The
life of best-selling author Kody "Monster" Scott is coming to the big
screen. Bay
area rapper Saafir will portray Scott in the Billy Wright-directed film, titled
Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop. Scott
chronicled his life as a child and young adult growing up in Los Angeles as an
Eight-Tray Crips gang member in the book Monster: The Autobiography of an L.A.
Gang Member
from prison. Hewill narrate the feature via footage of him shot over the years.In
addition to Saafir, who was in the 1993 Hughes Brothers drama Menace II Society,
former Death Row Records rapper the Lady of Rage will appear in Can’t Stop,
Won’t Stop, as Scott’s mother Birdie Scott. The
role marks a return to film for the female rapper, who also after appeared in
the film Next Friday.For
Wright, Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop, will serve as a fitting tribute to his
friend Scott."In
the realm of Hip-Hop culture, Kody is an iconic figure," Wright said. "He
is the ‘American Gangster’ of our generation. As a personal friend of Kody’s,
this is a project we envisioned years ago. I owe it to him to not only complete
it, but to continue to give him a voice. With a 6th grade education, Kody taught
himself in prison, just like Malcolm X, and then went on to write a best selling
novel. He is a role model for how to live and how not to live. His real life encapsulates
what Hip-Hop imagery is all about."Despite
the acclaim he received from the book, Scott has encountered legal trouble. The
author, also known as Sanyika Shakur, was arrested Mar. 7, after being listed
as one of the Los Angeles Police Department’s and the FBI’s "Top 10 Most
Wanted Gang Members."Still,
Wright believes his film will resonate with moviegoers by bringing Scott’s novel
to life."I
fee, I will represent the book visually. With Kody as narrator, the story becomes
even more compelling."One
person influenced by Scott, who saw his gang experience first hand, is his son
Lil Monster (born Sanyika Kashir Shakur Scott)."Seeing
my father once portrayed a negative life, I vowed that I would always bring a
positive light to the entertainment business and my family name," said Lil
Monster, who is working with rapper Lil Sneak on an album to be released this
year. "Living
in the new millennium and being surrounded by gang activity, I feel that I can
bring unity between all my peers," Lil Monster said.Lil
Monster’s first album with Lil Sneak is titled The Come Up. "This
album is based on our dad’s lifestyles and what we want to tell others about those
experiences. The second movement is a film also called, The Come Up. We
believe that because both of us were raised by fathers who were gang members and
how we learned to survive in a negative atmosphere, that we have a message as
young adults that is positive and constructive. We will send that positive message
in our lifestyle and careers."
