Kiersey Clemons & Tony Revolori Work “Dope” Session With Pharrell

Pharrell Williams serves an an executive producer on Dope, the inspired comedy/drama about a trio of Inglewood, Ca. high schoolers (Shameik Moore, Tony Revolori, Kiersey Clemons) who are all about ’90s hip-hop. Their passion is translated with their own punk band Awreeoh, and the film’s soundtrack contains the fictional group’s rousing tune “Don’t Get Deleted,” which is produced and penned by Pharrell.

Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!

During the Dope interviews, I asked Kiersey Clemons (“Transparent”) and Tony Revolori (“The Grand Budapest Hotel”) about working with Pharrell on Dope and “Don’t Get Deleted.”

“When we got there, he didn’t know us that well,” said Clemons. “So he didn’t know how we were going to perform and what we were going to give as people personally to the song.”

But when Pharrell, whose outside the box thinking has defined his career, eventually got to know the actors at hand, the song (which evokes the rock and rap aesthetic of N.E.R.D.) and performances took shape.

“It’s Pharrell, he’s awesome,” adds Revolori. “And I bow down to the man.”

To hear the full audio version of Clemons and Revolori discuss their collaboration with Pharrell, click below. Also it’s worth a listen, as Clemons affectionately tells her co-star that he’s a “little bitch.” Like the actual movie, their banter has the right mix of edge and humor (Blake Anderson also chimes in at the end).

Dope comes out June 19 and its soundtrack, which includes three Awreeoh tracks and a plethora of old school hip-hop (including Digable Planets’ “Rebirth of Slick” and Public Enemy’s “Rebel Without A Pause), releases June 16.