Messiah Harris makes it to the big screen!

Have you ever had a script specifically written for you? Can you wake up and say, “Yea, this role I’m playing was written just for me”? Well Messiah Harris can!

Messiah Harris is the son of everyone’s southern heartthrob TI. And clearly he is raising a Kingdom of heartthrobs.

Unheard Voices was afforded the opportunity to chat with Messiah about a movie that he will be starring in.

Messiah and I talked about the excitement of finally starting on his career path. At the young age of 14 he certainly seems like he has a really good head on his shoulders.

The movie is Sons 2 The Grave. With one foot in St. James Town and one in the NBA, Marcus Jennings was taken out.  After midnight on a bridge not linking neighborhoods but dividing them, nineteen year old basketball phenom Marcus Jennings was shot twice in the head.  A message sent to a community held hostage by a small group of punks made larger than life by the hostages themselves.  A code of silence remains in place, fostering a common element that binds this community. fear and the currency of payback will always be bloodshed.
Ruth Jennings moved to St. James Town for her son.   A sad irony she lives with today.   Marcus was headed to the NBA and oddly enough undesirable and neglected St. James Town is on the NBA radar.  Ruth, a hard working single mother, felt she could protect her child against all odds, but Marcus found it hard to fight off his new surroundings and mislaid loyalties.

A FOOTBRIDGE is all that separates million dollar homes of the rich, famous and the politically connected from subsidized housing.  A neighborhood that can easily take over your life.  Where drugs and guns are offered up more than hope.  Families, mostly single mothers fight to keep up and Politicians tend to give up.
Marcus came to St. James Town a mini celebrity because of his much publicized skills on the hardwood.  He played into the “Big Fish in a Little Pond” syndrome.  Celebrity attracts the good the bad and the ugly, not always clearly defined.  Marcus thought he was in control.  He was confident, cocky and well aware of his talent.  A boy living in a man’s body, living up to his and others exaggerated egos.

He attracted the attention of the best scouts camps, agents and Division 1 NCAA schools in the US.  Marcus also attracted the attention of Danny Howard, a “respected” businessman in Las Vegas, worlds away from St. James Town, but only geographically. Danny played golf with the Mayor and former Presidents while making millions in the sports bookmaking underworld. He preyed on the weaknesses of athletes, acquaintances, and anybody else in a position to alter the outcome of games to his financial advantage.  One way or another it’s about control, getting it and keeping it.

In the end, it was what they all had in common that ended Marcus’s life … fear.    Fear of staying, fear of leaving and fear of appearing weak.  Pick one.   They are all very real.  Murder is a sin.  There is no justification…. but there is understanding.  Friends remain silent, giving power to a killer, binding them for life. The silence of cowards is deafening. Marcus is at peace now… but are we?

Ruth Jennings believes God sees all.  There is nowhere to run and nowhere to hide.   But for now there is St. James Town. 

Talking to Messiah was totally a breath of fresh air. Mostly I do interviews with these artist who are hungry for attention. They’re trying to do anything to make you interested in who they are. They try to do anything that will make you start screaming about them. Especially with these artist’s in NYC who are feverishly looking for attention but, talking to Messiah made me remember why I love what I do.

To have a young man that understands vernacular, humility, and not scratch for me to give him high praise was a humbling experience to me. It was refreshing to talk to someone who is young yet professional.

I don’t know how familiar you guys are with Messiah but he is the more chilled out sibling of the Harris tribe. He has the smooth and sultry demeanor of his father and is certainly not one for mincing words. He says what needs to be said and nothing more. Straight to the point, nothing more and nothing less. It makes me wonder what he will be bringing to the big screen. I asked him what his character was like and he said very similar to him in real life. So I imagine falling into those shoes were very easy. Especially since, as earlier stated, the role was written specifically for Messiah.

Oh, did I even tell you guys about Messiahs Character? Messiah Harris plays Jermaine. Jermaine is the chilled out little brother of the main character. Messiah describes him as “Laid back, serious and subtle.” 

I was very interested in what Messiah felt about his premiere to the big screen. I was expecting him to be the picture of confidence but he, being the king of humility, expressed that he was indeed nervous and that he feels he could have done better. But we all feel we can do better when it is our 1st time around the block. Messiah said that it’s a great start to being an actor and that he was grateful for the opportunity I personally feel like he is going to be awesome. He’s just setting me up for an amazing review to write.

Related Topics:celeb voicesFeaturedSons 2 The Grave

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DaRuddest Jones

DaRuddest Jones is a spoken word artist and entrepreneur hailing from the Bronx, N.Y.