- James wants to escape survival mode and discover who he is beyond his circumstances.
- Lamar questions inherited adult wisdom and forges his own path through music.
- Artillery fully commits to creation and passion, willing to get lost in pursuit of his dream.
Everyone on The Drop: A Snowfall Saga is chasing something, but for Artillery, Lamar and James Kinsey, figuring out what they want may be just as difficult as getting it.
We caught up with Asante Blackk (Lamar), Peyton Alex Smith (James), and Simmie “Buddy” Sims III (Artillery) to talk about them playing young men navigating family, music, and the streets as West Coast rap begins its ascent in 1990s Los Angeles.
For Smith’s “James,” the dream isn’t necessarily fame or fortune. It’s figuring out who he is outside of survival.
“Sometimes these dreams don’t have to be these big grand scheme dreams,” Smith told BOSSIP. “His dream is to find out who he is.” James, Lamar’s protective older brother, is pulled between his family, the streets, and a search for something more.
“We’re so stuck in survival mode that we can’t get outside of that mindset,” Smith said. “He’s escaping survival mode and finding out his place in the world.”
Smith sees something much larger in James’ struggle. “If you look at him, he’s just trying to figure it out and make something good of his life,” he said. “But his environment is different, so I feel like it depicts a lot of young Black men in America, for sure.”
Asante Blackk’s “Lamar” has a clearer dream: music. But his refusal to simply accept the rules surrounding him makes his road complicated.
“Lamar just sees the world differently,” Blackk said. “He doesn’t necessarily abide by the confines of rules and regulations.”
According to Blackk, Lamar is also beginning to question whether some of what adults have presented as protection is actually unresolved pain passed down.
“If y’all aren’t going to try to process it, and if y’all don’t want to tell the truth about what’s really going on here, I’m gonna just go out and I’m gonna find out one way or another,” Blackk said of his character.
Buddy’s Artillery, meanwhile, is already throwing himself into that world.
“Sometimes you gotta get lost to create a new path and take a new path that has never been taken before,” Buddy told BOSSIP. “He’s getting lost in the creation and the music and the passion and the dream, just going after it full force.”
And when asked who among the three could survive today’s music industry, the guys were fairly convinced Lamar had the hustle to make the millions. “James” might agree.
Smith said his character recognizes something in his younger brother even amid their struggles. “James sees Lamar fearless,” he said, “the way he’s chasing his dream.”
