Review: Brown Sugar

Who doesn’t love a little bit of brown sugar? Rick Iamaylwa directs another classic with Brown Sugar with a romantic comedy tying in the love for hip-hop to the love of two best friends played by Sanaa Lathan and Taye Diggs. Many may say Sanaa Lathan’s best performance was in Love and Basketball but I disagree. I loved Lathan’s cool character, but at the same time she was about her business and the fact that she was so successful and knowledgeable about hip-hop made her more of a charm.

Lathan’s character Sidney ‘Sid’ Shaw represented a hip hop savvy women that head focus on her career being the editor-in-chief of the popular hip-hop magazine XXL. Her life long best friend Andre Romulus ‘Dre’ Ellis played by Taye Diggs is an Artist and repertoire at Milennium Records. These two where bonded since a young age first meeting each other at a rap battle between Slick Rick, Dana Dane, and Doug E. Fresh. It was at this moment with the two fell in love with hip-hop, as well as each other.

As life progressed the two still remained close, but things shook up when Dre purposes to short time girlfriend, Resse played by Nicole Ari Parker. Sid is shocked by this news, but plays in cool as she tries to support Dre.

Sid and Dre’s relationship start begin to change the day before the wedding when the two share a kiss, but the moment was quickly ended and two went back to being ‘bestfriends.’ Love soon came to Sid’s way as she meets NBA basketball star Kelby Dawkins played by Boris Kodjoe. The two started dating and during the course of their relationship Dre finds out just how unauthentic hip hop is when his new artist Rin and Tin are nothing but a moocher to hip-hop. This is when Dre quit his job and decided to start his own record label.

What I love most about the film is how hip-hop tied into love somehow. When Dre found out that he was becoming a sell out, was during the same time his relationship with Reese started going downhill because not only was he becoming a sell out, he was also selling out on who he really loved, Sid. As Dre stared falling out of love, Sid’s relationship with Kelby grew more, eventually resulting into a proposal. After a long game of cat and mouse Sid and Dre are finally together towards the end of the film. Dre ask her, “When did you fall in love with hip hop, and she replies, “I’ve loved you since the moment I saw you.”

The movie was no doubt a love story, but what made it so different from other love stories was the music in it. This film was filed with rap legends like Fabulous, Common, Methad Man and of course Most Def who played an up in coming rapper as well as Dre’s fist artist for his new record label.

Lathan wasn’t the only incredible female in this movie. Queen Latifah blessed the screen as she played Sid’s outspoken cousin. Nicole Ari Parker looked stunning in this film playing the short-lived wife of Dre.

Sanaa Lathan is the filmiest this week because her timeless character is still being honored today, and she represented every tong boy with a twist of sexiness.

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