episode of America’s Most Wanted (He’d already scored an unspoken part in Deep Cover). For O-Dogg, the Hughes Brothers had
envisioned a physically imposing brute.
They scrapped that idea after auditioning a baby faced Larenz Tate. Jada Pinkett was a regular cast member on the
primetime network sitcom A Different World. Her combination of cuteness and spunk landed
her the part of Ronnie. It didn’t hurt
that she was a childhood friend of Tupac’s, having met him when he lived in
Baltimore, MD.
 |
| MC Eiht |
Rapper MC Eiht (Frontman of the group Compton’s Most Wanted)
would play the hardened O.G. (Original Gangsta) A-Wax. Tyger William’s brother Ryan took the part of
college athlete Stacy. Samuel L.
Jackson, Bill Duke, and Charles S. Dutton Made cameo appearances, as did Ice
Cube’s female protégé Yo-Yo. In order to
supplement an already extensive list of cameos, the Hughes brothers made use of
their Bay Area connections. Too $hort
was cast as “Lew-Loc.” Pooh-Man, a
member of $hort’s “Dangerous Crew” collective at that time, appeared as the “Doc.” Battle rapper Saafir would be Caine’s cousin
Harold. Though the film would be shot on
location in South Central Los Angeles, Oaktown was most definitely in the
house.
That rap artists featured so prominently in Menace wasn’t simply “gimmick”
casting. Such performers played a key
role in establishing the film’s vision. Ice-T
and Ice Cube might’ve seemed like the more obvious choices at the time. They had become the “public face” of west
coast gangsta music, and were largely responsible for its growing popularity. They also lead to the charge in regards to “hood”
movies. New Jack City and Boyz n the
Hood helped pave the way for Menace, after all.
The “Ices” were undoubtedly essential to the west coast gangsta
movement. However, such high visibility might’ve
worked to the detriment of Menace. Too $hort, MC Eiht, Pooh Man, and Saafir were
of a different breed. The Hip-Hop press,
which exhibited a strong east coast bias in those days, largely ignored
them. Their albums often got released
with little fanfare or advance hype. Such
obstacles aside, each had developed a sizable following. By the time Menace went into production, Too $hort had two platinum and two
gold albums to his credit. Those
milestones were achieved quietly, and with little celebration by the
aforementioned Hip-Hop media. $hort and
his ilk were unsung heroes representing a silent majority (IE “The Hood”). That was the audience the Hughes Brothers had
in their crosshairs.
Menace was finally
ready to go in front of the cameras.
Everything appeared to be in order when Tupac descended on the
production like a hurricane. His erratic
behavior now played like a form of self-induced mania, or his own brand of
performance art. He immediately went
into his usual shtick, sending the cast and crew into hysterics. Jada Pinkett welcomed him with open
arms. Allen, who was charged with
coaching the actors, made the usual accommodations for his friend. However, he reasserted his authority when necessary.
Tupac’s antics threatened to derail the shoot. Allen instructed everyone not to respond to his
shenanigans. This eventually led to a
confrontation between the two. Things
took an ugly turn when Tupac misconstrued Allen’s smile (A nervous tic brought
on by tense situations) as a form of mockery.
Tupac squared off with Allen just before storming off the set. While leaving, he instructed Allen to call
his manager. Allen later reached out to
him, but his reconciliatory efforts proved fruitless. New Line eventually fired Tupac, awarded the newly
vacant role to Boyz n the Hood
alumnus Vonte Sweet. Shooting hadn’t
even begun, and Menace had already
lost its hottest commodity.
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