20 years after making his acting debut in Spike Lee’s Clockers and chalking up memorable roles in The Shield and Blade: The Series along the way, Kirk “Sticky Fingaz” Jones is helping the next generation of actors and directors get their foot in the door.
Sticky’s first feature length documentary How To Make A Major Independent Movie provides behind-the-scenes tips and tricks to aspiring filmmakers, alongside words of advice from Sticky’s celebrity co-stars Michael Chiklis, Omar Epps, Dennis Quaid, Bookeem Woodbine and Michael Rappaport among many others.
While en route to Onyx’s Ukraine, Russia and Czech Republic tour last week, HipHopDX caught up with Sticky about movies, music and being in Fredro’s corner (at the recent Fredro Starr Vs. Keith Murray rap battle).
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Batman Vs. Blade
HipHopDX: When did you start shooting your documentary, and what inspired you to tackle this subject?
Sticky Fingaz: Started when I was filming A Day In The Life. I wanted to make films and describe the process I went through.
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DX: Your documentary features an impressive roster of Hollywood names you’ve acted with, including the late Patrick Swayze. Did you get a chance to talk music with Patrick, or tell him how much his name had been used in rap lyrics?
Sticky Fingaz: No I didn’t, but we did go to a club with the rest of the cast.
DX: Your Blade TV series seems to have been a blueprint for all the other super-hero TV series we see today. Which character/actor out now in TV or cinema would you enjoy fighting the most as Blade?
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Sticky Fingaz: I think Blade would kick Batman’s ass!
Fredro Star Vs. Keith Murray
DX: Topics you wrote about on your Blacktrash: The Autobiography Of Kirk Jones solo album in 2001 sound more relevant than ever, from money to race relations. How long did it take you to write the album, and what do you remember about the recording sessions with Raekwon, Eminem, etc?
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Sticky Fingaz: It took a few months to write the album, but with all the guest stars it might have been longer. Eminem had me laughing for 7 hours straight. Raekwon was just another day at the office, working with fam.
DX: The world will be remembering Jam Master Jay on his passing anniversary this month. Do you have a favorite Onyx song you worked on with him?
Sticky Fingaz: All of them!
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DX: How do you feel Queens’ emcees rank in comparison to Brooklyn, Manhattan, Bronx, and Staten Island?
Sticky Fingaz: I don’t separate by boroughs. I think NYC rappers are the best on Earth, though.
DX: What did you say to Fredro Starr before he stepped into the ring with Keith Murray this past Sunday? What did you think of their rap battle?
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Sticky Fingaz: I didn’t really say anything because I already knew he was gonna kill Murray. I thought Keith must not have prepared for the battle or he just started the night before. But overall I thought it was a good look for Hip Hop. It was entertaining and everything was peaceful.
Purchase Sticky’s new documentary How To Make A Major Independent Movie as a digital download at StickyFingaz.com.
Raoul Juneja is a NYC native turned Toronto veejay, TV producer, columnist and award-winning literacy advocate. Follow him on twitter @raouljuneja.
