Why Brooklyn’s Drill Music Is the Heartbeat of My New Film
Eddie Huang discusses his directorial debut, and what it was like working with the late Pop Smoke
For the past decade, Eddie Huang has maneuvered with the passion of a mixtape rapper. Whether through memoir or food, the author-chef-restaurateur-producer-host-attorney used that mentality to produce generation-defining projects that highlight his experiences as the first-generation son of Taiwanese immigrants. And now, he can add “film director” to the list.
Huang is less than a month away from the release of Boogie, his directorial debut. It tells the story of Alfred “Boogie” Chin (played by actor and former yakitori chef Taylor Takahashi), a basketball player living in Queens who dreams of NBA stardom. The late Brooklyn drill rapper Pop Smoke also makes one of his last appearances in the film.
While preparing for February 18’s Hennessy-sponsored X.O.OX Lunar New Year Celebration fundraiser for small businesses impacted by Covid-19, Huang discusses not only Boogie but prepping for a year of good fortune by preparing his favorite Lunar New Year dish, Lion’s Head Meatballs.
Lunar New Year is a spiritual time for me.
