Jay Z and Will Smith are teaming up to tell the story of Emmett Till with an HBO miniseries, Entertainment Weekly reports.
Till was a Black teenager who in 1955 was beaten and killed in Mississippi for allegedly whistling at a White woman.
James Lassiter and Aaron Kaplan are executive producing the program alongside the two rappers. Jay Z’s Roc Nation is listed as a production company for the project.
The miniseries has not released the title of the show or the writing credits.
Jay Z and Smith worked together to produce the 2014 remake of the film Annie.
Emmett Till was in Hip Hop headlines in 2013 when Lil Wayne referenced the teenager on Future’s “Karate Chop Remix.” Lil Wayne was criticized for rapping “beat that pussy up like Emmett Till.”
For additional Jay Z coverage, watch the following DX Daily:
I beat the pussy up like Emmitt Till
RIP Emmitt Till
@Lil wayne*stooge smh*rip fa real to Emmit*side note*masonic handshake*look at good willy in the suicide squad trailer*or photos*he has a pyramid & eye on his belt buckle*Its real*I know*my silver hats on already*
Out of all the black historical characters in the history of this earth they decide to make a movie about some dumb shit for niggas to get mad at white ppl about, why not make a movie about king musa or some shit….
[Jay-Z:]
I arrived on the day Fred Hampton died
Real niggas just multiply
And they say by 21 I was supposed to die
So I’m out here celebratin’ my post demise
If you put crabs in a barrel to insure your survival
You gon’ end up pulling down niggas that look just like you
What up blood? What up cos?
It’s all black, I love us
James Lassiter? I thought It was Jaime Lannister for a second. Winter is coming.