Subscribe

Devin Miles led fictional institution, Atlanta A&T, to a win at the Battle of the Bands 12 long years ago in 2002’s Drumline.  A new generation will have an opportunity to learn the “one band, one sound” mantra in Drumline: A New Beat.

Hip-Hop Wired had an opportunity to discuss the film with lead actress Alexandra Shipp, who plays upper class Brooklyn native Danielle “Dani” Raymond. A key difference between A New Beat and the original is that the follow-up will premiere on VH1 as opposed to movie theaters. Shipp, however, sees this as a lucrative avenue to premiere the film.

“Big feature films in theaters, of course, are always going to be a big thing, but television is doing a lot of great stuff these days,” Shipp explained. “TV is on the rise. It’s ridiculous how great TV is becoming in comparison to film.”

Noting the number of opportunities Black actors and actresses are receiving on television nowadays, the starring role is a major look for the rising actress.

It also helps that viewers are already acclimated with the general premise of the story. According to Shipp, “This movie is all about the drumline.” Director Bille Woodruff focuses on character development; as the freshman characters learn more about themselves, so does the viewer.

“In this movie, we [the cast] learned how to showcase ourselves while showcasing the drumline,” Shipp revealed.

With the current reach of television and the previous popularity of VH1 films like the TLC biopic, it’s our hope that young viewers will be enamored with the HBCU experience being depicted on screen. Drumline: A New Beat airs TONIGHT 9/8c on VH1.

Photo: VH1