Hank Shocklee Gets Grammy Nod For "American Gangster"

Hank Shocklee and Anthony Hamilton were nominated for Grammy Awards for their work on the American Gangster motion picture soundtrack. Shocklee scored the film and also wrote and produced new material, including Hamilton's "Do You Feel Me." In addition to the Grammy nomination for Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for Motion Picture, Television or other Visual Media, American Gangster was nominated for a World Soundtrack Award.

"Ridley Scott wanted someone to bring an authentic sound to the film and create music with a retro late 1960's to mid 1970's feel to it," Shocklee said via a released statement. "I loved working on this project because it allowed me to go in the studio and imagine a period in time that was the very beginnings of hip hop, where Blues, Soul, Funk, Latin and Afro-beat all started to mesh together and inspired the sounds of the hip hop generation on the streets of New York."

Shocklee is best known for helping craft Public Enemy's signature sound as a member of the Bomb Squad production team. He also played a significant role in Ice Cube establishing his post-NWA career via his production on AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted. The 51st Annual Grammy Awards Ceremony takes place February 8, 2009 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

In related news, Jay-Z's American Gangster album, which was inspired by the motion picture, is also up for a Grammy in the categories of Best Rap Album and Best Rap Solo Performance. A complete listing of all R&B and Hip Hop Grammy nominees is available here.