Looking for the Perfect Beat

By Steven Hager

I sold this script to Harry Belafonte and a movie got made using the characters names, but nothing else from my original story survived. Someday I hope a producer will actually produce the real story. It was intended as a slice-of-life drama and a vehicle for showing some authentic hip hop performances from the golden age of the first generation. I wanted many of the real people involved to play themselves, which is why people like Kool Herc and the Treacherous Three appear in the story, as well as Crazy Legs and the Rock Steady Crew.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Steven Hager
• Release date: Jan 28, 2012
• ISBN: 9781465895974

Steven Hager

Counterculture iconoclast, who documented hip hop's birth, founded the Cannabis Cup and unveiled the JFK and Lincoln assassinations.

Book preview

Looking For the Perfect Beat

by Steven Hager

copyright 2012 by Steven Hager

Published by Steven Hager at Smashwords

EPUB ISBN 978-1-4658-9597-4

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WE HEAR THE SOUNDS OF AN AUDIENCE MURMURING in anticipation of the start of something big.

KOOL HERC (O.S.)

Test, test. It’s the serious, serio-so joint-ski.

You’re listening to the sound system.

(an echo chamber is turned on)

The Hercoloids...loids...loids...

And I just want to say to all my b-boys...oys...oys...

Rock on.

WE HEAR A LOUD HIP HOP BREAK. The music builds in intensity as it continues throughout the sequence.

FADE IN:

A HELICOPTER VIEW OF UPPER MANHATTAN ROOFTOPS, ala the opening of West Side Story. WE SEE THE EAST RIVER BELOW, and the urban landscape shifts from roofs to freeways and the bombed-out vacant lots around them.

EXT. SOUTH BRONX

SOUTH BRONX 1980

KENNIE SHAKLEFORD, RAMON FRANCO and CHOLLY WILSON walk down a side street on a clear, crisp day. They move with cocky, aggressive bravado -- like the style lords of the street that they are. A CLOSE SHOT ON Kennie, who is the leader of this three-man crew. He is 17 and black. Ramon, 16, is short and wears a hat tilted at a jaunty angle. He is Puerto Rican. Cholly, 17, wears sunglasses and is well-built. He is black. A WIDER ANGLE shows the neighborhood, which resembles a war zone. Rubble-strewn empty lots and burned-out buildings line the block. They cut through a vacant lot, climb a mound of rubble and walk down an alley. Cholly falls several steps behind. Kennie puts his arm around Ramon while talking to him. Cholly catches up and jumps between them, wrapping his arms around Kennie and Ramon. Ramon stops in front of a wall heavily marked with graffiti. He points at the names on the wall. Ramon removes a giant magic marker from his coat and signs: DJ RAMO on the wall. The signature is executed with considerable style. Cholly asks for the marker by Ramon refuses to give it to him. Cholly demands the marker. Ramon smiles and puts the marker in his pocket. Kennie grabs Ramon from behind while Cholly retrieves the marker. Cholly signs: CHOLLY 167. Cholly’s signature is a bit crude next to Ramon’s. Cholly hands the marker to Kennie, who signs SOULSKI TOO. Kennie hands the marker back to Ramon.

A VARIETY OF ANGLES show the three walking down the street.

They enter a run-down, two-story house that is surrounded by larger buildings. The house has a small, dilapidated porch.

END OF SONG

INT. LIVINGROOM, THEODORE’S HOUSE

FROSTY and MEL, two black teenagers, are unraveling an electronic cable. They are standing in a large, empty room that has a dirty linoleum floor and no furniture. Sunlight streams through the bare window. The window panes are streaked with dirt. Two giant speakers for a customized sound system are stacked against one wall. Frosty and Mel set up two microphone stands.

INT. HALLWAY THEADORE’S HOUSE

Kennie, Ramon and Cholly enter the front door, walk down the hall and turn into the room.

INT. LIVINGROOM, THEODORE’S HOUSE

Kennie sees Frosty and Mel and stops abruptly. He looks perplexed. Kennie looks at Ramon, who shrugs his shoulders.

KENNIE

Yo. Whatcha doin wit that mike?

Mel looks at Frosty with a worried expression. Frosty unravels the mike cable and shows no emotion. He ignores Kennie.

KENNIE

Where’s Theodore?

FROSTY

In the back.

KENNIE

(to Cholly)

Stay here and keep and eye on this.

Kennie and Ramon walk through an archway into an empty room that once served as a dining area. THEODORE and LEP are seated on milk crates that are filled with records. They are just finishing a marijuana cigarette laced with angel dust. Lep greets Kennie effusively. Although medicated, Theodore appears worried. He offers the joint to Kennie, but it’s too small to even mess with.

KENNIE

I smell mint. Is that dusted? You know

I don’t be messin with no dust, bro,

why you dissin’ me like dat?

Little Lep! My man! How you been?

(they shake hands)

You know Ramon, my deejay.

LEP

Sure, we met. I seen your tags. I

like your style.

KENNIE

(to Ramon)

This is the baddest breaker I know.

He got moves, man. Killer moves.

His older brother was in the Zulu

Kings with my brother.

(Lep nods his head sheepishly)

So how you been? How’s the crew?

LEP

They’re okay.