Al Pacino says hip-hop boosted ‘Scarface’ popularity
"They understood it. They embraced it," says Al Pacino.
Al Pacino credits hip-hop culture for helping to make Scarface a hit movie.
Not to be confused with the rapper Scarface, the 1983 film tells the story of Cuban refugee Tony Montana who becomes the biggest drug dealer in Florida.
Initially bashed by critics; it later became a cult favourite.
During an appearance on Marc Maron’s WTF podcast, the legendary actor says the hip-hop community ‘just got it’.
People saw themselves in Tony Montana as he rose to power as a Cuban immigrant.
“They understood it. They embraced it, the rappers. And then the next thing you know, VHS is going out and more people are seeing it. Plus, we’re on the records, these rappers. And then it just carried and it kept going and going.”
Jay-Z, Mobb Deep, and the Wu-Tang Clan have famously sampled or referenced Scarface in some form over the years.