Erykah Badu and MGK recently talked about their collaboration with screen writer and director Steven Caple Jr. for his highly praised film, The Land.
The Land, which debuted at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, tells the story of four teenage boys who devote their summer to escaping the streets of Cleveland, Ohio to pursue a dream life of professional skateboarding. But when they get caught in the web of the local “Queenpin,” their motley brotherhood is tested.
In the interview with A Drink With, the three sat down to discuss what it was like working on the film and how it was different than any project any of them had done before.
“It’s a different world,” Erykah Badu said, “Same place inside, but a different world outside. Performing is creating a moment, improvisation-it’s just you. With a film, it’s an ensemble cast in a divine love type of situation where we all have to do our part.
Screenwriter and Director Steven Caple also discussed how the film almost didn’t make it to Sundance due to the scheduling of when the film was slated to wrap up shooting and the festival’s deadline.
It was tough for us because we were still finishing the movie and Sundance said, “Do you guys think you can finish the film in time?” So, I’m calling everybody saying, “We gotta finish this movie; we don’t have any time. We have a month to do the rest of the editing, the music,” Caple said. “These guys came through at the last minute for music and stuff for the film. So I called my fiancé and we had a moment to just sit down and to be like, “Alright, cool. We got in.” That was the goal when I was here last year. Pitching a movie and being here with an amazing cast and crew is incredible.”
In addition to starring Erykah Badu and MGK, the film’s soundtrack was executive produced and also overseen by Nas, who brought it to Mass Appeal Records.
