The Get Down is a Netflix Original series that premiered on August 12, 2016. Dubbed a “West Side Story with rappers and disco queens,” director Baz Luhrmann (director of The Great Gatsby and Romeo and Juliet), centers the show during 1977 South Bronx. The show revolves around Ezekiel “Zeke” Figuero (Justice Smith), a high-school orphan who is being raised by his aunt, Shaolin Fantastic (Shameik Moore) a graffiti artist with a mysterious persona, and Zeke’s longtime crush, Mylene Cruz (Herizen Guardiola), a beautiful church-going girl who aspires to be the next Donna Summers.

The series opens with a voice-over by Nasir Jones, better known as Nas, the legendary Queens-bred rapper and one of the executive producers of the show, paired with a rap superstar performing at Madison Square Garden in 1996, who turns out to be the future Zeke.

Each character in this show has a spark, a passion. Zeke is sort of the underdog here: he is in love with Mylene, but Mylene is determined to leave the Bronx to pursue disco music, and does not want to be held back by a relationship. Everyone sees the potential in Zeke as a rising poet/MC except Zeke himself. One particular scene that stood out in this episode was when Zeke’s English teacher, Ms. Green, asks Zeke to recite his poem in front of the class. Zeke refuses to do so, so Ms. Green keeps him after class to recite his poem privately. He raps about the death of his parents. I admit, I had first viewed Zeke as the somewhat dorky kid with the big afro, but that all changed when he recited his verses. Smith’s delivery and flow was so smooth and authentic; I was immediately charmed by his way with words.

Zeke’s friends include Marcus “Dizzee” Kipling (Jaden Smith), Ronald “Ra-Ra” Kipling (Skylan Brooks), and Miles “Boo Boo” Kipling (Tremaine Brown Jr.). Shaolin Fantastic is a renowned graffiti artist in search of a rare vinyl, a task given to him by Grandmaster Flash. Zeke is looking for the same vinyl to impress Mylene. After a failed attempt to woo Mylene, Zeke and Shaolin become friends, after Shaolin sees Zeke as the MC to his DJ. Shaolin introduces Zeke and the rest of the guys to the Get Down, an underground hip hop party.

It is here that you realize the show’s budget was well-spent; countless teens are seen hanging from the fire escape and in the alleys dancing to Grandmaster Flash’s beats, who is in the center of the party. The aesthetic of the scene excited me; these are the types of parties I had heard about from family members who grew up in the same era. Zeke’s friends encourage him to freestyle, but Zeke chokes up from nervousness and is boo’d by the crowd. Shaolin starts breakdancing to pump up the crowd again, and Zeke kills it on stage. After the success of Zeke’s freestyle, the friends end up on a rooftop reminiscing about the night. Shaolin decides to call themselves the “Fantastic Four Plus One.” They vow to become a family, and dream of embodying hip-hop culture: breakdancing, freestyling, and DJing, and graffiti writing.

All in all, the 90-minute pilot, though it starts off slow, shows promise by the end. As a proud Bronxite, I am thrilled about The Get Down and its success so far. The Bronx is often perceived as a crime-ridden, gritty borough with nothing good coming out of it. I am hoping that The Get Down educates viewers, whether they are from New York or not, on how historically-rich the Bronx actually is, and how it effectively earns its title, “the birthplace of hip hop.” The Get Down is available on Netflix now, and the second part of season one will be released in 2017.

*The opinions and ideas expressed are solely those of the author, and do not reflect the opinions of The Bronx Brand*

Sydney is from Bedford Park, in the northwest section of the Bronx. She’s lived in the Bronx all her life, and is inspired by the strength of the people of the Bronx. She says, “If you can make it from the Bronx, you can make it anywhere.” She believes the Bronx has a charm that can’t be found anywhere else. She wouldn’t trade it for anything growing up here because it’s shaped her into the fighter she is today. You can follow her on Twitter: @sydney_joy and tumblr: http://sydneyj0y.tumblr.com/