It leaves Q and Chuck getting settled into their apartment
Our scene picks up with Q in the kitchen and Chuck lounging in the living room
(Q places the last of some groceries and throws some bags into the recycling, he looks up to Chuck and asks)
"So what we getting into tonight, I know we ain't throwing no party."
(Chuck turns to him and replies)
"Huh?"
(Q continues.)
"Seriously we should celebrate our first night as room mates."
(Chuck sighs, he then proceeds to speak in a low tone.)
"Well, there is an open mic at this little club around the corner, for MC's and DJ's alike, I mean we could get into that if you want, but I don't know I'm kinda drained from moving."
(Q laughs, chuckling he says.)
"Man we didn't move anything, dude hop in the shower so we can get a move on."
(Q steps out the kitchen and looks at the crate by the door.)
"I gotta sort that crate for my set tonight."
(Chuck hops up then stretches he looks at Q, then speaks loudly.)
"Aight lets do this! I'm not going to be shy or anything."
(Q laughs a little, his room mate was shy, they both paused and then laughed. Q breaks the laughter.)
"Man you shyer then a turtle in its shell, hop in the shower so we can get this going. Do you even know what kicks you throwing on Chuck."
(Chuck looks up from laughter and chuckles even more.)
"A turtle in a shell, I thought you was from Chicago, ain't you supposed to be funny. And what kicks you think I'm throwing on, some black and white adidas shelltoes fool."
(Chuck walks to his bag full of shoes, pulls his favorite shelltoes out and grabs his jeans. He looks into the closet and yanks off a tee shirt with RUN DMC on it. He smiles, then turns to Q, without words Q gives him the thumbs up. Chuck starts towards the bathroom, he chucks the peace sign in the air and yells.)
"Be back in five minutes, dueces!"
(Q laughs and sits down, he slips off his slippers grabs his ankle socks and puts them on. He gets up and looks through his row of sneakers, he looks up and down the row of kicks. He looks down upon his shirt, its from the PHLI store back in Chicago, it's navy blue and light blue, a thought bubble forms over his head. His Slam City Skates, his SB Dunks he traded a couple of things he wished he had back. Yet these kicks were worth it. He walks over, he knows which kicks exactly he needs, he takes out the tissue out the shoe, slips his feet in and tucks his jeans behind the tongue. He looks up, then yells.)
"You done in there?"
(Chuck comes out of the bathroom, a cloud of steam lets out of the door, Chuck steps down, RUN DMC shirt, and his Adidas. He nods to Q and says.)
"Lets go man, lets go!"
(The two grab their things, Chuck his iPod, Q his crate of records. Chuck holds the door and waits for Q to leave out with his records, he then looks back at the camera before the scene concludes. He opens his mouth, but it isn't his voice, it's a dj sample scratch, from Gang Starr's "Just to get a rep." It says)
"And this is how the story goes."
(The scene fades as Gang Starr continues to play.)
Our last scene leaves off at the edge of the pre-climatic "Event"
In this so you say "screenplay"
Q chilled the night in a New Jersey hotel
With plans to wake up early and start out to New York to meet his room mate
And move in
Our scene starts with Q's Kanye West alarm at 6:00 AM
(The alarm clock sounds off with the sound of Kanye's voice)
"Good Morning"
(The music plays and Q taps his fingers to the beat, then he taps on the alarm. Q rolls over, falling right out of the bed. He picks his face off the hotel carpet, and lifts himself onto a nearby chair. His voice speaks and begins to narrate the scene.)
"Today is the day, New York here I come. Let me pack up this equipment, but I need to check these e-mails."
(Q, flips open the laptop, flips through his e-mail, facebook, hypebeast & highsnobiety, and then he proceeds to close it. He then puts his production equipment up in it's box. He opens his hotel door, the sun blinds him for a second. He holds his hand to eyes, his car sitting right in front of his room. Staring at his Civic, Q simply says...)
"Damn you need to be washed!"
(He goes back inside grabs his box and carries it the car, struggling he opens the passenger door. drops the box on the seat, then leans on the car. He peers into sky as the clouds cover the sun for a moment. He realizes he is minutes from what he is to become, He turns back to the room, and begins to walk to the door, he peers back to the car and then continues. He takes a quick shower, and returns to the room. He has laid out a Leaders 1354 tee shirt, his favorite cargo shorts, and he slips on his slippers so he get his sneakers. He strolls to the car, his morning thoughts have left him, there is no fear. He pops his trunks and it is lined with Nike Dunks, he peers for a second, then he sees what he wants. God Father/ Mafia Pack Hi's. He has a thing for SB Dunks. He's lucky his foot hasn't grown in the past 5 years. He as accumulated a disgusting amount, He could only grab 30 of them to fit in the trunk, hopefully he could have pops send the rest and he would have to put them into storage. He grabs the kicks and there is already a pair of ankle socks within them. Q has the thing for these type of details, like the papers in each vinyl case he has. There is a small sheet of paper in each one and it has times written on them, they are times of breaks of which he would sample. Q closes the trunk, sits on the edge of his car and puts on his kicks. He peers into the room for anything he has left, he takes his alarm clock, and his toiletry bag, and strolls back the car throws the stuff in the back of the car. He goes to the front desk and pays for the room. Then He comes back to the car, and sits in, he looks at the wheel, turns the key, Cool Kids starts to play. He begins to chuckle he says to himself aloud.)
"This can be me, New York here I come."
(He turns the key all the way the engine sound, and he closes his door. He pulls out of the lot and drives on. He gets on the Garden State Parkway, he takes route 3 to the Lincoln Tunnel. As he drives he flips to a cd he has been saving for this trip alone. He only burnt one song to this disc, he takes out the Cool Kids cd, and pops in the disc. The music floods from speakers and Billy Joel welcomes Q to the city.)
(He gazes and is amazed by the city, he peers out of his car window, like a tourist in a car, he looks up at the skyscrapers, the scenery shocks him, it isn't like Chicago, he continues to drive right into Times Square. The billboards and bright lights, he turns back around and heads for Canal St., towards the NYU Campus, his room mate and Q agreed to a small two room apartment. Lucky for Q, his room mate's parents are covering the apartment as long the two have a GPA of at least 3.0. He pulls up to building about two blocks from the campus, outside on a luggage bag is a kid, lanky with a hat that belonged on a old man. Yet as Q pulled up slowly, he felt a vibe that he only got from those who worked with music in any type of way. As he pulls up completely he notices a sign on the neck of the kid. It read...)
"What the hell is a Q."
(Q actually chuckles, he steps out the car looks the kid on the bag says in a brooklyn accent...)
"Man what you looking at b, I mean you don't know who I am. But I am having house party later, me and my room mate. You could come you know
(He mumbles under his breath.)
"Wherever he is."
(Unfortunately for our kid that is not named, Q heard him. He smartly replies.)
"Oh really? A house party, well I just drove all the way from Chicago, and I'm not about to let my room mate throw some bogus house party. I mean unless you know some girls or something?"
(The kid looks up in amazement, he says his name with a sense of I know who you are...)
"My name Charles Stone, and no I'm not like this all the time. My father said to make a good impression on the guy he's also paying for to live with his son. Actually I don't talk this much, well unless I'm on stage."
(Q cuts him off quickly.)
"Wait stop the presses what some shy dude doing on a stage."
(Charles looks back at him blankly, like what.)
"Well excuse me famo, I produce, and if you got any type of money like ya pops we need to holla. Hell just I'm trying to get my name out, put it like this I'll hit you with the five piece, thats five beats extra mild sauce."
(Charles is taken a back, you know kids in Brooklyn don't talk like this, he says...)
"What did you say Q."
(Q realizes what he said, he some what thinks he is still in Chicago, he trys again.)
"What I said, oh what I meant was, you being my room mate, I'll hit you with 5 great beats free of charge."
(Charles looks shocked, he murmurs.)
"You produce?"
(Q smiles, he doesn't even speak a word at first. He turns and points to the car, which is full of crates upon crates. Charles looks into the car from where he is sitting, he softly speaks again.)
"Damn! But do you dj?"
(Q chuckles, he knows he is no Kid Capri, yet he has learned a little something locked in his room for days. He replies...)
"Yeah, a little bit."
(Charles looks in a bit of hope, maybe this is the start of something great, he says out of the silence.)
"Well Q, we got all the furniture already in, we just have to move in our stuff. But it seems like I should bring up my stuff first, all that stuff you have this is going to be a project with all of those crates."
(Q looks at his one bag, what he had failed to notice is the two LARGE bags behind him. Q points to them, Charles looks up, he begins to speak, yet Q cuts him off.)
"Dude for one, I'm calling you Chuck. Charles sounds like the old white guy that smokes a pipe in a robe. Two, what the hell are in those extra bags, dude are those extra room mates I don't know about."
(Charles then answers back...)
"Alright then call me Chuck, and bag one."
(Chuck points to the bag behind him to the left.)
"That would be sneakers, I mean I'm in one of the best cities to collect them, and I do wear mine, but that bag oh my."
(Chuck points to the other bag.)
"My collections."
(Q looks puzzled and replies.)
"Collections, of what?"
(Chuck wisely replies.)
"Baseball and basketball cards, and toys. You know action figures type things, but this bag is a little heavy, there is a four foot companion in here."
(Q looks weirdly, and says.)
"Dude just do that in the other room, I mean you didn't say that you knew any girls."
(Chuck burst out laughing, through the laughs he says.)
"I mean my KAWS four foot companion. I'll show you when we get moved in."
(Still looking at all of the luggage, Q looks puzzled he pipes in.)
"Hey! So we're moving all this stuff in ourselves?"
(Chuck laughs at Q, he flexes his skinny muscles and points to their room on the fifth floor, and then shakes his head. He then proceeds to take out his cell phone, he flips it open dials the number, and holds it to his ear.)
"Yeah pops, Quincy is."
(Q taps Chuck on the shoulder and whispers.)
"Since we're on the shortened name basis just call me Q."
(Chuck looks at him then mutters into the phone.)
"Quincy said just call him Q. Yeah I know it's a letter not a name..."
(Chuck is making faces as he bickers with his father.)
"Just send the movers dad, we're waiting outside, and call the good ones, this kid has a nice vinyl collection."
(Chuck closes the phone, and turns to Q.)
"The movers should be here in five minutes."
(The two sit on Chuck's luggage trunks placed by Q's car. Chuck turns to Q and says.)
"So how did you start, and why do you produce?"
(A small smile comes to Q's face and he begins.)
"Well when I was little, while kids were going to the candy store. I went to the record store, my first record is Funky Drummer. As I got older I saw the technology that I could use to make my own music. I taught myself how to DJ, I did some high school parties. I taught myself how to sample, I listened to Gang Starr and payed close attention to DJ Premier, and I most definitely have re-visited all of my A Tribe Called Quest albums. But really I listen to soul, or basically anything I would sample, so it's not that I'm making a rap song beat. Naw never that, I'm making music. Do you think Marvin Gaye was making soul music? No he was making music, what spoke to him at the time he expressed it. I'm just expressing myself, of what I see. Yet you're one of those rich kids, you haven't seen struggle like mine, life doesn't come easy. I got an alcoholic dad, who is stuck to the couch. A mother who died right after my birth, so I all I have of her, is my dad's sob stories and a picture. But music lets me escape any type of hurt, music bleeds and cries, and it lets you do the same."
(Chuck is taken aback, he is almost teary eyed. In the world of the privileged, he has never seen anyone with that passion for what they love. Only ties and suites, and men who find comfort behind money. Chuck realizes this is going to be his medicine, his dose of the real world. Still in shock, he can only say.)
"Wow! I need a kleenex, I have so much appreciation for what you do without even hearing anything of yours. If you put 5% of that heart of yours in the music, you'll go somewhere."
(A large truck pulls up, men hop out and the boss who is short and stocky, wobbles over like a penguin. He is the only one not in clothes suitable to move bags. He checks his clipboard and looks at Chuck and Q. He asks.)
"Charles Stone and Quincy Miles?"
(The both nod their head quietly, the boss penguin continues.)
"Alright step aside and let my guys do what they've been paid to do, you're apartment should be ready in a sec."
(Chuck and Q get off the luggage, and proceed to lean on Q's car, Q turns to Chuck and simply asks.)
"So why do you MC?"
(Chuck eyes light up, as a shy person when asked about something he doesn't shy away from he is keen to tell.)
"Why you ask? Well aside being the only black kid in my classes at private school. I was always a poet. Before my dad got into the high life, his father was a poet, revolutionary at that. He wrote poetry during the Civil Rights Movement. Before he passed, he taught me the true strength of a word. He taught me that what you say has a global effect, and that the pen is much mightier then any sword or weapon. Seeing that, I wanted to express myself in that same matter, so I used poetry. It went from writing third grade poems to realizing the power of words in an instant. One of my friends saw how deeply I was into my poetry and asked me to do a spoken word bit at an open mic. I went out, yet I was still shy. It went alright, but I could tell I let some people down. They were expecting this confident voice, but it just didn't come out. After the crowd parted someone told me I had a great voice, I just needed the proper way to express it. I then learned the power of how you speak your words. I could say shut up, but depending on how I said it, I could be mad at you or joking. Dude gave me a card, on it was an address to a studio. I mean as corny as it sounds, the moment I stepped into the booth, every shy bone in my body let go of my inhibitions. I felt empowered to speak in a way that I could hide any part of myself. I just feel free, now I may have had some help because of who my father is, but I am my own man. I guess this is also why I've gone so opposite of my father."
(Chuck and Q look at each other, they realize this is the beginning of a great friendship, our scene slowly fades with the boss shouting that their apartment is ready. Concluding our epic scene.)
Our last scene ends on a high note with Q leaving his buddies in Philly
And sets up the next scene as Q is heading with his head high to New Jersey
It's Tuesday afternoon, partly cloudy and Q is in the suburbs of Newark
He rooms in some little hotel room, he takes from the car a couple of records and the rest of his equipment
He uses the inspiration of his road trip, the hard working, the impoverished, the new, the old, and the unbelievable
He quickly peeks through his records, and looks for a record that will optimize the life of the city, the ups and downs
Not a regular record to sample, but something with soul
He sifts through a couple records
Then he finds it
Bobby Womack, not the Women's Gotta Have It record no we'll save that for later
But Across 110th Street is the one for this scene as his eyes light up for this short scene it begins
(Aloud yelling)
"Doing what I can to survive!"
(He places the needle at the certain samples in the song, and he is jumpy, his mood is anxious. He knows he is near what he is meant for. A conveyor of music through his grass roots of soul, funk, jazz, and rock. The record continues to play in the background he nods his head. A series of images of the cities he has driven through, his hometown, Columbus, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and Philadelphia. He has seen some things that would affect him for the rest of his life, things that further motivate him with his music. As Sly and the Family Stone said "Everybody is a Star." As the imagery changes from city to city and you see the children of the city, and the struggle, the 110th Street fades into Sly's Everybody is a Star. Showing with the proper education and motivation, everyone can be a star.)
Last scene leaves off with your main man Q riding off into the darkness
Starting the journey to NYC
It's the beginning of a wonderful Sunday afternoon
It's only a fourteen hour drive
His apartment is going to ready for him Friday
But Q wanted an early start
He had to make a stop in Philly
And not for a cheesesteak
He has tickets for a Jill Scott concert in a Philly jazz lounge
And our scene starts with our homie Q arriving in the City of Brotherly Love
(As Q pulls up next to Love Park, kind of hard to find a park. He finally settles into a park just outside a no-parking zone. He pulls up right outside the lounge, but it's still early. This part of the scene will showcase the city of Philadelphia from downtown to the hood. Q has managed to pass time with walking the streets of Philly. Our scene starts with Q in front of the club on the phone, calling his cousin that lives here.)
"James, where you at, you better not be stuck over there with Bob and Otis."
(The voice on the other end of the line chuckles and replies in a soulful voice.)
"Naw man we're in the car and we can see that busted Civic, just full of crates upon crates of records."
(As the roll closer into their park, James sees Q and the voice on the phone grows louder.)
"Man I see yo simple behind!"
(James, Otis, and Bob step out the car. James and Otis are Q's cousins, Q grew up with them up to the age of 7. That's when they're mother and father split and their mother moved out to Philly, by the time school started they were gone. So when they got news that Q would be rolling through they couldn't pass. Now Bob was this soulful white boy from the suburbs, his parents wanted him to be more grounded, so they moved into James and Otis' neighborhood. Bob ended up starting a jazz band with James and Otis, with Bob on the keys their friend Max on the drums and Otis and James on the vocals. James closes the phone and greets his cousin with a hug. Otis pipes in...)
"Long time no see fam, let's skip all the love, lets leave that for the park, I didn't want to see you I want to see my woman."
(Bob daps Q, and tells him.)
"I'm on the keys, and you're cousin has a thing for Jill."
(Otis behind them pipes in.)
"Who doesn't?!!?"
(The rat pack enters the club and Jill is starting into her set. The serene crowd is silent over the hush tones of Jill's silky voice. She serenades the crowd for an hour and says in her magnificent voice.)
"Thank you."
(The rat-pack emerges from the club laughing and enjoying themselves. They all sadly realized it's time for Q to leave. Otis breaks the laughter.)
"Man it's about that time, I know you can't be late it's round bout midnight. Me and the Rat Pack has a gig in Brooklyn on Saturday, we'll see you there man keep you're head up."
(Q with a smile.)
"Alright fam, see yall, in NYC. I'm going to crash in a hotel in NJ then drive up to the apartment in the afternoon, it'll give me a day to get uh... you know acquainted. All I know is that, the person is a fellow student at NYU. But that's it we'll see, you guys will get the text, peace and one love people."
(The rat-pack and Q disperse, Q heads back to the car and he sees the Rat Pack veer off into the night. Q feels almost as though his journey is near complete, but Aretha is still in his thoughts. Our scene is completed by an overtone of Jill Scott as Q is driving, the lights are flashing by him as the night draws darker and the Jill becomes louder. New Jersey meet Quincy.)
Last scene ends with Quincy starting his journey to NYC
But Quincy has to make some last stops
He has to see some friends before he leaves
Our scene starts with Quincy pulls up to his lifelong friend
Aretha, he has known her since pampers, she is moving to California
She is actually packing her car as he pulls up
(Hopping out of the car out of breath, Q pleads his case to Aretha)
"Aretha, you didn't pick up your phone. You know I leave today..."
(Aretha turns around arms folded, with an ATTITUDE)
"Is that supposed to mean something!?!?!"
(Aretha stands there arms still folded, Q has a blank face, there is an awkward silence, then Aretha slowly cracks a smile)
"You big dummy, I'm not mad at you!
(Q breathes a sigh of relief, Aretha continues)
I'm going to miss you, you already know that. But lets not get teary eyed, this is sample make-up. I have something for you, I know you're going to appreciate it."
(Q's eyes light up, he has something to say but he can't, he is now seeing Aretha in a different way, as Aretha turns into the car hides her present behind her back.)
"Now I had to do some soul searching for this one, and some favors I'll regret. You should see how dirty someone's toilet is. Anyway check it out."
(Aretha pulls from behind her back, a vinyl case it containing the one record Q could not find, he's been searching high and low. Freda Payne- And It's Yours To Have. Aretha hands it to him and says)
"Open it there's something else in it."
(Q gently opens the case and looks in the case, and is shocked in amazement, he looks at Aretha and says.)
"No you didn't"
(Aretha nods her head)
"Oh yes I did."
(Q continues.)
"Our first valentine card, from kindergarten. You kept this."
(Q digs deeper and is even more shocked, he pulls up a small silver chain with a silver puzzle piece as the pendant.)
"It has a Q on it..."
(Aretha unveils hers and untucks her chain from her shirt, and explains the pendant.)
"Mine has an A on mine, so no matter how far apart we are we'll be connected. Eighteen years in Chi with each other, you're not getting rid of me. I love you Q."
(Q is taken aback and turns to his car, Aretha thinks he is going away she screams)
"No!"
(Q turns around with a vinyl, Aretha stops immediately, and says.)
"What's this?"
(Q teary eyed responds.)
"It's your favorite record, Aretha Franklin-One Step Ahead. You were always one step ahead of me. Look inside there's something for you too."
(Aretha takes the record, and takes a look inside, shocked she pulls out a small gold chain.)
"You always had a sense of humor. It say respect. You knew the kids on the playground used to always tease me about my name when I was little and sing that song whenever I walked by."
(All Q could do is smile, he looked at her and then she looked at him. They stepped into one another and embraced, expressing love deeper then one could imagine bonded by a lifelong relationship, that is sealed my musical powers. Aretha pulled back a little and whispered.)
"You're going to be late."
(Q looked at her, and smiled, he simply said.)
"See you at the top kiddo."
(Q ran to the car, he had one more stop before his journey. He hopped in the car and rolled down the window. He shouted out to Aretha.)
"I love you girl!"
(Aretha replied back.)
"Boy, I love you too!"
(Quincy pulls off teary eyed, knowing he is going to miss that girl. But in his heart he knows that they will meet again. Now he has to move on there isn't much time. Next is his main man Ray. Ray is deaf without a hearing aid, but to listen to music, he takes off the aid and feels the vibration coming out his speakers. Q wanted to drop off his key to his house. Ray was the one person Q could trust. Q pulls up to the house and and steps out, Ray is sitting on top of a speaker at the foot of his porch stairs. Ray lifts his head, puts his hearing aid in. He says to Q.)
"You know sometimes I feel like the old men with the big hearing horns to their ear. But without the aid, I feel as though I can hear a different way. I feel the vibration of sound waves and from that I can tell what it would sound like. If I took it off right now and hear you speak, I could feel the pain in your voice. Man just hand me the keys before my neighbors think you made the nice deaf kid next door cry."
(Q looks at him and says back.)
Dude you crazy, what if I knocked the nice deaf kid from next door the hell out. And how many times do I have to tell you not to play the deaf kid card, you hear better then me. C'mon you feel music."
(Q starts to laugh, and so does Ray, he motions for the keys. Q tosses him the keys, and sits on the speaker. Ray turns to tell him.)
"I wouldn't do that."
(Q is puzzled)
"Why not?"
(Ray replies.)
"The drum solo and bridge is coming up."
(Q hops up quickly. Yet the speakers actually gets softer, Ray chuckles and says.)
"You always fall for that one, I mean I'm deaf, you're gonna be gullible, but DAMN!"
(Q replies.)
"I'm bout to leave and you play that, same old Ray, man thanks for being my brother."
(Ray's tone turns serious, he speaks)
"So this is it... for now. You know I'm coming to New York to tag some spots. I'll give you a call when I get into town."
(Ray steps to Q and they hug, and Ray whispers.)
"Dude get off me I don't want the neighbors to think the nice little deaf kid next door is gay."
(Q quickly lets go and says.)
"Aight fam, give me a call when you're on your way see you at the top kiddo."
(Q walks to the car, as he steps in he rolls down the window, and yells out to Ray.)
"I know you hear me, dude I gotcha see you soon!"
(Q pulls off, Ray clutches the keychain, takes off his hearing aid and sits on the speaker, with his hands firmly on the speaker and the scene fades to back.)
Last scene ends with Quincy going to work on a Ramsey Lewis sample
He explains in the scene how it's time for him to pack his vinyls
The last scene ends on a thursday, he leaves on Sunday.
Our scene today picks up Sunday morning, Q's bags are packed and he has taken his first vinyl off the wall.
And this is where the scene starts
(Quincy takes the last vinyl off the shelf, and stares in amazement)
"Wow, the first one. My first vinyl, this is what started it, a dollar for a record back when I was little. I brought this home and dad bugged out. He told me...
(Flashback to when Quincy was 7, and his dad grabbing the record when Q, stepped through the door)
"Boy this record older then you, what you know about James Brown."
(Quincy replies scared)
"I liked it when I heard it at the shop, the music spoke to me."
(Miles looks back in amazement)
"Just like your mother, talking about "The music is talking to me." Both you guys are crazy, but go ahead keep buying records."
(Comes back to Q, putting the record away in the car, Miles is taking Q the last of his stuff, and Miles says to him aloud)
"Funky Drummer, that was the first one, that record always played when you did your homework. That was your way of telling me you were doing your work. Do you still want your first turntable? It's a technics, I mean it's a little dusty, it's still hooked up to the mixer too."
(Miles points to it, on the coffee table, right next to the picture of Q's mother. Quincy turns and says.)
"Mom would want me too leave it, play the record she had for me the day I was born. Dad are you going to be okay with me leaving?"
(Miles chuckles)
"Boy, I wouldn't be okay if you didn't leave, get out of this house, see the country. There is so much more then the southside of Chicago. I need you to do this for not me but for your mom. Did I tell you what she was going to be after she had you?
(Quincy shakes his head no, but in his mind he already knows the answer, he turns like he is grabbing something out of the car, and mouthes the words as his father continues)
"A flight attendant, she was going to take you all around the world Q, but now you have the chance to make that dream come true. Alright it seems like we're all packed here, do you have enough vinyls?"
(Miles is laughing pointing to the backseat, which is filled with crates, from the car floor up, there was little glimpse to the back window. Quincy laughs, just like his father.)
"I think so I mean there's no room in the trunk, that's filled with well more crates, and sneakers."
(Both father and son laugh and then there is a pause. Quincy breaks the silence)
"I guess pops, this is goodbye for now, I'm definitely coming back for holidays, I know Auntie cooking, and make sure you tell Granny and Big Pops I love them."
(Q, is teary eyed, and now turns to his father. Miles looks back, two men so close yet so far. The father and son embrace each other. As they let go, James Brown's Funky Drummer plays. Q opens the car door and looks back, Miles nods and Q looks with a sense of accomplishment. Knowing his journey has only begun, and the screen fades to black.)
Last scene ended with Quincy dropping the needle on the record
The record being Thelonious Monk Round Bout Midnight
This scene starts with Quincy opening his door to his room and this is were the scene starts
(Quincy opens the door, and all along the walls are shelves upon shelves of records. Quincy can't recall the time where he can actually see his wallpaper. The camera pans to his desk, a turntable, a mac book, which he worked a whole six months at burger king for. The most grueling six months ever for a vegetarian. Next to that was his coveted MPC 5000 he won in a beat competition, back then he was using a MPD24. Aside his set up were the walls and walls of vinyls)
(Quincy narrating)
"This is where the magic happens, well musically. I guess when you lock your self in your room doing five beats a day for three summers. There won't be much time for girls, hopefully college will be different. I guess good grades translates into a scholarship to where ever you want. And so I can be close to where I want to be, I chose NYU.
(He lays down his backpack and turns to a sweater on his bed)
"I mean the colors not my style, but I'll have my mans from down the street tag it a lil, and make it one of a kind. My stuff is already packed I leave this weekend, all that is left is taking down these vinyls. Pops been using my crates for his beer, damn. I guess he really is hurt, I hope the fam can take care of him when I'm gone.
(Puts on the sweater over his shirt, grabs a vinyl off the shelf)
This is...
(Flips it towards himself)
Oh yeah!
(Turns back towards the camera)
Ramsey Lewis, the song is Les Fleurs. I put on the sweater to simulate what it will be like in NY, trying to make it feel like home as much as possible. I never been anywhere except Disney Land, but that was before pops started to drink, I was like two or something. Yet that's beside the point. I love the piano in this song it's so soulful, my pops used to play jazz, when I was little. So when Tribe and De La used elements of jazz in hip hop, I fell in love with hip hop. It wasn't until I got my first Gang Starr record that I wanted to make beats, I started off with basic equipment but I have built experience, and here we are now.
(Quincy goes into placing the record on the turntable and you hear the melody, and you see Quincy going to work. The screen fades to black as the record comes to an end.)
Gravitating towards the love story within a movie involving music
Our movie opens with our main male protagonist
I've finally came up with a name for him
Quincy Miles
His father is Dizzy Miles
Our opening scene opens with "Q'" walking down his street
It's the last day of school
He's walking with the book, The Autobiography of Malcolm X
He's also walking with a vinyl in a brown paper bag clutched tightly under his arm
The vinyl is Thelonious Monk, Round Bout Midnight
Opening Narration (Quincy's voice as he is walking)
"This is a normal day, book at nose vinyl in hand. All four years, all year round, and through all weather, rain, sleet, snow." (As he approaches his house)
"This is where I live, short and simple, not much to explain. Just as someone told me, It's what on the inside that counts. For that person, they've never seen my house." ( He walks the steps and then turns around before opening the door)
"The book is for the mind, the vinyl, this right here is stimulating the soul. See there are studies that show that music stimulates the mind and certain activities are done better to music. Me I enjoy putting smiles on faces with my music. And by my music... well I'll show you. ( Quincy turns and opens the door, he looks inside the lights are dim. He peers into the darkness. The living room smells of beer. He turns up the dial of the lights, Quincy makes out a man in a chair surrounded by empty cans of beer, Miles' eyes open and peers to Quincy, with a look that says "I may have failed you as a father, but you have made something of yourself." Miles looks at a picture to his left to a small coffee table, the picture contains Miles' wife holding Quincy right after his birth. Miles turns to Quincy once more)
"You know you have her eyes? Every time I look into her picture I see you. It shames me with grief to this chair."
(Quincy replies)
"You know it's been eighteen years? I mean we've had this talk before. No one is going to walk through this door. But I'll save the drama for after I leave pops. I love you and you know where I'll be."
(Miles looks back)
"Yes I do son, you know it's not good to lock yourself in that room"
(Quincy inquires)
"Music is good for the soul you know? When is the last time you listened to a record?"
(Miles says)
"Yeah but so is fresh air. Yet you are right, I remember the song that played when I first laid eyes on your mother it was..."
(Quincy cuts him off, holding up his new record)
"Round Bout Midnight, Thelonious Monk, you laid eyes on her in a jazz club and the rest is history, Which is history we plan not to live in"
(Miles implies)
"Right young man, you listen to your old man, I'll let you go, but play that record for me"
(Miles points to the turntable, Quincy replies)
"Consider it done old man"
(Quincy takes the vinyl out the bag and out the case he places the case in a stack of other cases. He places the vinyl onto the turntable, and drops needle on the record and walks to his room. Miles taps his toes and cracks open another beer.)
The scene concludes
As for my day I hooped with Geno down at the church
I'm chilling watching 25th Hour A Spike Lee Joint Edward Norton is really good in it I'm really souped for this Saturday Hopefully if all things fall through I will be at Rock The Bells July 19th I'm really trying to keep myself contained And trying to find things to write about As a "summer nerd" That finds boredom within the house And that doesn't do much unless I really want to You won't see me move with too much gusto It's summer for christ sake But yesterday's topic was envisioning myself as a sneaker Turned out as a good exercise I'm thinking about what to write about And as I watch one of my favorite directors depict a drug dealer In his last hours before his trip to jail with his friends I wonder what would be my movie How would I direct it Who would do the soundtrack Who would star in it So off the top of my head In my mind this is how it would start Not any dialogue, just a background for a movie
The movie starts as a kid is carrying a book in one hand and a vinyl under the other He comes home It smells of liquor His father was out again Today's book a senior yearbook The vinyl is Quincy Jones, Summer In the City Outside is a beat up 1990 Honda Civic, his baby He's been saving up for his big trip As he enters his house his father is in a Lazy-Boy with beer cans around his chair And on the table beside him Is a photo, of him, his son, and his mother that died after his birth It has been eighteen years But his father has been through ups and downs Our main protagonist sales beats to keep the lights on He's leaving soon though For college and to achieve his dreams to produce music professionally Movie takes place in New York, loosely around NYU That's where the main protagonist would be A kid fresh out of high school from Chicago ( What I'm biased) Aspiring producer Equipped with a vinyl collection, a laptop, turntable, a mpc, and the rest of his producing equipment He's an old soul His roomate is an aspiring rapper Born and raised in queensbridge His parents writers Him a good kid who followed by the rules And became very, very, VERY intellectual But he has become so involved with his academics He is losing his social skills And most importantly losing his mic skills Yet our main protagonist pulls him up before he falls into a down spiral into a place of uncertainty A place where his dreams would fade And the rising conflict would be him fitting our main protagonist into new surroundings That's where he finds love Where of all places? A record shop Nestled in the streets of Harlem Our main protagonist has this thing for the Harlem Renaissance He has dreams where he sits aside Langston Hughes And Going to school with Miles Davis, chilling with Dizzy He bumps into a young female who is picking up a Thelonious Monk vinyl It is love at first sight They exchange info One day he invites her to see what he does They meet in Central Park He brings his equipment in his little beat up car he drove from Chicago in He goes early so he can find a park He is inspired by the sunrise And has his muse for the day He meets with our female protagonist And thus launching the movie into our typical love story Only he becomes popular through his production And girls that get word of mouth just want his money He has thoughts of risking it all and leaving school The female protagonist is hurt She wants him to stay in school By now she knows his struggling story His mother died due to complications shortly after his birth All he has left of her is a picture of him in her arms the moment after birth And a vinyl collection He grew up in the inner city Often teased for having his nose in his books and a vinyl under his arm everyday after school But now he is becoming to big-headed and his dreams are becoming more then him The female protagonist keeps him grounded Once he realizes his love for her The movie concludes with they're wedding Then it ends with a kid walking down Sedgwick and Cedar Ave. A book in his left hand close to his face A vinyl under his right arm
Main Male protagonist- I see Evan Ross for this The room mate- Mos Def Main Female Protagonist- a toss-up between Lauren London or Kerry Washington The other characters will be filled in as the rest of black Hollywood But most importantly the father will be played by- Denzel Washington He would be great in the first twenty minutes of the film as the father That is stricken by his wife's death and becoming an alcoholic Evan Ross would be golden in a role that shows much depth Mos Def could reach from his performance in Brown Sugar to portray an struggling MC The main female protagonist depending on who it is could be pivotal If Lauren London, she can finally be in a role that shows off her acting chops And Kerry Washington could be top notch in this role
Wow I'm surprised about how this turned out It's just my mind at work Maybe I'll write a scrpit
