BEAT STREET

GRAMMY Award-winning rap icon Nas has joined the creative team adapting the groundbreaking 1984 hip-hop film classic Beat Street into a Broadway musical. Additional creative team members will be announced in coming weeks. 
 
Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones, best known by his stage name, Nas, is widely regarded as one of the greatest rap artists of all time. He will team up with the show’s producers, Arthur Baker, Michael Holman, and Richard Fearn, to bring Beat Street to Broadway, including expanding and creating new material for the film’s iconic soundtrack. Holman was also an associate producer of the original film, and Baker was its co-producer, composer and music producer. 

“Beat Street wasn’t just a film – it spread the revolution of hip-hop culture throughout the country and the world. It left an indelible mark, inspiring generations of young artists and creating new hip-hop fans alike,” commented Nas. “It’s a thrill for me to join the creative team of Beat Street, bringing the raw energy of hip-hop into the fabric of Broadway. It’s an honor to breathe new life into this iconic work and celebrate its enduring legacy.”
 
Nas is one of many artists who have credited Beat Street for its impact on their lives and careers. The film has also been cited by such artists as Ice-T, Ice Cube, LL Cool J and Lin-Manuel Miranda, among many others, for its influence.  
 
Set in the early 1980s, Beat Street revolves around a group of aspiring young talents in the South Bronx, including a graffiti artist, a DJ, and a break-dancer, as they pursue their dreams in the emerging hip-hop scene while facing the challenges of urban life. 
 
Originally released in 1984, Beat Street was one of the first films to depict hip-hop culture, including breakdancing, mixing, scratching, and graffiti art. 
 
Produced by the legendary Harry Belafonte and David V. Picker, with music by Harry Belafonte and Arthur Baker, story by Steven Hager, screenplay by Andrew Davis, David Gilbert & Paul Golding, and directed by Stan Lathan, Beat Street starred Rae Dawn Chong, Gus Davis, and Jon Chardiet. The film was also notable for appearances by major artists of the era, including Doug E. Fresh, DJ Kool Herc, Afrika Bambataa & The Sonic Force, Us Girls, The Treacherous Three, Magnificent Force, The New York City Breakers, Rock Steady Crew, and Grandmaster Melle Mel & The Furious Five, among others. 
 
The wildly successful soundtrack for Beat Street, released in two volumes, was also produced by Arthur Baker. Volume One was one of the first rap albums to be certified gold. 
 
ShowTown Theatricals will serve as General Managers. Nathan Gehan and Jamison Scott of ShowTown Productions are executive producers of Beat Street. 

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