Shawn Carter Movies
The sacred "Spirit Stick" has been stolen from Camp Rakhouta, threatening the very legacy of the prestigious camp unless the intrepid Fire Dragons can rise to the occasion and recover the priceless relic. Returning to his beloved Camp Rakhouta for what will likely be his last summer, York Hayes (Shawn Carter) makes it his mission to leave behind a legacy for his troop the Fire Dragons to follow. When the "Spirit Stick" goes missing, York spurs the Fire Dragons into action. Should they succeed in achieving their goal, the tradition of Camp Rakhouta will continue for generations to come. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
One of the biggest artists in hip-hop, rapper Jay-Z surprised fans in 2003 when he announced he would retire following the release of his hotly anticipated collection The Black Album. In November of 2003, not long after the album hit stores, Jay-Z staged a special show at New York City's Madison Square Garden, in which he performed alongside some of the most popular and influential acts in hip-hop and R&B, including R. Kelly, Beyoncé Knowles, Mary J. Blige, Missy Elliott, ?uestlove, Pharrell Williams, P. Diddy, and more. Billed as Jay-Z's final solo performance (though he would stage a collaborative tour with R. Kelly in the fall of 2004), Fade to Black is a concert documentary that captures both the action on-stage and the celebration behind the scenes; the film also features an inside look at the making of The Black Album. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jay-Z
Paid in Full marks the feature debut of director Charles Stone III, who rose to fame after creating Budweiser's "Wassup" commercials. The urban gangster drama is loosely based on the true story of 1980s Harlem drug kingpins AZ, Rich Porter, and Alpo. (This story was also the basis for a documentary, Game Over (Part 1).) Ace (Wood Harris) works at a laundromat, struggling to get by, while his friend Mitch (Mekhi Phifer) lives the high life selling heroin. His sister's boyfriend, Calvin (Kevin Carroll) also sells drugs, and looks down on Ace for struggling to earn a living. Out delivering laundry one day, Ace meets Lulu (Esai Morales), a big time coke dealer, who lives better than anyone Ace has ever known. When Lulu leaves some coke in the pocket of a coat he's having cleaned, Ace returns it to him, and Lulu rewards him for his honesty by letting him keep the drugs. When Calvin gets busted, Ace hesitantly takes his place in the neighborhood, and starts working for Lulu. As the crack business takes off, Ace finds himself making more money than he knows what to do with. Mitch goes to jail for a short time, where another inmate, Rico (rapper Cam'ron in his acting debut), defends him in a fight. By the time Mitch gets out of prison, Ace is running the neighborhood. Ace makes Mitch his right-hand man, and when Rico gets out of jail, he joins the crew. The drugs and money flow, and Ace tries to keep everyone happy, but there are some who want what's his, and will stop at nothing to get it. Paid in Full was shown at the 2002 Urbanworld Film Festival. ~ Josh Ralske, Rovi
- Starring:
- Wood Harris, Mekhi Phifer, (more)
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Portions of Content Provided by Rovi Corporation. 2013 Rovi Corporation.