Brookhaven Courier

Issue date: 5/1/06 Section: News

Media Credit: Jeff Barnett Documentarian and Brookhaven student Clayton LaDue displays a video camera. LaDue´s recently shot his film about four rap groups from a Mississippi ghetto.

It has taken him a year to complete, but by summer 2006, Brookhaven College student Clayton LaDue will have filmed, directed and produced a documentary about four professional rap groups trying to get out of the ghetto and survive. The documentary is called "Down Here NTZ 601."

LaDue is involved in the theater program and performed in "The Laramie Project" and "To Kill a Mockingbird."

Natchez, Miss., is the focus of the documentary.

LaDue's intent in making this film is to show real life in the town by addressing ghetto and poverty issues.

The four rap groups, Teflon Hardheadz, Ichoke, Born Winners and Hustleworld, all come from Natchez.

They lived in the ghetto and have written songs about the hard times they encountered along the way that have influenced their musical careers. Their music comes from old Mississippi blues.

"My goal is to show their talent," LaDue said. "It is a motivational film; doesn't matter who you are or where you live, you can still make it in anything you do if you try hard enough."

In October of 2005, a member of the Born Winners was killed. His death influenced the groups to appreciate life and how quickly it can be taken away.

LaDue said the man who died was the youngest in the group but he had a hidden talent beyond comprehension.

He said: "His death has made everyone more aware of life, how fragile we have it here and the need to grasp every opportunity possible.

We are people who are born to win; we don't believe in giving up.

"In life, there are always tragedies; for every greatness, there is always a fall."

The groups have performed locally in Natchez. They are big in their hometown but they hope to make it nationwide. LaDue intends to network the documentary through local film festivals around the country once it is completed.

The DVD will come with a soundtrack compilation album from all four groups.

"I want people to see this film and look at it with an open mind and see their stories and their culture so they will understand their music," LaDue said.

"I want people to watch the film and see who they are and watch them turn into the talented musicians they are."

He said the moral of the documentary is "Winners never quit and quitters never win-we are all born winners for life." This is the message that LaDue said he hopes will come through in his documentary.

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