Following up on its latest nostalgia-driven scripted drama Hindsight which premiered last night (January 7), VH1 has announced that it is developing a TV movie based on Dan Charnas’ best-selling book The Big Payback: The History of the Business of Hip-Hop.
The network hopes for a fall premiere of a title tentatively called The Breaks and industry veteran Seith Mann, who has directed episodes of The Wire, The Walking Dead, Homeland, and more, has been tapped as a screenwriter, executive producer, and director for the project. Charnas himself will also serve as an executive producer and co-wrote the script.
According to a press release from VH1, The Breaks “will chronicle the journey of Nikki, David and Deevee, three friends united by their love of Hip Hop, as they work to make their big mark in the music industry.” Similar to Hindsight, The Breaks will be set in in early ’90s New York. “Nikki Jones is a brilliant recent grad who abandoned a scholarship to law school to pursue her dream of becoming a record exec,” VH1 announced. “Her boyfriend, David Aaron, is the scrappy son of a legendary music producer who is unwilling to rest on his father’s laurels and notorious reputation. DeeVee is an aspiring producer on the hunt to find the next big rapper on the come-up.”
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Dan Charnas’ The Big Payback was originally released in 2010. The book author also worked for Profile Records and Rick Rubin’s Def American Recordings. Previously, Charnas was a frequent cover story writer for The Source and later hosted a segment on a Hip Hop show for KPWR in Los Angeles.
