Changing of The Guard

“I spoke to them and then I sat down and watched the movie. And I felt like the baton had been passed… I felt, I don’t know if the word is ‘relieved,’ but I was proud to see what they had done and seeing where they were headed." - Denzel Washington, People

We all concern ourselves with the future in one way or another, especially if you’re in a creative field.

If you’re a creative who’s lucky enough to have a career that touches the hearts and minds of millions, at some point, you’ll likely find yourself wondering about the legacy you’re leaving in this world.

Moreover, if you’re a Black creative, your wonders are often about who‘s gonna carry the baton when you can no longer run the race.

The quote above from Denzel says that more than anything, he felt a sense of relief after watching Black Panther for the first time a few years ago.

Why?

Because he finally witnessed something he’d been waiting for. Something that generations who grew up admiring his work were already sensing in the air.

What he witnessed in realtime is what’s often referred to as the changing of the guard—that moment when the new generation can finally step into the shoes of the older generation and continue the legacy they started.

The changing of the guard happens in all walks of life and in every creative field too, from music to sports — whether it’s Snoop & Dre handing the keys to Kendrick on the West Coast or a young Kobe guarding MJ, the change is inevitable, and it’s a joy to witness it in real-time.

In the world of film, for the longest time, the guard was Spike Lee & Denzel Washington, and now, in the 2020s and beyond, we now have a new duo to take The Culture forward:

Ryan Coogler & Michael B. Jordan.

Together, those two have given us box office gold, and Sinners is the latest example of this. The early reviews already say that it’s Ryan Coogler’s Magnum Opus and Michael B. Jordan’s best performance thus far.

That said, the SNOBHOP audience hails from all walks of life, so I’m not expecting you to know both Ryan and Michael B’s journeys in totality. After all, if you did, we wouldn’t be able to talk about it right now.

Y’all know the vibe! Let’s get into it.

A LITTLE BIT ABOUT RYAN COOGLER…

Ryan was born on May 23rd, 1986, in Oakland, CA, to Ira and Joselyn Coogler. His father, Ira, was a juvenile hall probation counselor, and his mother, Joselyn, was a community organizer and political activist.

He was involved in a wide range of sports at a young age but ultimately possessed the skills to secure a Football Scholarship, which brought him to Saint Mary’s College as a redshirt Wide Receiver.

While there, Ryan was encouraged to take a creative writing class as an elective—a choice that would change his life forever. Upon taking the class, a professor interested in his work recommended that he pursue a career in screenwriting.

From there, Ryan applied to USC Film School, earning an MFA in Film Production.

A LITTLE BIT ABOUT MICHAEL B. JORDAN…

Michael B. Jordan was born on February 9th, 1987, in Santa Ana, California, to Donna and Michael A. Jordan.

Like Ryan, MJB is also a Cali native, although he was raised on the East Coast, in New Jersey. While there, he attended Newark Arts High, where his mother taught, and the early seeds of his acting career began to flourish with TV work.

Many who know Michael B. Jordan first saw him in Hardball, where he played one of the members the Kekambas baseball team (they shoulda let him play smh).

Others know Jordan for his breakout role on The Wire, where he played Wallace — which you can see below (Where’s Wallace, String?!).

Michael B. Jordan as Wallace in The Wire

THE PROJECTS THAT DEFINE THEM

Ryan Coogler and Michael B. Jordan's decade-long partnership demonstrates the creative potential of a duo with the right chemistry.

To date, all of Ryan Coogler’s films have starred Michael B Jordan, and they have worked on quite a few projects together. Here are a just a few highlights and their significance.

I. FRUITVALE STATION (2013)

This was the first film on which the duo collaborated, and ironically, it was a breakout film for both of them.

Michael B. Jordan had carved out a nice lane for himself in TV and film, appearing in Red Tails, Law & Order, and Friday Night Lights, to name a few.

On the flipside, Ryan Coogler was fresh out of film school and this was his first feature-length film.

What made this project special, aside from being their first creative effort together, is that the powerful story of Oscar Grant was shot on film —a rarity in the digital age.

And if that wasn’t enough, the film grossed $17 million despite having a budget of only $ 900,000.

Some duos just make magic together, and this film proved that both young talents had a bright future in the film industry.

II. CREED (2015)

At a time when reboots and spin-offs were becoming the norm, Creed stood head and shoulders above the competition. This was another milestone for both creatives and it sparked a franchise that now has 3 movies (with rumors of a fourth one day).

The scene below is from a pivotal part of the film. Personally, it was when I realized that Ryan Coogler had a different eye from other directors.

Michael B. delivered a stellar performance as the son of Apollo Creed, reaffirming his range as a dramatic actor to fans.

III. BLACK PANTHER

And then there was Black Panther.

Its impact was so evident that people saluted each other with "Wakanda Forever" for months (which in digital time is like 10 years). Although its release seems like a lifetime ago, this solidified the power of this creative duo.

On the one hand, Ryan demonstrated what he could achieve with a major Hollywood budget. On the other hand, Michael B. delivered yet another award-winning performance as Killmonger, the film's antagonist.

PLUS THE SOUNDTRACK WAS AMAZING.

In a recent interview, Coogler mentioned that he tapped Kendrick Lamar to write a song for the film, and upon checking in with him about the progress, he was instead invited to the studio, where Kendrick played him an entire album.

To date, The Black Panther Soundtrack is one of the best— and possibly the only —movie soundtracks created by a hip-hop artist in recent years.

BP’s release was also a massive event for Marvel—fans worldwide were dressing up to see Black Panther, showing up two or three times to view it, and it felt like everyone finally got their flowers for that film, including the late Chadwick Boseman, who delivered the performance of his career.

THEIR ART OF STORYTELLING

The thing that really allows the older generation to relax when it comes to passing the baton is knowing that the customs and standards they established in their generation aren’t going away.

Michael B. Jordan and Ryan Coogler's commitment to craft is unparalleled. So much so, that the focal point of the film's promotion is also an education in the craft itself.

One of the viral clips leading up to the release of their newest joint effort, “Sinners,” shows Ryan Coogler and Kodak getting together to explain the aspect ratios in which the film is available for viewing.

The content shows Ryan’s passion for filmmaking, his eye for detail, and the sheer amount of love that went into this film. The clip has become so popular that even casual movie watchers with no interest in filmmaking are now clamoring to see the movie in IMAX 70mm, which Ryan Coogler says is how the film was intended to be seen.

As an aside to marketers and brand folks who are reading this…

The content above is truly something worth noting.

Consider that, without seeing anything beyond the clip, many were convinced that the movie was worth watching because it exemplied passion & dedication instead of a money grab.

Sh*t, it was so cool I went to USC Film School’s website after watching it to see about enrollment. True story.

EPILOGUE

As of the time of writing this, I’ll likely have seen Sinners, and I suspect it’ll be a great film (stand by, I’ll update the piece below if that’s the case).

Above all, keep it a bean ya’ll.

There’s a lot going on in the world, and we could all use a second to step away for a spell, as the old folks say.

Check out the new movie, vibe out with ya people, and see what the hype is all about.

**Real-time update**

It’s Thursday night, and I just got out of the movie.

It’s a masterpiece. Go watch it.

One.