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Arts & Entertainment Film Review: ‘Fresh Dressed’ Documentary revisits the rise of hip-hop designers By Kam Williams For The Skanner News Stephen “tWitch” Boss: The “Magic Mike XXL” Interview PHOTO BY JOE CONZO W hen rap arrived back in the late 1970s, more than the music burst on the scene. The performers’ outlandish costumes also had a pro- found effect on American culture, which proceeded to mimic everything from MC Hammer’s balloon pants to Run DMC’s fedoras and Adidas outfits. As the genre matured, the more business-savvy artists opted to capitalize on their influence by launching their own clothing lines. They figured, why increase the stock of big-label design- ers like Ralph Lauren and Tommy Hilfiger through the roof when they could wear The new documentary ‘Fresh Dressed’ focuses on the genesis of rap and its early leaders. Legendary group the #ColdCrushBrothers formed in 1978 in the Bronx during hip-hop’s beginnings, when crews started to settle beefs “on the dance floor, on the microphone, or on the turntables” rather than the streets. comers such as Daymond John (FUBU) and Puff Dad- multi-million dollar house- hold names. Why increase the stock of big-label designers like Ralph Lauren and Tommy Hilfiger through the roof when they could wear their own labels onstage? their own labels onstage? Subsequently, industry new- dy (Sean John) kickstart- ed brands which became That surprising develop- ment is the subject of Fresh Dressed, a visually-capti- vating celebration of the sartorial splendor which blossomed during the Gold- en Age of Rap. The fasci- nating documentary takes a delightful stroll down Mem- ory Lane, courtesy of reams of archival footage featuring folks in garish, spray-paint- colored outfits. It also has plenty of present-day reflec- tions on the phenomenon by plenty of Hip-Hop icons: Nas, Pharrell, Kid, Play and Damon Dash, to name a few. The movie marks the im- pressive writing and directo- rial debut of Sacha Jenkins, who has deftly interwoven all of the above elements into an informative history lesson that’s worth the in- vestment even if you’re not a fan of rap. For instance, you’ll learn how to avoid getting “vicked” (Ebonics for “victimized”), which was a distinct possibility if you were dumb enough to walk through the ‘hood wearing a pair of the latest Air Jordans. Believe it or not, gangstas build their wardrobe around their sneakers, since looking “fresh” (aka “stylish”) starts with the feet. As Kid remi- nisces, “People were killed for their shoes,” so “the one thing you never wanted to hear was someone asking you your shoe size.” Back in the day, if you decided to walk a mile in a man’s moccasins, you meant that literally, not figurative- ly. Hey, that way, you’d not only have his shoes, but you’d have a decent head start on the barefoot sucka. Fresh Dressed is a nos- talgic tribute to a material- istic generation weaned on conspicuous consumption, where capped gold teeth and gaudy clock necklaces were trendy fashion state- ments. Excellent H H H H Unrated Running time: 90 minutes Distributor: Samuel Gold- wyn Stephen “tWitch” Boss as Malik in ‘Magic Mike XXL’ By Kam Williams For The Skanner News B orn in Montgomery, Ala., on September 29, 1982, Stephen Boss was always spinning and staying in motion as a child, which is how he earned the nickname “tWitch.” After studying dance at Southern Union State Community, he made his Hollywood debut in the third season of the reality TV series “So You Think You Can Dance” and was run- ner-up in the finals in season four. He has parlayed that television success into a film career, appearing in Hairspray, Blades of Glory, Stomp the Yard 2 and, most notably, several install- ments of the Step Up franchise: Step Up Revolution, Step Up: All In, and Step Up 3D. And since April 2014, he has been featured on “The Ellen Degeneres Show” as a guest DJ. tWitch is married to his “So You Think You Can Dance” co-star, Allison Holker. Here, he talks about his latest outing, acting oppo- site Channing Tatum and Jada Pinkett Smith in Magic Mike XXL. KW: So, what interested you in Magic Mike XXL? StB: I had never worked with anybody doing the film before, which was great. And then when I heard that they were doing a sequel, I just put it out there that I was going to be a part of it. And I was excited. KW: Editor/Legist Patricia Turnier asks: How would you describe the character you are portraying? StB: Malik is the guy that kind of inspires Mike to mind his p’s and q’s in order to be able prove that he’s still a top notch dancer. KW: How do you prepare differently to play a strip- per than to play the street dancer in Step Up or the fraternity step dancer in Stomp the Yard 2? StB: Well, a lot of it has to do with the choreogra- phy. Once you’re on set with the extras who are ready to throw dollars and excited that you’re actually tak- ing your shirt off, it’s pretty easy to get into character. Our choreographer, Alison Faulk, helped tremendous- ly to make sure we were still bringing it. KW: When you’re cast alongside so many other great dancers, what do you have to do to stand out and put your personal mark on a movie? StB: Honestly, by just getting down the only way that I can, which I think I did with my first solo team. That was basically me free-styling. And when I free- style, that’s just the way that I dance. Nobody else dances like that. So, I thank that’s enough, doing me to the fullest. KW: What message do you think people will take away from the film? StB: [Laughs] It depends on what message you are open to taking. There’s the underlying buddy theme to this film about taking a road trip with your boys for your last hurrah, and having a good time and being open for anything. There are a lot of unexpected twists and turns and relationships formed due to unforeseen See tWITCH on page 11 Page 8 July 1, 2015 The Portland and Seattle Skanner
