Belly (film)

Last updated
Belly
Belly poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Hype Williams
Screenplay byHype Williams
Story by
  • Anthony Bodden
  • Nas
  • Hype Williams
Produced by
Starring
Cinematography Malik Sayeed
Edited byDavid Leonard
Music byStephen Cullo
Production
company
Distributed by Artisan Entertainment
Release date
  • November 4, 1998 (1998-11-04)
Running time
92 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$3 million [1]
Box office$9.6 million [2]

Belly is a 1998 American crime drama film written and directed by music video director Hype Williams, in his feature film directing debut. [3] [4] Filmed in New York City, the film stars rappers Nas and DMX in their film debut, alongside Taral Hicks, Method Man, T-Boz and an uncredited cameo from Sean Paul. [5] [6]

Contents

Plot

In 1999 Queens, New York City, young street criminals Tommy "Buns" Bundy and Sincere ("Sin"), along with associates Mark and Black, murder five people during a violent nightclub robbery. After celebrating with the gang, Sincere returns home to his girlfriend Tionne and infant daughter Kenya.

The following morning, Tommy asks Sincere to help him sell a new form of heroin. Sincere, who has begun having second thoughts about his life of crime, reluctantly agrees. Tommy then visits Ox, a wealthy Jamaican drug lord, who agrees to obtain the heroin on the condition that Tommy repay him with a favor at a later date.

In Mark's grandmother's basement, the gang convenes to discuss the nascent drug operation; one of Tommy's associates, Knowledge, will be involved in the operation. Knowledge tells his friend Tommy over the phone that Black had been talking about robbing his friend Sincere to get his larger share of the loot from the nightclub. Way too enraged, Tommy forces Black to strip naked in front of the others, wildly firing warning shots with a handgun into the floor.

The gang begins transporting heroin from Queens to Omaha, Nebraska, where they begin to overrun the local drug business. Big Head Rico, an Omaha dealer, informs the police of their activities. The resulting raid at their stash-house ends with Mark's death and Knowledge's arrest. Knowledge angrily realizes that Tommy will not bail him out of jail, and calls Shameek, a.k.a. Father Sha, to both infiltrate Rico's gang and kill Tommy. At a strip club, Shameek drinks shots that Rico spiked with hallucinatory powder and, under the influence, blows his own cover by telling Rico that he was sent by Knowledge to kill him. As Rico gets up and attempts to inform his henchmen, he is killed by Shameek as he tries to flee. Shameek is shot by the bartender and stumbles out of the club. He shoots at and evades the Omaha Nebraska police.

Tommy travels to Jamaica and repays Ox by killing Sosa, the son of a local drug lord. Back home, Tommy's girlfriend Kisha is arrested by police and later bailed out by Tionne. Tommy finds out about the raid and leaves town. Pelpa, a close friend of Sosa, finds out that Ox ordered the hit on Sosa. Pelpa sends a hit squad to kill Ox in his home. Ox kills most of the hitmen before dying at the hands of a female assassin.

Sincere prepares to leave the drug trade and move his family to Africa, planning to leave on New Year's Day 2000. Meanwhile, while laying low in Atlanta, Tommy instigates an argument between Wise and LaKid, two marijuana dealers, which ends with both men drawing their guns and LaKid shooting Wise. After being arrested over the shooting, Tommy is coerced by a shadowy organization with unclear motives into assassinating a Christian preacher, Rev. Saviour, during a sermon on New Year's Eve. Tionne comes home and finds herself confronted by Shameek and his henchmen, who had broken into the home in hopes of finding Sincere, but were unsuccessful. After attempting to interrogate Tionne for information on Sincere and Tommy, they leave when she pulls a gun on them. When Sincere comes home, Tionne tells him what happened and insists that he get out of this dangerous life, which he agrees.

Tommy calls Sincere and asks him to come meet him at a diner in Harlem as they have't seen each other in a long time. Comparing notes, they acknowledge that they have both changed. Tommy has been positively influenced by the Christian movement he has infiltrated and Rev. Savior, and Sincere has similarly decided to change his life in a positive direction, telling Tommy of his plans focus on his family and move to Africa. They marvel at how far they have come and how their paths have changed.

While Sincere talks to his barber outside a barbershop, Black arrives and shoots Sincere in the leg as revenge for his earlier humiliation. Sincere and his barber kill Black and his accomplice in self-defense before fleeing the scene. On New Year's Eve, a conflicted Tommy confronts Rev. Saviour before his scheduled speech and points his gun at him. Saviour convinces Tommy not to go through with his mission, even though this will put his life at risk. A tearful Tommy agrees, and the two men embrace.

Shameek breaks into one of Tommy's homes where Kisha is living, in the hopes of finding Tommy there. He interrogates and assaults Kisha, who manages to turn the tables and get a hold of Shameek's gun, shooting him in the face. In a voiceover, Sincere says he is now in Africa with his family, reflects on recent events and is happy to start a new life.

Cast

Production

While filming Belly, the production was mired by frequent clashes between Williams and the producers, budget constraints, and cast members showing up drunk, high, or late. [9] Much of the $3 million budget was used up on the film's opening scene, which was filmed in the former Tunnel nightclub in New York City. [9] [10] The film's costume designer, June Ambrose, recalled that Williams wanted the film's "shiny look" to "forecast what the hip-hop genre's gonna look like in the millennium." [9] Williams revealed that Jay-Z was considered for the film's title role. [11] The film's casting director was Winsome Sinclair. [12]

Release

When Belly was released in the United States in November 1998, some critics condemned it for its demeaning depictions of young Black or African American men. [13] Furthermore, the Magic Johnson Theatres, a film theater chain then owned by the former basketball player Magic Johnson, banned the film from being shown on its screens due to "negative and violent depictions of African Americans." [14]

Reception

The film was poorly received by critics, scoring a 23% on Rotten Tomatoes from 22 reviews. [15] Although it was generally praised for its highly stylized "noir-like" visual design and cinematography, [16] [7] it was criticized for what was seen as a weak plot. [17] [18]

The film has since developed a cult following. [19] [7] Clayton Purdom of The A.V. Club described Belly as a "far from a perfect film, but it radiates talent, both from Williams and the musicians he captured at their commercial and artistic peak." [10] Khris Davenport of Complex doubled down on the film's legacy and influence, writing that Williams "blazed a trail in black cinema that some filmmakers are only just now starting to understand and build upon." [19]

Sequel

A sequel starring The Game, Belly 2: Millionaire Boyz Club, was released in 2006. The film features no returning cast members nor does it have any connection to the previous film.

Soundtrack

YearAlbumPeak chart positionsCertifications
U.S. U.S. R&B
1998 Belly
  • Released: November 3, 1998
  • Label: Def Jam
52

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DMX</span> American rapper and actor (1970–2021)

Earl Simmons, known professionally as DMX, was an American rapper and actor. Regarded as an influential figure in the late 1990s and early 2000s hip hop, his music is characterized by his "aggressive" rapping style, with lyrical content varying from hardcore themes to prayers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Method Man</span> American rapper (born 1971)

Clifford Smith, Jr., better known by his stage name Method Man, is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. He is a member of the East Coast hip hop collective Wu-Tang Clan, and is half of the hip hop duo Method Man & Redman. He took his stage name from the 1979 film Method Man. In 1996, Method Man won a Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group for "I'll Be There for You/You're All I Need to Get By", featuring R&B singer Mary J. Blige, with whom he currently stars in Power Book II: Ghost, a spin-off of Power.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tionne Watkins</span> American singer (born 1970)

Tionne Tenese Watkins, known professionally as T-Boz, is an American singer. Watkins rose to fame in the early 1990s as a member of the girl-group TLC. She has won four Grammy Awards for her work with TLC.

Harold "Hype" Williams is an American music video and film director, film producer, and screenwriter.

Organized Noize is an American production duo from Atlanta, Georgia, currently composed of Ray Murray and Sleepy Brown.

<i>Grand Champ</i> 2003 studio album by DMX

Grand Champ is the fifth studio album by American rapper DMX. It was released on September 16, 2003 by The Island Def Jam Music Group, Def Jam Recordings, and Ruff Ryders Entertainment. The album was produced by multiple producers, including Swizz Beatz, Dame Grease, Kanye West, and No I.D. It features guest appearances from 50 Cent, Cam'ron, Eve, Styles P, Monica, and Jadakiss, among others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Def Jam Recordings</span> American record label

Def Jam Recordings is an American multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It is based in Manhattan, New York City, specializing predominantly in hip hop, contemporary R&B, soul and pop.

Taral Hicks is an American actress and R&B singer. Hicks is best known for her acting in such films as 1993's American crime drama film A Bronx Tale and her 1997 debut R&B studio album This Time which featured a cover of Deniece Williams' "Silly" that peaked at No. 4 on Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Murder Inc. (rap group)</span> American hip hop group

Murder Inc. was an American East Coast hip hop supergroup composed of Jay-Z, DMX, and Ja Rule, formed by record executive Irv Gotti in 1995. They first appeared on fellow New York-based rapper Mic Geronimo's 1995 song "Time to Build." After each gaining commercial success, the trio later appeared on the cover for the June 1999 issue of the hip-hop magazine XXL.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ruff Ryders' Anthem</span> 1998 single by DMX

"Ruff Ryders' Anthem" is a song by American rapper DMX, released on May 5, 1998, as the third single from his debut studio album It's Dark and Hell Is Hot (1998). In 2008, the song was ranked at number 79 on VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of Hip Hop. In the US, upon the song's initial release it had originally peaked at number 93 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, before reaching a new peak of number 16 following DMX's death in April 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Benjamin Chavis</span> African-American civil rights activist (born 1948)

Benjamin Franklin Chavis Jr. is an African-American activist, author, journalist, and the current president and CEO of the National Newspaper Publishers Association. He serves as national co-chair for the political organization No Labels.

Malik Hassan Sayeed is an American cinematographer, producer and director, widely recognized for his work on the 1998 film, Belly. He is represented by production company Little Minx.

Oliver "Power" Grant is an American entrepreneur, producer, streetwear clothing mogul and actor. As a close associate of the hip-hop group, Wu-Tang Clan, Grant executive produced all of the Wu-Tang Clan albums. He is the original founder and CEO of the Wu Wear clothing line and stores.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kendrick Lamar</span> American rapper and songwriter (born 1987)

Kendrick Lamar Duckworth is an American rapper and songwriter. Regarded as one of the most influential hip hop artists of his generation, and one of the greatest rappers of all time, he is known for his technical artistry and complex songwriting. He was awarded the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Music, becoming the first musician outside of the classical and jazz genres to be honored.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Machine Gun Kelly (musician)</span> American musician (born 1990)

Colson Baker, known professionally as MGK, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and actor. He is noted for his genre duality across alternative rock with hip hop.

"Grand Finale" is a song by rappers DMX, Ja Rule, Method Man and Nas. It is first single from the soundtrack to the 1998 film, Belly. The single made it to number 63 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks and number 18 on the Hot Rap Singles. A remix to the song features rapper Vita.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Future (rapper)</span> American rapper (born 1983)

Nayvadius DeMun Cash, known professionally as Future, is an American rapper and singer. Known for his mumble-styled vocals and prolific output, Future is considered a pioneer of the use of Auto-Tuned melodies in trap music. Due to the sustained popularity of this musical style, he is commonly regarded as one of the most influential rappers of his generation.

<i>CrazySexyCool: The TLC Story</i> 2013 American TV series or program

CrazySexyCool: The TLC Story is a 2013 American biographical television film about the R&B and hip hop musical trio TLC. Directed by Charles Stone III, written by Kate Lanier, and named after the group's 1994 album CrazySexyCool, the film stars Keke Palmer as Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas, Niatia "Lil Mama" Kirkland as Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes and Drew Sidora as Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins. The real-life Thomas and Watkins also served as executive producers of the film.

<i>Belly</i> (soundtrack) 1998 soundtrack album by Various artists

Belly (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the soundtrack to Hype Williams' 1998 film Belly. It was released on November 3, 1998, through Def Jam Recordings and featured production from the likes of Poke & Tone, Dame Grease, Sean Combs and Swizz Beatz. The soundtrack was a success, peaking at #5 on the Billboard 200 and #2 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, and spawned the single "Grand Finale" by rappers DMX, Ja Rule, Method Man and Nas. "Grand Finale" made it to #63 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and #18 on the Hot Rap Songs. Four music video singles were released for "Grand Finale", "What About", "Movin' Out" and "Tommy's Theme".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vita (rapper)</span> American rapper

LaVita Raynor, known simply as Vita, is an American rapper, songwriter and actress. Raynor is perhaps best known for her role as Kionna, Tommy "Buns" Bundy's "mistress" in the 1998 crime drama film Belly. As a rapper, Raynor is known for her appearances on the songs "Lapdance" by N.E.R.D, "Put It on Me" by Ja Rule, and "Down 4 U" by Irv Gotti. In 2014, Raynor was included in Billboard's list of the "31 Female Rappers Who Changed Hip-Hop".

References

  1. ↑ "Belly (1998) - Financial information". The Numbers . Archived from the original on 24 November 2022. Retrieved 24 November 2022.
  2. ↑ "Belly (1998)". Box Office Mojo . Archived from the original on September 22, 2024. Retrieved July 4, 2011.
  3. ↑ "Belly (1998)". MQRE. Archived from the original on 14 September 2012. Retrieved 24 May 2012.
  4. ↑ Knight, Shamarie (2023-11-04). "Belly: The Iconic Crime Drama That Left a Lasting Impact on Hip-Hop and Pop Culture for 25 Years". Medium. Archived from the original on 2024-09-22. Retrieved 2024-01-11.
  5. ↑ P, Milca (2021-11-21). "Sean Paul Details How DMX Helped Him Land Appearance In "Belly"". HotNewHipHop. Archived from the original on 2024-01-11. Retrieved 2024-01-11.
  6. ↑ Walker, Joe (2021-11-19). "Sean Paul Explains How DMX Put Him In 'Belly' Movie". HipHopDX. Archived from the original on 2024-01-11. Retrieved 2024-01-11.
  7. 1 2 3 "FSD Feature: Q-Ball Talks About Crucial Conflict's Role in Belly". Fake Shore Drive. February 27, 2012. Archived from the original on 24 November 2022. Retrieved 24 November 2022.
  8. ↑ "Today in Hip Hop History: 'Belly' Released in Theaters 19 Years Ago". The Source. November 4, 2017. Archived from the original on 22 September 2024. Retrieved 24 November 2022.
  9. 1 2 3 Malcolm, S. (August 13, 2008). "Belly Oral History". King Magazine. Archived from the original on September 22, 2024. Retrieved January 3, 2019.
  10. 1 2 Purdom, Clayton (August 20, 2018). "Hype Williams' love of hip-hop animates the hallucinatory, underrated Belly". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on January 4, 2019. Retrieved January 3, 2019.
  11. ↑ Augustin, Camille (November 5, 2018). "Hype Williams Says JAY-Z's Name Popped Up During 'Belly's Casting". Vibe. Archived from the original on November 6, 2018. Retrieved January 3, 2019.
  12. ↑ "Winsome Sinclair, Casting Director Who Worked Often With Spike Lee, Dies at 58". Archived from the original on 2024-09-22. Retrieved 2024-08-18.
  13. ↑ D'Arcy, Janice (November 11, 1998). "Belly Stirs a Debate About Violence in Films". Hartford Courant. Archived from the original on July 7, 2021. Retrieved July 27, 2021.
  14. ↑ "Bombast: Belly". Film Comment. September 26, 2014. Archived from the original on September 22, 2024. Retrieved July 27, 2021.
  15. ↑ "Belly". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on November 1, 2023. Retrieved August 25, 2023.
  16. ↑ "Hype Williams' 'Belly' Is One of the Great Hip-Hop Noirs". Collider . July 15, 2022. Archived from the original on 24 November 2022. Retrieved 24 November 2022.
  17. ↑ LaSalle, Mick (November 4, 1998). "A Clumsy Film Debut, Williams' Belly Flops". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on November 24, 2022. Retrieved November 24, 2022.
  18. ↑ Richburg, Chris; Williams, Houston (June 12, 2006). "DMX Talks 'Beast' Sequel to 'Belly'". AllHipHop.com. Archived from the original on October 20, 2006.
  19. 1 2 Davenport, Khris (December 19, 2018). "How 'Belly' Changed Hip-Hop and Hollywood". Complex. Archived from the original on January 4, 2019. Retrieved January 3, 2019.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.