I respect his drive and proven ability as a business man. I dislike the rap music and most of the clothing lines he has promoted and created a minor empire off of. He both exceeds and dwells firmly within the stereotypes of a Black man in hip hop. Perhaps neither is the real persona that his close friends and family know, but I can only go by what he presents to the world.
In a way I also admire the determination and self-confidence that Mr. Combs has. He has jumped into several different fields of the entertainment industry. Most have met with general success and moderate to high acclaim. Even the stuff you may not like is balanced by the work and effort he has place in other endeavors. Because of that alone you have to respect what he has done.
But all things are not equal. Sean Combs may be a decent hip hop artist, and a better producer, but he is hardly what might be called an accomplished actor. I in fact would barely call him an actor at all. His lack of training, minimal experience, and pairing with far better entertainers have never worked to his advantage. Suffice to say, were it not for his success in other entertainment and business genres he would never be in a major motion picture like Monster’s Ball.
It is that other than acting success that has given him the title actor. But I will give him the fact that he has tried to grow in his ability. His work in the theatre is part of that growth. The mixed reviews he received for his portrayal of the Sidney Poitier renowned role of Walter Lee in A Raisin in the Sun show that he is far from ready for such a prominent role.
“Then there's Combs, a music star who has appeared in a couple of movies but has no real stage experience. It shows. He has a tendency to act by protruding his lips, but seldom does much with the rest of his face, body, or voice. More importantly, he doesn't have a firm grasp on Walter's dreams; a major part of the plot concerns Walter's desire to buy a liquor store, but his emotional state doesn't seem to change whether he just desires it, sees the opportunity slip away, or experiences the final result of his attempts. The rest of Walter's major moments receive similarly ineffective treatment.”
Yet he brings in an audience that is new to the theatre. Many of today’s youth are unfamiliar with the stage, or the many rich stories that are found there. The stage is not something you can listen to on an Ipod, or be immersed in on a laptop, and thus has impacted few as compared to the past. This is most notably true among African Americans and minorities.
It’s a true shame. The youth of today have no idea what it’s like to have seen Dreamgirls live on stage. They love the movie, but no matter the emotional power of watching Eddie Murphy and Jennifer Hudson on the big screen, seeing it live is superior. At least that is the comparison I can make having seen the live play in my younger days, and the movie.
Couple that with the relative lack of knowledge by many in the hip hop generation of great actors and stories and I must admit a cringe escapes me. Sidney Poitier is a phenomenal actor, who rose up in a time (roughly a short 40 years ago) when America ‘suddenly’ realized that African Americans can do more than stand agape in the background. [I do NOT mean that to diminish the many Black actors that preceded the 1960’s. They made possible every actor after them, like Denzel Washington, Jennifer Hudson and everyone else. But I am commenting on the standard roles that America limited most of their performances to, wasting the talent that was available to the nation merely because of prejudice and racism.]
The rich stories that can be found outside of jump-scene, frenetic, CGI dominated, action oriented films of today are virtually beyond count. The best of which have often become not just one movie but several. And the actors in which often become the strongest and most famous actors we all recognize on site, or by a mere utterance of a line.
While this may all seem like a digression, it is not. My point of all this is that A Raisin in the Sun is now coming to a broadcast television near you. On February 25th, ABC will be broadcasting the televised version of the play. It will star Sean Combs in the title role, and will also have Audra McDonald, Phylicia Rashad, Sanaa Latahn and others reprising the roles they had when the play was revived recently.
This is a powerful story that delves deep into the lives and hopes of a Black family in Chicago. The fact that the timeline takes place in the past is irrelevant to its ultimate meaning. So I am happy that Sean Combs took on the role of executive producer to get it into a format that the youth of today can connect to. Sadly though the titular role is that of Walter Lee, which Combs portrays.
The good is that this will add diversity to a generation that has been fed films like Teeth, Soul Plane, and the Honeymooners (miserable remake of a television show). One can only hope it will inspire some to look for the original motion picture, and delve into the movies like In the Heat of the Night, that starred Sidney Poitier and other actors of that time. Perhaps it will be the first step of some on a career that will be grand and rewarding.
"Sometimes people come to a place and don't expect to get the message. This generation, they come for entertainment ... then they realize, 'oh man, this movie is really touching. It's making me really appreciate my family."' - Sean Combs
The bad is of course what I mentioned before. Sean Combs is not an actor, or at least of any serious quality. He does not deserve this role, on television or in a play. His fame may drive viewership and ticket sales, but he isn’t worthy. Maybe he will be one day, with far more training and a lot more work in less significant roles.
I hope that his involvement does not spew a trend, even more than has existed for some time, of rappers and hip hop artists that believe they have talent in every entertainment field because they are popular in one genre. It’s fatiguing to see the pitiful attempts of the majority that have already tried to cross over. Few are capable to any degree. And fewer are willing to take the time and effort that Will Smith, Queen Latifah, LL Cool J and one or 2 others have strived to do to achieve the recognition they deserve.
So is this a positive or negative? Should we be happy or upset with Sean Combs? Both. Like all his endeavors he provides a living visage of what yin and yang can be. Is ability may be lacking, but his spirit is strong. He may be unqualified for this role but it will draw attention and hopefully inspire. He will extend the life of this story, and the scope of a generation in what they consider art and worthwhile.
In the end we all will make our own decision on February 25th. I can only hope to be pleasantly surprised.
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