Spike Lee posted a video to Vimeo yesterday (November 5) to address criticism he has received over the trailer for his forthcoming Chi-Raq film.
“The trailer was released and there’s very humorous moments in the trailer,” the director says. “Some people are going to twist it and think that this is a comedy. Chi-Raq is not a comedy. Chi-Raq is a satire. And there’s a difference between satire and comedy.”
The film is an adaptation of the Greek play Lysistrata set in inner-city Chicago. The city is sometimes referred to as “Chi-Raq.”
“In no way, shape or form are we not respectful of the situation that is happening in Chi-Raq,” Lee continues. “In no way, shape or form are we making fun of the lives that have been murdered with this senseless violence. So people, don’t get it twisted. Don’t get it twisted, this film is about serious business. There’s many films and we can look in the history of American cinema that treated very serious subject matter and had humor in them. This whole statement, ‘I gotta laugh to keep from crying,’ I think that’s apropos with Chi-Raq.”
Many rappers including Lil Durk and Lil Bibby, took to social media to share their thoughts on the trailer, calling it a “parody” and a “prank.” Vince Staples joined in the discussion and said Spike Lee is “coocoo for cocoa puffs.” Rhymefest expressed his disapproval by saying “a comedy is being made about death in Chicago.”
That whole women holding out on pussy to make niggas act right is stupid as fuck. What, niggas cant even import pussy from Ohio?
I have mixed feelings with this. On one hand, I’m interested in how it’s an adaptation of Lysistrata, written by one of the most legendary playwrights ever–Aristophanes. On the other hand, I understand why people are pissed off.
It could be a movie that needed to be made, or it could be terrible.
I definitely think that people really got twisted by the trailer. Don’t get me wrong I think I was too, but I guess the trailer was not representative AT ALL of the whole movie. Let’s see it to judge. I mean, come on, would Spike Lee be kidding about what happening in Chicago? Hell no. Let’s see that whole movie to judge.
The message is stop giving lost niggas pussy to save the same niggas that came out of a pussy
To make niggas stop the bullshit
Without feeling pussy …..over and out
Black Folks Really Need To SHut D Fuc Up And Watch The Damn Movie..When HAve THis Man(Spike LEe) every Made Fun of Black lives.. SMH Damn MOFOS need to chill D Fuck out acting like Bitches.. Every One Knows how Chicago is.. ANd U think Spike Would disrespect IT? Thats WHy Blacks Can’t Evolve now, always Tearing each other down.. ITs Already enough The MAN is but We Are doing it To Each Other as Well…Chill out and Watch A beautiful Movie..Vince STFU i Love Ur music but u dont even respect 90s Music smh GTFOH
some of these people who have criticism, I would question their intelligence. If anyone is familiar with Spikes work, knows how much he cares about the plight of black people. this is art out of the box to bring to light the seriousness of a situation. Rhymefest needs to chill, he should know better. Lil bibby and lil durk some dome ass ignorant niggaz who need to do more than promote violence and all the ills of their communities in their rap and stop talking about its all i know, go to hell with that bullshit and vince staples a dumb as nigga that think the 90’s hiphop is overrated, he proved by those jackass statements he aint qualified to talk about shit. And I dont want to hear about you as a gangbanger, that shit corny. PERIOD
Again… None if you are from here. 98% of this city don’t even like the name, ChiRaq.
Y’all niggas corn balls. Fuck this nigga Spike Lee. None if the money he make back gonna see, Chicago. But you gonna use our situation for profit. Niggas been knowin about the violence for years! Lame ass dude. He can post a hunned videos. Fuck Spike Lee.
I can barely even understand what you’re saying. You are the problem.
“None if?” 98%? What are you doing to help clean the city of violence? Spike has money without this film. Exactly why things haven’t changed in Chicago.
Can’t wait to watch this movie looks really good.
You know niggas don’t wanna see nothing that’s not your typical guns, drugs, and gangs. Creativity in the black community has become so foreign that it’s resisted like a sickness. Man, Spike Lee is one of the ONLY black artist/celebrities that actually tries to use his craft for something GOOD. Niggas wanted that shit to be like “The Wire” or something. They wanted further glorification of the violence in Chicago. They think that shit gives ’em props or something. If I hear one more rapper say “I’m just a product of my environment” I’m gonna vomit. I know niggas from third world countries with more sense than these mufuckas, so that excuse is bullshit. Don’t be mad that Spike Lee is showcasing the ignorance of all of it. It’s good. It’s shedding light on something ugly so that people don’t think it’s cool. It SHOULD be ridiculed. It’s ridiculous. Spike Lee’s legacy is solidified. I doubt he went into this without knowing what he’s doing. Peace.
He should have named it saints row: the movie. That $hit look like a cartoon bruh
Big ups*long live the 80s & 90s*
These rappers and all the black folks that are jumping on their knee-jerk reaction are just showing their ignorance to the world. If you know anything about satire and Spike Lee you would understand he’s not coming close to making light of violence in Chicago. On another note, this territorialism seen in black folks is a big part of the problem. You people jump on here saying “I’m Chicago, y’all don’t know nothing about my city.” First of all, you have no ownership in Chicago, the city is not yours. Secondly, that means you’re conforming to the stereotypes associated with the city. Get smart, get worldly, and advance yourselves.
Damn u hit it right on the head ducking Saints Row. It’s definitely not no Chi Raq shit. Like Spike Lee but he should’ve used a different name and he wouldn’t be getting grief. And if u not from the GO u would never understand
Why do we have to sound so ignorant? How the heck is spike lee going to make light of the situation in Chicago? If you know his movies, you’d know he always has messages in his flicks. Oh, you want it to look like another menace to society, boys in the hood, new jack city, and countless others. He wants to put a different twist to it and make it less common and boring. Nothing wrong with that. It’s called expanding your horizons. It’s called art. this has been done in a lot of movies based on serious events. Dr. Strange love comes to mind. Think people and stop making yourself look dumb. I’m actually quite disappointed in rhymefest for speaking against the movie. At least see it first. The other rappers that commented? That was expected.
Truth
What a load of shit that’s the new age rap artists blowin there immature respect to a man that gave us do the right thing .. Public enemy had his back he showed us the Brooklyn struggle from all ethnics he even had a clothes brand cross colours … Read the story behind it … All these fake ass rappers new school ain’t gotta clue all media don’t see them walkin round Brooklyn slatin spike get a grip end of day films a film don’t always have to be a documentary to da word
lmao…Cross Colours was definitely not Spike Lee’s brand
How much did u donate lo$t
You dumb ass ignorant cunts this is art. If this shit was a joke or parody do you think Jennifer Hudson would be in it? Her family was slain in”chi-raq”. This is a real depiction of Chicago with comedy. Get off dick. Spike Lee is a legend and none of the new artists that nobody know of even have the right to comment.