Last month, we brought you an exclusive dubstep track from the SXSW thriller “Snap.” Co-directed by Youssef Delara, the film featured msuic by longtime industry veteran and musician Reza Safinia, but it wasn’t the first time they worked together. They had previously collaborated on “Filly Brown,” which premiered at Sundance in 2012. And with that picture now out in theaters, we have another exclusive track to share with you.
Starring Gina Rodriguez — who also sings on the tune along with Diamonique — the film follows young Latina rap star who is offered a shot at the big time, but has to choose between compromising her artistic ideals and abandoning her friends or making her lifelong dream come true. This remix of “This Is My Life” adds some speaker shaking bass drops, adding to a whole other dimension to what had originally been a more straightforward hip hop song.
“Reza drew on his experiences recording both the most underground of rappers, and the most polished of pop stars, to coach Gina Rodriguez, in the different stages of ‘Filly’ the artist, and she excelled,” filmmakers Delara and Michael Olmos said about the composer’s process. “Initially he had her just talk on the mic, about her life, about her thoughts, whilst music was playing in her headphones, until she was so comfortable that it became second nature and the talks turned into fluid raps.”
“Filly Brown” is now playing in limited release. Listen below