In order to re-create the madness that went down at a
"I want to make it feel like a concert," director George Tillman Jr. said during a visit to the set of the Notorious B.I.G. biopic, which hits theaters January 16. "Like you're right there in the middle of a show. ... On that day, it felt like I was performing with [Big], 'cause you go out backstage to shoot scenes, you see entourages, you see people with their own cliques hanging out. I felt like I was with a rap star."
For the film's performance footage, Tillman rounded up the usual suspects that one might have seen at a Biggie concert during the '90s, including producers, DJs, managers and a cast of actors that looked uncannily like the people they are portraying.
"Performances, that's what I do" said Jamal "Gravy" Woolard, who plays Biggie in the film. "I'm gonna make you feel like you see him up there. Like he's not gone. That's what I got to do."
Naturi Naughton, who plays Lil' Kim, was convinced by the vibe of the faux concert: "I feel like I'm at a real show."
The whole scene was approved by Biggie's real-life right-hand man,
"I felt like it was important to get it right, because a lot of people have not seen Big perform," Tillman said. "Everyone came and brought it. Every moment was there on camera: the fun stuff, the great stuff."
Check out everything we've got on "Notorious."
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