EXCLUSIVE: Rapper Snoop Dogg will star in biopic The Legend of Fillmore Slim, announced today by Ames Universal and SRI Entertainment. Fillmore Slim — real name Clarence Sims — is a blues singer and guitarist. During the 1960s and ’70s, he was also a well-known pimp in San Francisco, referred to as “The West Coast Godfather of the Game” and “The Pope of Pimping.” Shelly Liebowitz is executive producing. Alan Ames, who is co-producing with Wayne Anderson, produces the syndicated TV series Texas Roadhouse Live. He was approached by Sims’ daughter Rebecca, who helped put the project together. Carole Parker is writing the screenplay. “This film will span decades,” said Ames, “from Slim’s emergence as a musician, to his fascination with the fast life, through his years of incarceration and his redemption.” 
Sims, now 77 years old, is currently touring. Hawthorne James will direct the film. Pre-production is to begin in December, with a March start date targeted.
Snoop Dogg To Topline Fillmore Slim Biopic
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I relish seeing an African American seize the role of a washed up Bay Area pimp about as much as I do seeing them play maids in the Jim Crow South.
Really?
Aren’t there more positive roles Snoop could play that wouldn’t have to fuel such long-standing stereotypes? Or encourage young kids to try and emulate? It’s frustrating that Hollywood is all too ready to embrace and reward black actors/actresses who play snarling thugs (see Denzel W. in “Training Day), hookers, compliant women (see Halle Berry in “Monster’s Ball”), overweight and abused and preyed upon teens (see “Precious”) or jive-talking maids (see “The Help”, or Hattie McDaniel in “Gone With The Wind’).
C’mon Snoop! Aim high(er) ! Don’t denigrate black folks by celebrating pimp-dom! Not cool at all.
So you’re bitching about his choice of roles as demeaning to the black race – when the guy is a known drug abuser and pusher, real-life pimp (supposedly in his *past*) and porn producer. You’re saying that these roles are beneath him? “Snoop Dogg” (LOL) is a king-sized bag of stanky douche. The fact that he’s even famous disgusts me, much less that he’s made millions off of his exploits and image.
I can hear (read) his supporters now, claiming what a nice guy he is; what an upstanding member of society he is; how he’s learned from his past and is now a positive role model. Bullshit. What he is is Doggshit.
Well, Joseph Kennedy was a rum runner and made his millions off of illegal alcohol. So your utter disgust for Snoop is, well, lame because most of today’s richest had less-than-stellar beginnings.
Joseph Kennedy was a douche bad as well. What’s your point. Two douches don’t make a non-douche.
Sooooooo, you want SNOOP DOGG…to aim higher. Stop whatever you’re doing RIGHT now and RUN to the Comedy Store. You gotta do stand-up, man.
Is that a “weed joke?”…Oh, I get it.
The Legend of Fillmore Slim is a film about choices, good and bad, and the eventual redemption that comes after a lifetime of experience….prejudge not lest ye be prejudged. An unlikely role model? Perhaps, but so was Tookie Williams and others who after incarceration and reflection had an eventual positive impact on society in their latter years. We do not celebrate Pimpdom, but rather the lessons learned from it as the stereotypes and myths are debunked.
No there aren’t any roles for him to play because urban content can only be seen as “a rap story, a pimp story, a crime story, and minority in need of saving story or a sassy minority upbringing lifting the spirits of the white hero story. So no Doggy Dogg has no options, but still must provide for his family. At this point his only options are to play these roles or create an Indy project that won’t get picked up.
P.S. Or get under paid at the Tyler Perry “no union rates allowed” studios
I feel ya on all of it except thinking you can get Snoop to “aim higher.” There’s only one “higher” he’d consider, and that’s just the truth. He doesn’t want lose his “street cred,” regardless of how terrible of a light it puts us in.
This is trash. A washed-up fake pimp non-actor playing an old forgotten pimp. All black people will be so proud, especially the legitimate black actors and filmmakers in Hollywood. (EYE ROLL)
Can this pot-smoking “role-model” even stay somber enough to complete filming? It’s bad enough he’s not an actor and is doing a buffoonery film that stereotypes and degrades himself and his race, but this guy is an ass-clown in real life.
You most be white washed and ignorant to say something like that. How we get a little education and move to the suburbs and forget where we once come from. This is just a story of a man and his love of Music, a man longing for the American dream, which would be to rise above his present living and economical conditions by any mean necessary at one of the oldest professions in History and returning back to his true love and passion Music. Fillmore Slime didn’t create the game, he tap into something that was there before him, but elevated it to suited his needs. If Snoop Dogg portrays Fillmore correctly hr can elavete himself to a level where he can do many deferent types of roles, but you have to get you chops wet somewhere. Who are we to criticize a man and his hustle. If you are so upset then you produce a role for Snoop to be in……WOW The nerve of some people.
This could be the breakout role for Snoop. Keep your pimp hand strong, Snoop!
A little unfair. Washington played X, hes played The hero in 90% of his films!
To the posters saying that movie roles like this degrade the black race and set black people back…do you hold other races and nationalities to the same standard? Did Pacino, De Niro, Coppola, and Scorses degrade Italians by making the mafia films they made? Did Jack Nicholson set Irish people back by playing an Irish mobster in The Departed? When you watch movies about the Chinese Triads or the Japanese Yakuza…does that degrade Chinese or Japanese people?
Crime figures make compelling movie subjects because they break society’s rules, and audiences have always found that interesting. This is nothing new. Indeed…some of the most iconic roles of all time have been villains and anti-heroes. But can you imagine people bashing James Cagney or Edward G. Robinson for playing bad guys and criminals…on the basis of their race?
Snoop Dogg is not the standard bearer for black people. No black person is. We are all unique individuals, and we occupy every social strata in this society (from pimps to presidents). It’s time to break out of this mindset that black people have to “set an example” or be a “credit to your race.”
there are PLENTY of American Italians who think that all you mentioned do – very much so – cast a negative light on American Italians.
I totally agree that Snoop taking this role will not lead to any wholesale condemnation of Black folks, it’s a movie for goodness sake!
No other race takes this stuff so seriously, lighten up. Fillmore Slim has had an interesting life that should hold an audience’s attention; I do not believe that even he would hold up his life as an example to follow.
Thank you for insightful comments.
You said it all!
Thank you!
Man you said it better than I could….. Real talk. Snoop Dogg speaks for Snoop Dogg. Fillmore Slim speaks for Fillmore. You speak for you and I speak for myself. The days of one individual speaking for an entire race died with Martin Luther, Huey P. Newton, and Malcolm X. We speak for ourselves. Snoop does little to nothing in the form of setting the Black race back. Some of the ignorant posts that I have read sets the person that put up the post back with there backward thinking.
Snoop woul be a hero when he dose this film forget about the hater make your money live your life and be happy with who u are. Work on your self if u wana make a change start with your self dont always look from the outside!
Guys calm down. This movie will never be made.
No it’ll get made, and it’ll look like those 50 cent, 50 cent movies that are coming out
It could get made. It is an interesting story but everyone wants to make money with film, so Snoop Dogg wouldn’t be advisible as the star.
I dont know about you haters but im looken forward to seeing the film. Not everyone is a stuck up cry baby who can only celabrate the bright sunny side of life. I can appreciate the good and bad, the road between and lessons of a fellow black man. The only peoples opion I care about is god and my mothers. Quit haten couse you dont understand his struggle, maybe you should see the movie first!!!!!!.
I think that most of you have no idea what this film will be about. This is the life story of a great bluesman. He may have made some bad choices in his life but all of our lives are about the choices we make. The movie is not a pimp movie. It shows that if you have a real passion for something to never give on that dream. That is what Fillmore Slim did – he never gave up on his dream. Two weeks ago he received a lifetime achievement award. This is a very positive movie not what most of you are making it out to be.
Re the above post from Shelly Liebowitz, the executive producer of this project, I’d like to add my two cents worth, seeing as how I’ve been hired to write the screenplay.
First of all, Alan Ames, the co-producer, is NOT ‘co-writing’ the script with me. This is starting to really piss me off, as a slew of other articles are now hitting the web giving him either partial or solo credit.
Next up, what the story is about. As Shelly said, this is NOT a ‘pimp movie.’ It’s the story of a young man who finds his calling — playing the blues — and then makes a few records. He then gets sidetracked into being a pimp — which believe it or not, was not his idea — and then goes on wild ride that ends up with him in prison. During the story, we’ll see how he never loses sight of his dream — he just gets sidetracked — and when he emerges from prison, he returns to his first love, music.
The reason Snoop is genius casting is not only does he look a lot like Slim, but they’re friends in real life. Like Howard Stern, Snoop is not his image, but rather a very smart businessman and family man. Rappers can act. Look at LL Cool J. Ludacris. Ice Tea. Ice Cube. And my personal favorite, Ice Pick.
Trust me, as a white woman, I’m going to avoid the usual cliches often found in stories like this. The theme is universal — following your dream, no matter where it takes you.
hey love one a square dont understand our circle you did a great job in bossin up good looking out on playing the role of my father the the godfather thats it thats all its been a long time comming and a story that need to be told real is what real does ike turner story was told that was pops people for a very long time pops is a lengend that is well respected
first, the black experience has nothing to do with one individual African American rapper.However,the black experience does involve using the arts to communicate black experiences, which includes being a cameleon who can play diverse roles that are contoversial.More importantly,if Snoop Dogg can achieve this role he will reveal himself to the movie industry, which in return will generate a revenue and reveal truth.Also,every man is responsibile for his own actions and made in the likness of GOD, so do not blame your African American identity issues on the DOGG. Secondly, filmore Slim is a man of many experiences which is the essence of every blues artist. Consequently, the people that posted on this site obviously have not endured any type of tribulation. Therefore, their understanding leads them to post negative comments evaluating a man they do not know. Finally, I would like to say that people that lack the ability to transcend always fire shots at those that are transcending. lol
hey i just want to say this to all the real thanks for your support.yall know what it is thanks for being there for my father and showing love respect and honor it feels real good seeing that when we are at a red carpet event or anywhere else real is what real does those that want to see this movie it cant get no better good looking out one love.blues lovers pick up some fillmore slim cds there cold hes really mackin with the guitar keeping it real im out yall jr