Each month, we will speak to an athlete, celebrity, designer, or non-Hip Hop entertainer about what Hip Hop means to them. This feature is intended to showcase how far-reaching the influence of Hip Hop culture has grown in the past 50 years and how much the culture means to so many.
This month, we spoke with accomplished actor Blair Underwood.
Blair Underwood is a distinguished American actor and director whose career has spanned over four decades, marked by his suave screen presence and versatile performances. While he gained widespread acclaim and two Golden Globe nominations for his breakout role as attorney Jonathan Rollins on the legal drama L.A. Law, his journey into the spotlight began in the heart of the 1980s Hip Hop scene.
Underwood made his feature film debut in the 1985 cult classic Krush Groove, where he starred as Russell Walker, a character based on legendary Def Jam co-founder Russell Simmons. His portrayal of a young, ambitious manager navigating the early days of the music industry served as a launching pad for his status as a Hollywood mainstay.
So Blair, what does Hip-Hop mean to you?
“Hip Hop was not noise to me. It was scripture on brick, psalms sprayed in aerosol across the ribs of the Bronx.
It was heart before industry, soul before sponsorship, culture before it knew it was culture. I came to New York with two suitcases and a prayer, and the city answered in rhythm.
My first film, Krush Groove, was more than a credit. It was an initiation, a doorway, a nod from a movement still naming itself.
The Bronx was not just geography; it was a teacher. It said, “make something from nothing. Stand in your truth. Turn struggle into sound.”
Hip Hop raised its voice, and I found mine. What began as block parties became a global language. What began as survival became sovereignty.
And somewhere between the cipher and the stage lights, between subway rumble and Broadway curtain, I realized I was not just witnessing a culture emerge. I was emerging with it.
Heart. Soul. New York. Not just where I started, but who I became.”
Actor/director/producer Blair Underwood (“Krush Groove”) next stars in “Youngblood” opening March 6 and “One Spoon of Chocolate” written & directed by RZA. His book “A Soldier’s Wife: My Mother, The Marvelous Marilyn A. Underwood,” a memoir for his mom is available April 14 and for pre-sale orders now https://www.harpercollins.com/products/a-soldiers-wife-blair-underwood
