2 Chainz gets vulnerable in his first foray into indie film, ‘Red Clay’

“I feel like I’m into a real creative space where I want to try to articulate my ideas in different ways and put music out in different ways,” 2 Chainz said. “ … It ended up turning into a passion project that became therapeutic. (The film) is just something that probably needs to be out so I can go on with my life.”

The short film, “Red Clay,” which was co-produced and co-written by 2 Chainz and Epps, follows fictional characters Nook (played by Christopher A’mmanuel) and Bub (played by Jaylan Ragin) growing up in a gritty side of Atlanta in the early 2000s.

Credit: Shaddai Peña

Credit: Shaddai Peña

Both boys’ mothers are addicted to smoking crack cocaine. Nook’s father, who is behind bars, dials him in timed increments to remind him to man up, “make bread” and take care of his “old lady.” Bub’s father is a “snaggletoothed” man spotted on the street who is more of a customer for the dope they slang than any meaningful figure.

Nook and Bub share a brotherly love, sleeping on a mattress on the floor of Nook’s mother’s house, blowing weed smoke through a window fan and envying the tricked-out rides that cruise the streets of their hood.

While the film was personal to 2 Chainz, the project also resonated with Epps, whose memoir “From Fatherless to Fatherhood” explores similar themes of boyhood without a father in his life. There are echoes of Epps’ own life in the film. In one scene, Epps voices Nook’s father over the phone, speaking Arabic (a likely nod to his own father).

There was a “sort of kismet” while collaborating on the project, Epps said. “That kind of describes our energy. … It just happened organically.”

After the film showed, Jones, Epps, 2 Chainz and Halo joined a Q&A panel at the front of the theater. 2 Chainz was visibly stiff.

“I’m really uncomfortable right now,” he said, giving Halo’s shoulder a squeeze by his side. “But my mom is in here. Shout to my mom. … It was a very steep mountain coming up where I was … but now we on the other side of the mountain. Matter of fact, we down the mountain now. … It’s just surreal for me. … It’s a very vulnerable moment. But we here now.”

Epps applauded 2 Chainz’s authenticity throughout the project.

“I think for 2 Chainz, to be secure enough to be vulnerable, to share portions of his life that people don’t know about, is profound,” Epps said. “He has potential to inspire people who come from similar circumstances that can’t see a different way out.”

2 Chainz said the film is just a sampling. He plans to continue making films.

“This is only 20 minutes, baby. This could never be the end,” he said.

Credit: Shaddai Peña

Credit: Shaddai Peña

“Red Clay” was screened in a group of short films titled “Black Boy Fly.” The block showcased films about a wide range of Black male experiences, including a film about a male doula delivering babies in Texas, a beekeeper revitalizing urban gardens in post-Katrina New Orleans, a Congolese immigrant teenager finding joy in filmmaking while growing up in Portland, Maine, and a drummer whose creative block leads him to reflect on his family dynamics.

During the Q&A that followed, each maker was asked why representation matters.

“It’s simple,” 2 Chainz said. “It’s important that the Black man is able to tell the Black story from his perspective. Period.”