Recently, while tripping through Times Square looking for Mado's Hair Salon, I came across a curious sight. The usual film crew accompaniments were filling 44st just off Broadway. I had come upon many, living in money making manhattan, but usually at the wrong time, when just the crews were there and the talent were still getting laid, blunted, high, ripped, or all of the above someplace far away!!! In fact the last time I came upon anything interesting was when Woody Allen was filming Bullets over Broadway right after his trials. Came upon that mid-shoot and got some great footage that STILL sits in the can..... What the hell do I need Woody Allen for????
But what was unusual about this shoot was 1) They were 3/4 finished setting up & the caterer hadn't even set up yet! 2)The talent was in the trailers! And 3)most of the faces I saw working, from the lowly P.A.'s through to the Director were Strong Working Black Men!! Hmmm, I thought, this is NOT a "Hollywood" production. Yet it was big budgeted enough to recognize (and You damn well better recognize muthafucker) that it was no guerrilla production either. Multi 35mm camera's, crane shots, car shots, police cooperation and more let me know that. Then as I put the spliff out, getting too close to 5-0, I tripped out completely! Red! Fuckin' RED!!!! Red, you know the muthafucker who got his eye smashed by Debol when he asked for his bike back in Ice Cube's fuckin' funny flick, "Friday"! Actually, its D.J. Pooh, who Co-Wrote the mutha with Cube! and played the bit but hysterical part of RED! Since the word in the dirt is that Cube ain't a major smoker I guessed that Pooh must be!! Well anyway, Pooh's production company was working there and it was the Dogg Pound video shoot for New York, New York. Well, as alwayz, B-high, camera in hand got some footage of the shoot in progress as b-roll for the next IndieSent Exposure! We also found out that Pooh and Snoop are working on a feature film together that should be doper than dope! So as I lit my spliff in the Cold ass New York evening, taking the smoke deep in the lungs in an attempt to get something warm, I felt good about living in the the Big City of Dreams, even though everything in New York aint alwayz what it seems. The next day Snoop or someone in the Dogg Pound was shot at inside the trailers. No one was hurt and no-one arrested. Now here's the question. IndieSent wants to know, is New York, New York a PRO or ANTI New York song? Are they taking swipes at Wu-Tang and Special Ed etc. or paying homage? If you have heard the song please let us know, either by writing or calling the VoiceMail! Thanks! BHi
A Note to WEB USERS! This article was published last year in IndieSent Exposure's Newsletter! On 7/10/96 this file was uploaded to the web. While it MAY be obvious to everyone NOW, back then there was little static bout the song. We also now know, that the shooting reffered to in the article was the escalation of the Biggie/2Pac (or Bad Boy/Death Row) feud! We are in the process of getting the tape and making gif's. When that is done, this page will be done.
