Affion Crockett speaks on spoofing rappers in upcoming film: "They know that I do it out of love"
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On Wednesday (Jan. 31), Affion Crockett unveiled the official trailer for his upcoming film, A Hip Hop Story, which stars Damien Dante Wayans, Cedric The Entertainer, Lil Rel Howery, Wayne Brady and more. The movie, which premieres Feb. 23, gives a humorous take on the culture’s 50-year history, complete with parodies of several Hip Hop pioneers and current heavyweights. In addition to producing the film, Crockett himself impersonates several rappers and celebrities throughout, including Russell Simmons, Will Smith, Chris Rock, JAY-Z, Cornel West and Joe Budden.
On Thursday (Feb. 1), TMZ caught up with the comedian to ask him how many big names he imitated. “I don’t even know the full count. Maybe 12 to 14?” he said. “And I’m playing different legends throughout Hip Hop’s history… It’s a lot of different people.”
As far as if Crockett is concerned about criticism from some of those people, he responded, “No, they’re all posting it. Russell [Simmons] posted it on his page. Everybody loved it. I’ve been doing it for so long, they know that I show love to them. Even though it might be some joke being poked at ’em, they know that I do it out of love. And I’m a Hip Hop head, I’m an emcee.”
Notably, another cast member played a masked Kanye West. “It’s all love. If he gets mad, he gets mad, but I don’t care about him getting mad. He’s still a legend, I’ma always pay homage to him. I can’t monitor people’s sensitivities, but at the end of the day, it’s a love letter to Hip Hop and everyone who’s involved,” added Crockett when asked about Ye’s potential reaction.
While A Hip Hop Story is currently set for a limited theater release, the Fifty Shades of Black talent is open to expansion if the film is well-received. “We’re hoping we get a great streaming deal for it. It’s independently funded — I funded it myself and my boys put in some resources, too. This is fully independent. No big studios behind it, no big production companies behind it.”
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