Does Idlewild got that swing, or ain't got that swing?

Set in Prohibition-era Georgia, 1930s, Idlewild portrays the story of two childhood friends going in completely different directions. Percival—played by André 3000—is a quiet, introverted church pianist who dreams of playing bigger stages, and then there's Rooster, Big Boi's character, running the hottest speakeasy in town, the Idlewild club, dealing with gangsters and all the chaos that comes with it. It's a story about friendship, dreams, and survival —all set to an OutKast soundtrack in a glittering, dangerous Jazz Age world. 

Topics discussed:

📸 A quick snapshot of this bold musical experiment

🎤 Where this fits in the hip hop canon

🎞️ Fun facts about this cult classic

💥 The impact this film had on hip hop cinema

😱 Fan reaction then and now

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Hip Hop Movie Club is produced by your HHMCs JB, BooGie, and DynoWright. Theme music by BooGie.

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This is Hip Hop Movie Club, the show for serious hip hop fans who want to deepen their

cultural knowledge.

2

We've watched over 75 hip hop themed films.

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And in this episode, we will tell you if Idlewild got that swing or ain't got that swing.

4

We'll give you a quick snapshot about the film, talk about where it fits in the hip hop

canon, a few fun facts, what kind of impact this film had, and what fans said about this

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movie.

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Set in Prohibition-era Georgia in the 1930s, Idlewild portrays a story of two childhood

friends going in completely different directions.

7

Percival, played by Andre 3000, is a quiet, introverted church pianist who dreams of

playing bigger stages.

8

And there's Rooster, Big Boi's character, running the hottest speakeasy in town, the

Idlewild Club, dealing with gangsters and all the chaos that comes with it.

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It's a story about friendship, dreams, and survival, all set to an OutKast soundtrack in a

glittering, dangerous jazz-age world.

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Let's kick this one off talk about the cast.

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Obviously, Andre 3000 big boi headline this one, but there's a lot of other big name stars

in this one.

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Boogie, you want to take us through a couple of those.

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Yeah, so talk about some of the notable cast members that have actually appeared in some

of our previous discussed Films.

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Actually, you know, one of the headliners, Big Boi popped off ATL.

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We saw Paula Patton, who starred in, co-starred Just Right with Queen Latifah and Common.

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Terrence Howard.

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popped through a couple of movies, mainly Hustle and Flow.

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And he also had a small role in Get Rich or Die Trying.

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We saw Malinda Williams, who was in The Wood, Paula Jai Parker, who appeared in a few

movies.

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Hustle and Flow, Don't Be a Menace in South Central by Drinking your Juice in The Hood,

Tales from the Hood, and Friday.

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And we saw Jackie Long, who appeared in ATL and Bodied. And we saw Bill Nunn.

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who starred Do the Right Thing and New Jack City.

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Then there's a couple of others that, names that popped off in here as well.

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We've seen singer Macy Gray, who played the character of Taffy.

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We had Faizon Love, who played Sunshine Ace.

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There was a comedian, well known comic circle, Bruce Bruce, had a very small role, but he

played a guy named Nathan who worked at the club with the real.

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Angel, who's a character in the movie, Ving Rhames, played Spats.

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This guy, we didn't see him on camera, but his voice was there, Fonzworth Bentley.

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He played the voice of the flask that Rooster carried around.

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Then we have three legends, Ben Vereen well-known, well-accomplished actor who played

Percival Sr.

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We have...

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the legendary Patti LaBelle, she played the real Angel.

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And we had a small cameo by the legendary Cicely Tyson, played Mother Hopkins, who had a small role in the film, but her actions actually ended up saving one of our main characters in

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the movie.

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You mentioned Faizon Love, Worm from Friday. Big Worm. I don’t know how I forgot that.

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Oh no, no, of course, that’s a given. Yeah.

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I love his character, in Elf also.

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He's the store manager. He’s hilarious in Elf.

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No, I love that one.

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Love that one.

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Oh yeah, so this is star-studded cast for sure.

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the director, Bryan Barber.

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This was his, feature film debut and he had directed music videos for OutKast.

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So it's a definitely a musical showcase of OutKast, they provide the entire soundtrack as

well.

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So they do have the album Idlewild.

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This movie was, I didn't know what to expect, but I was thoroughly entertained with it.

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It is unique.

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It occupies a unique space.

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So when you're talking about where does it fit in the hip hop canon, it's a hip hop period

musical, which is unusual territory for the genre.

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Most are contemporary urban dramas, but this blends the jazz age aesthetics with the hip

hop sensibilities, stylized prohibition era.

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fantasy, which it's kind of like that Cotton Club, Moulin Rouge type feel.

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So I got some good vibes out of it.

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I was really, really into it.

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captured my attention.

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This is like Hamilton, but not in the revolutionary era.

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This was more like depression, 1930s era.

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With lower stakes, mean, we're talking about the birth of a nation, but certainly a low

point of the nation.

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Right.

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Yeah.

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But the guys from OutKast just shows their creativity and their ambition in film.

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their creativity and their artistic vision.

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you know, it didn't really achieve the commercial success that other hip hop films had,

but it was a bold experiment and it showcased how artists were expanding behind

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traditional street narratives and your traditional urban plots lines, which we saw so many

of those and we cover them and it gets a little repetitive, you know, see like New Jack

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City and...

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so many others, Menace II Society, all this stuff, same type of theme where it's like

coming of age story, people get caught up in the wrong thing and yet it does reflect a lot

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of real life.

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So this just stands out as like, wow, they told a story, a period piece and showcase their

rapping talents mixed with the jazz of the time.

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Yeah, yeah.

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A lot of those other films, the cautionary tale turned from the modern day standpoint,

always like, know, crack epidemic or gang violence, you know.

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Like you said, it does get to be repetitive.

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This film, it is somewhat of a cautionary tale.

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You do see some of the negatives that were going on at the time, but.

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the period is, like you said, untapped from this perspective.

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I think that's probably what I definitely appreciated the most.

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the Cotton Club-esque club scenes and I like the style, the dress, the cars, you know,

yeah, they changed a bit of the lingo, they modernized the lingo a little bit.

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But you can still see where it came from because there are some elements of it integrated

within our modern vernacular.

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I thoroughly enjoyed it.

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I think a lot of people missed out on this one because they want to see like a Menace II

Society or Boyz n the Hood type movie in ATL, but this is not that.

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And I think a lot of people probably missed out on it because of that.

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Because I know, I remember when it came out.

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I immediately bought the soundtrack thinking I was going to hear, Elevators or, you know,

stuff something along those lines, Southernplayalistacadillacmuzik and listening to the

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soundtrack.

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And I didn't, I didn't get it at first.

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I really didn't get it.

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So I didn't really listen to it often because it was just like, okay, they're not rapping

really.

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When they are rapping, they're rapping over, different music.

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I'm like, I don't get this.

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like years later now, like I said, before we started recording, It's on cable a lot.

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Um, the last like couple months, like it would always be on.

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And I just, and that's what it sparked my interest in like, wait a minute, this is

actually a really good movie.

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And it's thoroughly entertaining, you know?

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So, um,

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got all the elements.

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It's got character development.

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It's drama, action, love story.

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All those elements work really well together.

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And the period piece is, it's great visual.

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I didn't enjoy it as much as you guys did.

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I thought Andre 3000 was a little flat acting in this movie.

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I didn't really like get it feel like he actually had this like moral quandary like should

he stay with his dad or should he go off with Angel?

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You have a movie with two of the best rappers of all time and they're not rapping in

this movie.

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What are we doing here?

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uh a but I do appreciate that.

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They really swung for the fences on this and they didn't hit a home run.

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I don't think they had a solid double standup double, but I don't know the only pieces it

threw into this gumbo that didn't hang together.

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And yeah, I think Terrence Howard just ate them alive.

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Especially, especially big boi.

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I mean, he was okay.

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He was, was all right.

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I think he had, he didn't have as much to do as far as an acting performance and he was

really fun to watch.

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I enjoyed his part of it.

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But

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Terrence Howard is a legend.

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He's a darn good actor.

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yeah, he he's definitely the best part of this for me in this film.

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The rest of it was fun.

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And.

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I thought, is this over?

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These these these we got these musical numbers, but they're not like OutKast songs.

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I they are, but they aren't.

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Yeah, I didn't it didn't really.

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like spoken word over the jazz.

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I dug it.

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yeah, I couldn't tell you any of the songs.

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Nothing like stuck with me.

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I'm like, oh, that was a really great song.

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They just sort of like, oh, here's a great like musical number and it's very well

choreographed, like Busby Berkeley be proud.

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But it didn't really hang with me.

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I was like, kind of like looking at my watch.

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Like, you know, this meeting could have been an email.

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It is funny because that's probably the reaction a lot of people had to seeing it I think

I think I think a few people probably went out and Saw it and came back and were like,

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yeah, y'all don't bother Yeah, yeah

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it.

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It's why people slept on it.

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Because it didn't really have a great plot.

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don't know.

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They're friends.

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They're not good for each other, or at least Rooster is not good for Percy.

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And they got this singer coming in.

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like the Yin and the Yang a little bit.

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don't know.

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just thought Andre 3000's character was your shy, introverted musician and he's kind of

taken aback with the love affair and should he stay, should he go, that type of thing.

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And Rooster is just your man's man.

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He's a promiscuous guy.

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He played that role, unfortunately.

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He's unfaithful.

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But he ends up running the speakeasy there after the prior owner was killed.

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And he's headed for that self-destruction.

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So that's a pretty good dichotomy there.

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I think this is like their breakup movie.

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You can kind of tell they're going in different directions.

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they weren't much long for the earth after this movie come out.

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And it's like, you can see it happening.

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Like, they were on divergent paths.

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Yeah, you're right.

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I I think the one thing that kept Percy so loyal to Rooster throughout the film was that

Rooster introduced Percy to that music.

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because I mean, his father, Percy's father wanted him to play the piano, but classically

trained or, you know, more like, okay, if we're having a funeral service or something, you

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might be able to play or something like that.

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Whereas,

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Rooster introduced him to the other side, the jazz side, the up tempo.

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Yeah, exactly.

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And that's where he was like, you know what?

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He said it.

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He's like, yeah, Rooster started me with the collecting of records.

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I think he had that.

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And also too, because he got to allow him to play in the club.

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He introduced him to the club scene and let him play in the club.

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So he had that outlet where.

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He wasn't getting that from his father because they had no communication.

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After his mother passed away, they had dinner together, but they sat and ate and didn't

have any kind of conversation.

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And they worked together and most of the time, his father was criticizing him or making

sure he was doing something.

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Yeah.

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Right.

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Why were you trying to stay?

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Meanwhile, love of your life waltzes into your juke joint.

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It's like, this was a really hard decision.

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I mean, I get it, but yeah, you didn't give him a lot to work

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then.

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Yeah, yeah, it's all you know.

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It's tough to leave your hometown even if it's kind of depressing.

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Everything's depressing back then.

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You don't know what's over there in St.

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Louis.

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I think it's up and leave.

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there were some anachronisms.

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I noticed I was, actually had the lyrics on too, like the captioning and the one song

mentioned Luther Vandross and I'm like, that doesn't play, it doesn't play the 30s.

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That was one thing I saw, but it was, it was anachronist on purpose because you did have

hip hop.

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Like it had the piano mixed with 808s and there's some of their signature stylings along

with the jazz, which was, which is neat.

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um

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If want to dive a little bit into the soundtrack, I thought that Chronomentrophobia was

catchy.

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It a really catchy song with all the...

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yeah.

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birds, he a cuckoo birds and he's in the bathtub and it was catchy.

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I was definitely nodding my head to most of the songs.

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Yeah, that Bowtie song, I like that Bowtie song and that Rooster song.

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you know, there's a couple of them.

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I said, one of my favorite songs though, from them, which is not even, like I said, it's

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preparing Angel the service at the end.

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used to play that song all the time.

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That Speakerboxx/The Love Below album.

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Like a bunch of these songs like, you know, were on that album.

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And that one song is so hypnotic.

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when I was watching, last week.

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I was singing right along with it.

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Like, my God, I forgot about this song.

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Said we go find that album.

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Yeah, put that album back on.

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Yeah.

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Well, this came out of Speakerboxx Love Below, which was like their double solo albums as

an OutKast album.

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Their swan song album.

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Yeah.

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I remember this I thought IdleWild soundtrack was gonna be like because I remember the

Speakerboxx Below below like you said it was like a double solo album each one of them

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just showcasing themselves on per album I thought this was gonna be like similar but them

together you know but it wasn't really you know yeah it was like wow what is what what is

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this it's not a hip-hop album per se it's like I can't nod my head I can't get jiggy with

this

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uh This sort of prefigures his, André 3000s flute album they put out.

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Was it last year?

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Yeah.

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You don't think you see that coming now?

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m

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Yeah.

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So as far as the impact and Legacy, it didn't really make it mainstream.

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I said, people don't know that much about this film.

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I hadn't really heard much about it, maybe in passing.

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I mean, I think it's got a lot of aesthetics and vibes.

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It's got a lot of intrinsic value.

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It could open the door.

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Like I was, I'm just really happy that they did this film because only these two guys

could really pull it off.

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I can't picture any other artists that could really pull this off.

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And you see that in their music with the unique, like something like Hey Ya and Miss

Jackson, some of these songs, The Way You Move, they're just so unique.

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It's hard to describe.

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They're one of the more adventurous duos or rap groups ever, so this is totally in their

lane.

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To try something like this is quite admirable.

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think uh mad props to them for doing this.

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Absolutely.

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wasn't like a giant music video, it was two hours long.

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What was the reaction?

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you look up the ratings or some of the commentary?

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they, it was like 6.2 on IMDB, like 47 on the tomato meter, so it didn't do great.

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But I think people are coming back around to it and appreciating the bold strokes that

they tried to take.

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So it's gotten better of a reputation since 2006, I think.

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People are appreciating what they tried to do.

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Not so much the execution of it.

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I read like reviews, like revistings, and they really appreciate what they actually set

out to do.

244

Because you really don't see...

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I don't think we've seen a depression era hip hop kind of thing like where's Lin-Manuel

Miranda?

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Do swing kids?

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Hip hop swing kids.

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Hip-hop Swing Kids

249

Please, sir!

250

That's why it was enjoyable.

251

It stands on its own.

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It's one of one for this type of film.

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It is.

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I think more people probably should revisit it or reconsider it.

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they watch it a second time and it's not for them, then it's not for them.

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But at least dig into it watch it with some kind of expectations and see if it meets them.

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I just wanted to be entertained and it did it for me.

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But like you said, from

259

standpoint of comparing it to like a classically made film, maybe not.

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But enjoyed it.

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was, you know, I got into it, you know, and I think for that purpose alone, I mean, the

visuals and the choreography, like the dance scenes, you know, they were having like

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small, like almost like little dance cyphers, a big boi was performing on stage, you know,

and I was just like, wow, the dancing was,

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was good.

264

was nice.

265

Thank

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think the costumes were up to par as well, like some flapper dresses and the period

pieces.

267

Yeah, yeah, Yeah.

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Sure.

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Some other fun facts, Norwood Fisher, founding member of Fishbone, was in the church band.

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And I read that Ben Vereen did this movie because his daughter was a fan of OutKast!

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I mean, works for me.

272

Haha.

273

sense, makes sense.

274

And I don't know if you guys remember, I think it was 2001 when Macy Gray came to the

VMAs.

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She had this dress and it said on the front, said, my album drops on whatever date and on

the back it said, buy it.

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So good.

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Oh, so brilliant.

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Buy it.

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She was, I enjoyed her.

280

Yeah.

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She's a character.

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She has personality.

283

Yeah, she's funny.

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had to look up Paula Patton a little bit more, you know, who we've seen in a couple other

films and she was married to Robin Thicke for many years.

285

They had a child together.

286

Yeah.

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I liked her in this movie.

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I mean, for lack of better words, she's very, easy on the eyes.

289

But her character in Just Right annoyed the heck out of me.

290

But this movie, I was just like...

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Yeah.

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You guys see The Greatest Showman with Hugh Jackman?

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Yeah, I like that film.

294

Yeah, I like that.

295

don't know, a little bit of similarities here.

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I mean, not to the extent, but the musical, but there was even this song that said

greatest show or there's something to that effect.

297

But yeah, I would recommend that film Dyno Wright Oh, Greatest Show on Earth is the song

actually Macy Gray performs it.

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about that?

299

Yeah, on the album.

300

it's that same type of era, I guess.

301

And yeah, the songs in that are very catchy.

302

Yeah, yeah, for sure.

303

nice choreography.

304

same.

305

visually pleasing.

306

Yeah.

307

I love that movie.

308

Hugh Jackman's great in that that's a good cast and Zendaya's in that.

309

Zac Efron and yeah, some big stars there.

310

Yeah.

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Definitely.

312

Are you guys ready to go around and rate this film?

313

All right, so Dyno Wright, or actually Boogie.

314

I think I'll start with Boogie.

315

Let me go to Boogie first.

316

usually start with boogie.

317

Yeah.

318

I was like, here we go.

319

Boogie I was like, all right, Boogie For Idlewild, would you bring this funky flick back

or leave it in the vault?

320

going quote the guys in this movie before I give my vote.

321

that God makes no mistakes.

322

You said nothing slick to a can of oil.

323

Bring that funky flick back.

324

I like it.

325

like it.

326

DynoWright for Idlewild.

327

Would you bring this funky flick back or leave it in the vault?

328

Despite my many misgivings about this film, I'm gonna bring this funky flick back because

it is an important sort of piece of hip-hop cinema.

329

And I do love bold experiments.

330

I'm all about a bold experiment.

331

So bring this funky flick back.

332

All right, and uh I'll make it unanimous.

333

I will say for Idlewild, I will bring this funky flick back.

334

I was vibing on it and enjoying it.

335

I was thoroughly entertained and it is a bold experiment and I love these guys from

OutKast

336

I rate it highly.

337

I just wish I would have seen this on a big screen.

338

I mean, yeah, just all with everything going on, just like a huge screen, like man, I

would have enjoyed this.

339

Yeah.

340

We should ask Anthony from our theater at SteelStacks, see if he's ever seen it and it's

something that he would put on.

341

Maybe they do like a musical.

342

Next year is the 20th anniversary.

343

yeah?

344

That might be fun.

345

I'm bring it up when we see him next month.

346

All right.

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Thanks for tuning into the Hip Hop Movie Club Show.

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I'm DynoWright, filmmaker, designer, longtime hip hop fan.

349

And I'm glad to have seen Outkast live during the Smokin' Grooves Tour in 2002 with Lauryn

Hill.

350

actually did perform.

351

CeeLo Green and Jurassic Five.

352

Nice.

353

Mm, it's a lineup.

354

I'm JB, 80s and 90s nostalgia junkie, long time hip hop fan, and I once wrote out all the

lyrics to Young MC's Fastest Rhyme.

355

This was pre-internet, so took a lot of playing and rewinding back on the cassette.

356

You remember?

357

yeah.

358

man.

359

Yeah, and I'm Boogie, a DJ, long time hip hop fan, and everyone talks about how nice Andre

360

I like to call him Andre Three Stacks.

361

But this movie right here shows just how nice Big Boi is.

362

He's a lyrical heavyweight as well.

363

Join us on Thursday, November 13th at the Frank Banko Alehouse Cinemas at Steel Stacks in

Bethlehem, PA as the Hip-Hop Movie Club screens 10th anniversary edition of Straight Outta

364

Compton.

365

You will not want to miss the story of the world's most dangerous rap group on the big

screen.

366

And remember, don't hate, ideate.

367

Yeah, yeah