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Brown Sugar. (2002) 

Starring: Sanaa Lathan, Taye Diggs, Queen Latifah, Nicole Ari Parker, Boris Kodjoe.

Dir: Rick Famuyiwa

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-Importance:  

Brown Sugar is a cultural black movie that entails stars Sana Lathan and Tay-Diggs, this movie portrays them as best friends who both have a love for hip-hop while both work in environments surrounding this genre of music. Both attempt to date and marry other people yet the love they share draws them back to one another. Black aesthetic emerged from various presentations of blackness and became the center-fold of black perspective, ideologies and “being”. The movie Brown sugar produces a sense of identity through following ones hearts desire and the rhythmic sound of hip-hop. Both of which produces a closeness, a love that illuminates the characteristics of black culture. It defines black culture with  focal points being love and music. Historically music and love between the black community is what got us through the roughest times, the times of distress and uneasiness, the times that made you want to scream and give up on life. Black relationships thrived and the cultural dynamic thrived from love and music. Brown Sugar allows for authenticity and increases a bond between two black individuals who share a common passion. It introduces and influences black culture to dive into sensual relationship based off friendship, prosperity, compatibility and shared vibes. Brown Sugar is a movie immersed in black glow, black fortune and black love. It has also contributed to politically correct stances on the sound-wave of music within black culture, paving the way for thinkers and doers to thrive authentically instead of thriving as a sellout. Allowing us a peak into best friend relationships and how some of them are meant to be no matter how hard you try to disguise it.

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-Sincere Representation:

The movie Brown Sugar emphasis representation that is Sincere, allowing the creativeness of these characters to flourish and maintain a balanced and well-verse sense of identity. This sincere representation is not interested in viewing black people as markets or a people to be sold to networks and advertisers. Rather promotes a sense of community which allows for accountability, this meaningful representation is represented through personal, social, cultural and political-economic. I’d say every scene provides a relatable outcome and relatable instances. The issue at hand in one scene was the dilution of hip-hip and a character felt the label he was working under was getting away with bullshit music and calling it hip-hop. He quit his job and decided to start his own label, this scene catered to its intended audience in so many ways. One being, don’t be a sell-out and stay true to who you are and what you represent. Never settle if it gives you a bad name; more times than none record labels don’t care about the authenticity of the music, but rather how much money will it bring or make that individual. Black communities deserve sincere representations that keep it real with the current progression and hindrances of our people. Representation that provides solutions to the problems, rather than a run around or sell-out representation of how to handle situations like this that truly affect the direction black lives are headed. This movie did an excellent job of providing scenarios and finding sincere solutions to the dilemmas that arise.  

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-Underrepresented:

Political representations of black love has produced movies that shun images of love between blacks and discourages trust and loyalty to one another. Negative constructs of black love have been at the forefront of black media in ways that are not necessarily seen as negative, but rather normative throughout society; and seen as something that everyone struggles with. However, Brown Sugar provides a representation that deals with politically correct stances concerning black culture. Not only that, this movie provides a profound and accurate representation about our general love for black music and the irrevocable feeling raw music brings to our hearts, minds, bodies, souls. It provides a true consensus of how we culturally relate to one another through our taste in music and how that connection can lead to better relationships. This movie is underrepresented for a variety of reasons. One being, the activation of negative images is extremely pushed and televised. Mainstream audiences wouldn’t relate to a movie as this. In order for others to relate to it, it would have to be packaged a certain way for it’s appeal to reach other crowds. The production of blackness, if and when involved in mainstream media, doesn’t necessarily attain the coverage it deserves because the intended audience isn’t that of white background. Brown Sugar marketed to black crowds. This representation could've politically shifted the entire route of black culture. During this time black shows became socially diverse and the topics of concern began to shift.  Thus, causing underrepresented outcomes for movies such as Brown Sugar.

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Performance of Production:  

Each scene was a production of blackness of intimacy, laughter and fun. Intimacy ranges from various levels throughout the movie. The first stages of dating, inviting each other out to eat, introducing each other to friends and close acquaintances, trying to maintain true and direct conversation, evolving into proposals etc.  Many scenes capture these intimate components, as well as the intimacy of friendships, how they can erupt feelings you kept hidden until the idea of them with someone else consumes you indirectly. This level of intimacy displayed in the movie was captured in essence and well scripted. Laughter within this production provided comedic relief when scenes were getting heated, the offset and transition of it all kept the rhythm and flow of the movie on point. It showed a diverse set of traits that should and would be performed throughout the movie. The laughter component ignited some tenderness to the viewer, letting it be known blacks do have a sense of humor and it can be directed and utilized in ways that are relatable and the most effect in productions movies.  I love how the two main characters use a dialogue that fits them individually. In each scene every character plays their parts down to every emotional emphasis. Acts of joy was found in the performance and also catered to the fun component of the production. For viewers it’s important to see acts of joy within a movie, especially among black people. The production of this movie did so by turning this movie into a loving, reachable fair set of acquisitions. Displaying how relationships between black people can be fun, exciting and spontaneously riveting.  

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Blackness : Ponytails, Haircuts, Weaves, Beanies.  

Natural hair for black people is a form of Resistance. Some were showcased as ponytails. I found it interesting and a blessing that black women have the ability to where their hair in so many ways. Not only that but cam make it look its best without even trying. It’s something about natural hair that showcases who you really are, without people having to ask you if your hair is real or fake. It’s kind of like a stamp, letting those around you know that this is my hair and I’m proud of it, my heritage, ancestry and back ground. I got many of those vibes from the brown sugar movie with ponytails and black women’s haircuts. Haircuts for men have always been around, black men especially have no problem going to a barber shop, sitting there for 20 minutes to look good for the ladies. In essence the barbershop is a place for black men to engage with one another on various levels. Some of those engagements would entail, talking about sports, women and family. The haircut on a black man is appealing, many men in this movie had different looks, one had a lowcut fade, another bald, and some hair more hair with lineups. Moreover, weaves were lightly shunned although they were still worn. Weaves are particularly worn to make your hair longer and or to use as a protective style. In this case, weaves were worn to do that and be appeasing to other parties. Most def wore a beanie which is significant because it represents black style.  

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Audience:  

Mos def soundtrack to Brown Sugar caters to the groove of black engagements. Speaking intellectually, sensually and informatively in a way that can reach the ears of black people. The instrumental in itself gives a vibe black people can instantly rock with. The song has a raw sound, one that makes you feel the song and makes you want to bounce to it. The theme of the movie supplied connections for black people through the music and the production as a whole. I think the movie was able to attract the attention of any black person willing to watch it. It wouldn’t matter if they were hood, ghetto, uptight, serious in nature etc. Any black person could've watched this movie. I do believe that it was intended for blacks that have a love for hip-hop and a love for the authenticity of it. This movie was intended to be a comfort for inner-city black communities in New York and for many of our parents growing up. Letting them know we see you and your love. Additionally, promoting and attracting black people through movies to love one another and respect the music we create. It also targeted record labels, calling them out on their false sense of hip-hop and what it initially stood for. I think it’s interesting how black-fandom has shifted dramatically concerning hip-hop for younger generations. We still listen to “hip-hop" yet more fans are more mainstream. This movie did a great job at shining a light for black people concerning what was to come of the condition of hip-hop.

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Brown Sugar - Sidney & Dre reminiscing…

“I met this girl, when I was ten years old. And what I loved most she had so much soul. She was old school, when I was just a shorty. Never knew throughout my life she would be there for me.” (Common, “I Used To Love H.E.R”)