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Season Premiere of GODFATHER OF HARLEM airs on Sunday, September 29th at 10:00 PM ET/PT on EPIX
“By Whatever Means Necessary”
SEPTEMBER 29
Bumpy Johnson (Forest Whitaker) returns from Alcatraz after an eleven year absence to reunite with his family and reclaim his Harlem territory from Italian mob boss Vincent “Chin” Gigante (Vincent D’Onofrio). He finds an unlikely ally in his old friend Malcolm X.
GODFATHER OF HARLEM is inspired by the true story of infamous crime boss Bumpy Johnson (Forest Whitaker), who in the early 1960s returned from eleven years in prison to find the neighborhood he once ruled in shambles. With the streets controlled by the Italian mob, Bumpy must take on the Genovese crime family to regain control. During the brutal battle, he forms an alliance with radical preacher Malcolm X (Nigél Thatch) – catching Malcolm’s political rise in the crosshairs of social upheaval and a mob war that threatens to tear the city apart. GODFATHER OF HARLEM is a collision of the criminal underworld and the civil rights movement during one of the most tumultuous times in American history.
In addition to Oscar winner Forest Whitaker (The Last King of Scotland) as star and executive producer and Nigél Thatch (Selma, American Dreams), cast members include Vincent D’Onofrio (Law and Order: Criminal Intent, Daredevil), lfenesh Hadera (She’s Gotta Have It, Baywatch), Paul Sorvino (Goodfellas), Chazz Palminteri (A Bronx Tale, Modern Family), Giancarlo Esposito (Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul), Lucy Fry (Bright, Vampire Academy), Kelvin Harrison Jr. (It Comes at Night, Mudbound) and Antoinette Crowe-Legacy.
A song written during months of recovery from spinal surgery might be expected to sound a little heavy. jon scott’s “YOU ARE SO REAL” takes a different route.
The single came together while scott was bedbound and working through rehabilitation. It reflects the support he received from family, friends and others who reached out, as well as the happiness of returning to creative work. Yet the finished track is not weighed down by that story. It sounds like someone who has found a reason to put the kettle on, turn up the music and enjoy the day.
The retro-inspired production gives it a relaxed, classic feel, while the vocals keep things upbeat and joyful. The chorus is direct, and the instrumental section lets the song settle into its own rhythm.
That contrast is what makes the track interesting. The circumstances behind it are serious, but the song itself is about what makes life worth celebrating. It is not trying to turn recovery into a dramatic musical statement. Instead, it takes the support that helped scott through and gives it a joyous soundtrack.
“YOU ARE SO REAL” is a song about feeling better, but it gets there through a good mood rather than a heavy explanation. That is a refreshing way to approach a subject that could easily have gone in another direction. Have a listen for yourself below, courtesy of Now Listen.
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