Black St. Louis was given a taste of Hollywood glamour thanks to the region’s own Brenda Hampton. Her Black Girl Powerhouse production team rolled out the red carpet for the premiere of their latest film “Who Ya Wit? 2” Saturday night at the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema. The star-studded event was a dazzling display of Black excellence. Guests arrived in diamonds and sequins, ready to celebrate a gritty drama born right here in “The Lou.”
Dressed in a sharp, all-black power suit, Hampton beamed with pride for her city as guests mixed and mingled with several of the stars of “Who Ya Wit?2.”
For Hampton, the film’s success is about more than box office numbers. She wants to put on for her city – but she wants to put the city on as well.
A bestselling author and familiar name within the urban lit genre, Hampton’s characters came to the screen with “Who Ya Wit?,” an adaptation of her novel of the same name. In 2023, Hampton took the leap of entering the arena of film production. She launched Black Girl Powerhouse and produced the film “Blood Brothers,” which starred St. Louis natives Jason Little, Zachary Scott Clark, Jordan “Shorty Da Prince” Johnson and Seviin Li. The film can be streamed on Tubi and Peacock and features several faces that are familiar to the city.
“What we are doing in St. Louis with these movies is gonna be so awesome,” Hampton said. She is committed to increasing the value of local talent by using St. Louis artists, actors, and a local film crew to bring these complex characters to life.
With St. Louis as the backdrop, Hampton ensures this drama is authentic to the Black experience. “Who Ya Wit? 2” tells stories of struggle, loyalty, and the pressure of meeting expectations versus following one’s heart.
The film plunges viewers into the chaotic aftermath of a shakeup within a crime family’s business. Roc Dawson (played by Demetrius Roberts), and his girlfriend, Desa Rae (Fancy Jones), get caught up in a greedy struggle for power.
Roberts brings to life Roc, a man who’s rough around the edges but fiercely loyal to family. Opposite him, Jones’s Desa Rae is mature and intuitive. She fights to steer Roc away from the chaotic street life and toward a quieter path. That decision is complicated by his side chick, Vanessa, and the unfortunate reality that Roc’s own crew might be the biggest threat of all. Can Desa Rae’s soft nature save a hardened killer from a world that won’t let him go?
Viewers will have to wait to find out, but urban movie fans should prepare themselves for love, war, and homegrown St. Louis talent.
The release date for the film is yet to be announced. Based on the reactions of those who saw the film on Saturday, “Who Ya Wit?2” is worth it. Audiences can get a taste of what to expect from other Black Girl Powerhouse films “Blood Brothers” and “Complicated Christmas.” Both can be streamed via Tubi.
On the surface “Who Ya Wit? 2” is an urban drama about the tumultuous nature of love, drugs, and how Roc strives to control the two. What lies beneath – by way of the cast and crew – is another opportunity to demonstrate the talented and resourceful individuals who can be found right within the region.
Living It content is produced with funding by the ARPA for the Arts grants program in partnership with the Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis and the Community Development Administration.
