Rarely do the strong survive long enough to tell their story in their own words, so bear witness to some of the most notorious deal makers and street shakers in FX’s new docu-series Hip-Hop Uncovered. Hailing from hardcore locations all over the map, California’s Eugene “Big U” Henley, Queens, New York siblings James “Bimmy” Antney and Deb Antney, Detroit’s Trick Trick and Brooklyn’s infamous Haitian Jack, represent the mind and the muscle of the rap world’s background boss section, where the real money and moves are made.
After last week’s two-episode debut (Feb. 12th) of a six-episode season, we have the cast member’s thoughts on what it was like taping the show and why they participated in the series. Remember, these storied behind the scenes executives are normally in the background, but are now telling their important stories that weave their importance in the industry that shapes the world…hip-hop.“A true dime is steel-heavier than a dollar.” Watch Hip-Hop Uncovered Fridays at 10 pm ET on FX.
Deb Antney:
“By doing the show, it was very therapeutic. I’ve opened up and let you get a glance of what is in my Pandora’s box. I’ve shed pounds, even inches. I’m truly grateful I’m here to tell any part of my story. Now get ready for my book Unmanageable Me.
The show allowed me to showcase my truth the way it needed to be told. The Debra Antney way!
Being Debra Antney was not always glitter or gold. Like most, I went through some things. I was defiantly a product of my environment, it made me who I am today! I always knew how to get myself to the top and that’s exactly what I did. Thank you for being a part of my journey.”
Big U:
“I loved filming this show. It brought up so many memories going back to the house I grew up in, remembering those special moments with family. It was fun to sort of relive my past, but the best part was really seeing my evolution. I’m such a different man today than I was back then. I feel good that the world will get to see the person I’ve become. I did it because for the first time, I knew I could be in full control of my own story, especially since I’m an Executive Producer on the series.”
Trick Trick:
“[Taping the series was] weird as f—!! Because, I’m not used to that type of attention. I’m very private, but oddly enough, it was somewhat… refreshing!
[I did the show] because Big U called.”
Bimmy:
“Well, I choose to do the series because I was told who was involved from the cast to an all-Black production. Taping was like me living my past all over again and we show[ed] the world how we really lived and the things we went through.”
Haitian Jack:
“Taping the series, to me, was definitely a great experience. Everybody that was on there, [producers] Oby, Rashidi and everyone else were very polite to everyone and we got everything we asked for. When you have a crew like that, it makes it really easy for you to work with it.
[I did the show because] I like when they started to say, ‘Let’s dig back into the past,’ because that’s what my life is all about, the past. The fact that Big U came up with it and hit me up with it is another reason because I respect what he is doing out there with the kids and his foundation. So I didn’t mind teaming up with him and everybody else, Deb and Trick Trick, Bimmy. I think we have a great cast and I’m proud to be a part of it. I think we did it because we all knew where hip-hop came from because we lived it. We wasn’t just some people who just popped up out of nowhere and started blogging about it. We were there. We watched the deaths, we watched the lifetime prison sentences. We lost a lot of friends to death and prison. We all lived it. They are going to get a good account of what went on in the 70s and 80s.”
At the BTS concert in Tokyo on Friday (April 17), j-hope opened up to ARMY with heartbreaking news. His grandmother, who played a major role in raising him and had always been proud of his journey with the group, has passed away.
Speaking to the packed crowd at the Tokyo Dome, the K-pop star chose to be open with fans about what he was going through. “Honestly, this might be a bit of a heavy thing to share, but I really wanted to express how I’m feeling today,” he said, translated from Korean into English. “Right after we arrived in Japan, I got the news that my maternal grandmother, the one who raised me from when I was little, had passed away.”
“I felt completely stunned and did not really know how to process it at first, but being around the members, sitting down together for meals, and focusing on rehearsals helped me more than I thought it would,” j-hope went on. “My grandmother was always incredibly proud, not just of me but of all the members. She truly believed in what we do. So I feel like if she was watching from above today, she would have loved every second of it.”
He closed by thanking the audience for making his first performance after the loss feel meaningful and full of support.
BTS are currently touring in support of their new album ARIRANG, which has just earned a third week at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. Following three opening shows in Goyang, South Korea, the group is set to perform twice at the Tokyo Dome before heading abroad for the North American leg. Before the tour wraps in March next year, they will also visit Latin America, Europe, Australia, and several other regions across Asia.
On the same day as the first Tokyo concert, j-hope’s solo interview with Rolling Stone was released. During the conversation, he spoke about stepping into a leadership presence within the group. “I think that’s my role on the team,” he shared. “It just comes naturally. It feels strange to even call it a role, but I just try to handle things as they come and support the other members in any way I can.”
Additional reporting from Billboard Korea.
