Michael Kiwanuka and Nas have collaborated to soundtrack Baz Lurhmann’s new Netflix drama series, The Get Down.
The series trailer, launched on Monday evening via YouTube, features snippets of Nas rapping over Michael’s new album track, ‘Rule The World’. The show launches on the 12th August 2016.
Nas, narrator of the series, has also worked on a new version of ‘Black Man In A White World’ for the show.
Australian film director Baz Luhrmann is an avid fan of Michael’s music, inviting him to perform at The Get Down’s media launch in London earlier this month, where he referred to Michael as a ‘genius’. It was Luhrmann’s idea to being the two artists together.
Describing Michael’s music and the relationship he has with it, Luhrmann commented:
“Michael Kiwanuka’s music came into my life at the same time we were evolving the story of The Get Down. While we’ve worked with many of the great classic artists from hip-hop, soul, and dance, Michael’s music was perfect to illuminate our main character of Books, who like Michael himself, is stepping out into the world asking questions: who is he, where is he going, what is life about? The Get Down’s musical palette makes use of many classic tracks from hip-hop, soul, disco, and punk but we’re also creating new works.
“What I find remarkable, is while his songs are immediately fresh on first listening, you have a feeling that they’re somehow classics that you’ve been hearing for years. I guess this only speaks to the influence of his heroes Otis Redding, Issac Hayes, Jimi Hendrix, and Marvin Gaye, all iconic music figures performing and recording at the time that our story is set.”
The Get Down is a mythic saga of how New York at the brink of bankruptcy gave birth to a new art form. Set in New York in 1977, this music-driven drama series chronicles the rise of hip-hop and the last days of disco -– told through the lives, music, art and dance of the South Bronx kids who would change the world forever.
The Get Down is from Baz Luhrmann and a team of collaborators including four-time Oscar winner and fellow executive producer Catherine Martin, legendary MC and executive producer Nas, associate producer Grandmaster Flash, Pulitzer Prize winning playwright, co-creator and executive producer Stephen Adly Guirgis; and expert collaborators, including hip-hop historian and supervising producer Nelson George.
Michael Kiwanuka released his widely acclaimed second album, ‘Love & Hate’ last week. It debuted at Number 1 in the UK album chart, handing Michael his first chart topping record. His October headline tour now includes a sold-out show at London’s Shepherds Bush Empire.
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