When James Earl Hardy originally wrote his groundbreaking debut novel, “B-Boy Blues,” in 1994, he was told by every publisher he contacted that there was no audience for a hip-hop themed, same-gender love story. The award-winning writer never thought his trailblazing bromance novel would get adapted for screen.
It’s now two years shy of the book’s 30th anniversary, and “B-Boy Blues” made its debut on June 9 as a full-length feature on BET+. The 110-minute dramedy released in time for Pride Month chronicles the relationship between Mitchell “Lil’ Bit” Crawford (Timothy Richardson), a formally educated journalist from Brooklyn, New York, and Raheim “Pookie” Rivers (Thomas Mackie), a Harlem-based bike messenger and single father, and how their cultural, class and social differences affect their connection.
“B-Boy Blues” also features appearances from Grammy-winning singer Ledisi, rapper Heather B., and “P-Valley” star Brandee Evans. Evolving into a successful book series and stage play, “B-Boy Blues” earned both the Narrative Feature Fan Favorite Award at the 2021 American Black Film Festival and OUTshine Film Festival’s Best Feature Audience Award this past April.
Credit: Prince Williams/ATL Pics
Credit: Prince Williams/ATL Pics
“After writing it, I didn’t think about a movie, but people just kept saying it’s so cinematic,” said Hardy, a former research fellow in the arts department at Newsweek. “The synergy between Raheim and Mitchell is so explosive, it belongs on the screen. It’s more than I could’ve hoped and prayed for. Things happen when they’re supposed to.”
“B-Boy Blues” is the directorial debut for former “Empire” star Jussie Smollet, also the film’s executive music producer and co-writer of the screenplay with Hardy.
Smollett began chatting with Hardy and comedian Sampson McCormick in June 2020 about bringing the story to life. The author and playwright asked the Emmy-nominated, NAACP Image Award-winning entertainer if he wanted to appear in the movie, but Smollett insisted to Hardy that he direct it.
“Everything that I’ve been a part of or every role I’ve been blessed to play has always been for the people, for love, and to show that we are not one thing,” Smollett said. “We’re so many things, and if we all just remember that, it’ll be so much more than a diversity film.”
In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, the cast of “B-Boy Blues” had its first virtual table read via Zoom in July 2020. Production started that October, primarily at Smollett’s apartment in Harlem, and lasted for 12 days. A COVID-19 scare added an extra day to the production schedule.
Smollett pursued the project as he dealt with a controversial, high-profile case, in which he was convicted of lying to police about being the victim of a hate crime.
Smollett incorporated a cinematic style that was heavily inspired by French noir films and the works of Spike Lee and John Singleton. His goal was to visually depict a sensual relationship between two Black men.
“There was no begging because I refused to do so,” Smollett said. “I wanted to create around our love, the love that I truly understand. Raising the money was not easy, but it also wasn’t so difficult. It was really about putting ourselves out there. Everyone around us was so willing and in it. It felt like coming home.”
“Love and love stories are not always clear-cut or packaged with a bow,” Smollett adds. “It wasn’t about showing sex; it was about showing intimacy. It came out so beautiful. It wasn’t gratuitous, and it wasn’t seen through the eyes of anyone except us.”
Smollett and Hardy were on set daily. Their presence and encouragement inspired the actors to strive to remain true to the book, but to also gave Black gay male characters more complex personalities.
“It brought us so close together because we knew we really didn’t have room for mistakes,” Richardson, also a cinematographer, said. “We were doing it at such a time when we had to practice safety guidelines and try to maintain a consistent level for those creative juices while knowing that so much was happening around us. People were bringing that to the set and pouring it into the art.”
Landon G. Woodson makes his feature film debut in “B-Boy Blues” as Gene, Mitchell’s overprotective best friend. Admitting that he was nervous, the voiceover actor considers portraying Gene “his greatest, most cherished artistic moment yet.”
“Jussie was incredibly empowering,” Woodson adds. “As an actor and director, he knows what you’re going through. Having the author on-set empowers you to let you know that the work is translating. It’s such a nurturing environment having this artistic refuge.”
“Love and Hip-Hop” producer and creator Mona Scott-Young joined as an executive producer. Her company, Monami Entertainment, was responsible for helping to land the film onto a major platform.
“It’s an incredible project, and the book is timeless,” Scott-Young said. “I’m excited for the world to see the beauty of this story, and it’s my opportunity to take this one step further, push the envelope, kick in the door, and get everyone to embrace that we are all one people, love is love, and this is just a beautiful love story that’s beautifully told.”
The cast and crew of “B-Boy Blues” agree that breathing life into Hardy’s story was a labor of love. Everyone hopes that more diverse stories about Black queer love and relationships will continue to be seen by massive audiences.
“I didn’t care about eye candy; I wanted heart candy,” said Smollett, who’s currently co-writing and directing a holiday film in Atlanta. “I want to show more Black love in its full realm and most beautiful form. That’s what we started with this film, and that’s what I will continue.”
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