Russell Simmons is set to produce the upcoming film based on one of hip hop's biggest icons, T La Rock. 20th Century Fox has just secured the rights to the film that will be based on the GQ article "The Man Who Forgot He Was a Rap Legend," written by Joshuah Bearman. At the peak of Rock's success, he was nearly beaten to death, where he was left in a coma. A major part of the film will detail his rehabilitation at a Jewish nursing care facility in Brooklyn, New York.
“T La Rock has always been an inspiration to me and many in the hip hop community,” Russell, the founder of Def Jam Records says in a statement via The Hollywood Reporter. “This is a man who was literally beaten to within an inch of his life at the height of his fame. How he regained his memory and recovered from his coma while being cared for and surrounded by the most unlikely group of therapists and friends is the kind of hope-filled and hopeful true story that will appeal to everyone, whether you love rap music or not.”
Jake Stein, who produces for the labels DEF Pictures, and Mike Medavoy, the producer on Black Swan and Shutter Island, will be teaming up with Russell to bring the picture to life.
“When I first read the story of T La Rock’s life, it really moved me that the first Def Jam artist, with such a promising future, ended up like a fish out of water in a Jewish nursing home surrounded by elderly patients, some of whom were Holocaust survivors," Mike adds in the statement. "Through the help and kindness of these people, and the persistence of his mother visiting every day to try and restore his lost memories, he was able to have the rare chance to take stock of his life and determine a different path as he went out into the world. A chance to live a better life."
Check out one of the MCs biggest tunes "It's Yours" below.
