On March 9th, 1997, arguably the greatest rapper of all time had his life abruptly cut short after being hit with bullets four times in his chest. That night, Christopher Wallace, left a VIBE party with best friend Damien “D-Roc” Butler, Lil’ Cease and Gregory “G-Money” Young. Life After Death: The Movie picks up a year after B.I.G.’s death with an assortment of stars relaxing in Cancun, Mexico.

By all means, this is not a movie. It is with that fact that makes this one of the most compelling films ever produced. It is as if God crafted the script and the player’s played their role. With ten years plus of footage recorded by Damien Butler, director April Maiya and narrator Jamie Hector [The Wire] seam together what could’ve potentially been a mess of home videos into an intricate story about respect, loyalty, family and responsibility for one’s actions. Over the course of 75 minutes, D-Roc takes you all over the world as you see the fruit of B.I.G.’s labor multiplied by the success of Lil’ Kim. What’s so interesting is that for those who are not from Brooklyn or haven’t lived a similar life as the Junior M.A.F.I.A. clique – these “stars” are as regular as you and I.

One scene finds a member of the crew passed out after a night of too much alcohol. As friends would normally do to one another, they proceeded to jack him up with pepper, a blonde wig and a left handed smack to the face. All in pure fun, but it is ultimately respect that binds the family and makes them a tight-knit collective that – along with Bad Boy Records – were at the top of New York rap’s elite. In another scene that would get a few laughs, Diddy [then Puff Daddy] allowed a few brothers to let off some steam in Daddy’s House recording studio. A fight ensues. Meanwhile, Kim is recording a song for her next album. As the fight continues [or goes on too long], Diddy and D-Roc say that it’s enough. Ever the showman, Puff snatches one of the guys and throws him to the ground. He then looks into the camera and with that Harlem flair says, “Did you get that on tape?!”

April Maiya should be lauded for putting together a real tale of life, love and loyalty. It is what The Wire or Goodfellas would be if it was real. I use those examples because the “plot” of Life After Death: The Movie centers around the Hot 97 shootout in 2001. The way it unfolds is a startling look at what happens when greed overtakes the hearts of men and ultimately crumbles the house that B.I.G. built and that D-Roc and Lil’ Kim kept going strong. Included in the DVD is an exclusive interview with D-Roc as he connects the dots between the individuals who did their share of “talking” with no conviction to show for and continues to support Kim through her endeavor. Continued on page 2 »