I’ve openly admitted my frustration with Hollywood’s ever popular portrayal of African American stories as gritty, real, urban, etc. I promise you, most are good. I, myself, am absolutely worn thin of it. What makes Nrtflix’s Roxanne Roxanne any different? Nothing except that it’s the gritty, real, urban tale of Roxanne Shante, a rapper I remember as young kid. The acting was quite superb, Netflix is excellent with their casting. The storyline is grounded in truth so the drama was realistic. You could predict the decisions that Roxanne Shante would make. Her rationale and the origins of her thinking were clearly established. All of this is common in urban/black films. What makes Netflix’s Roxanne Roxanne any different? Her story hints at a greater impact on early Hip Hop than I knew. Biz Markie and Nas breezed through her story as well. It was enough to make me Google her story for comparison’s sake (the ultimate compliment for any true story).
