Inside ‘The Ozark’s Love of Hip-Hop and Killer Mike Season 4 Cameo’

[This story contains spoilers for season four of Ozark.]

ozarksRuth Langmore has become one of TV’s least likely hip-hop ambassadors, often listening to ’90s rappers. In the season four episode “Death Cousin,” her taste hits Meta: Ruth (Julia Garner) hears the NASA’s debut LP. ilmatic On the headphones he has a falling out with genre legend Killer Mike. “I really love your crap,” he tells a Run the Jewels member, part of a surprise fans are talking about.

“When they called me, I was like, ‘Of course, I’m downstairs,’” said Mike, who was sitting in his kitchen. the hollywood reporter With your signature. “I found out I was going to play the killer Mike and talking to Ruth, I was excited. I was honored to be invited.”

Mike, who lives in Atlanta, just got back from a commercial at Coachella and was hanging out with Jewels partner EI-P (he spent time on weekends celebrating 4/20 birthdays at big parties in LA). Looking at ozarks It is a favorite activity in free time; He and his wife have been loyal fans since season one and are most closely associated with the main characters Wendy (Laura Lynn) and Marty (Jason Bateman) Bird, who stick together even under the most difficult of circumstances.

“Marriage will save a lot,” he said. “[Wendy and Marty] Survive things, attack drug cartels, make friends and enemies. It’s on TV, but in real life marriage isn’t always easy. It takes a lot of birds to talk: talk. Many say, “In the morning you may be cursed, but at night you may regain your health.”

Killer Mike, whose real name is Michael Render, debuted in front of the masses when his mentors Big Boy and Andre 3000 asked Outkast to appear on their 2000 album. Stankonia, which was the switch for many platinum cultures. Grammar Slinger has since won a Grammy for Outkast and established himself as a rap icon with critically acclaimed solos (including official albums and underground mixtapes) as well as the critically acclaimed Run The Jewels discography. He is also one of the most insightful and outspoken voices in hip-hop when it comes to social and political issues. He is a very involved activist who is always taking calls, calling the front lines and lifting people up (his 2019 documentary series Embargo He has studied topics such as the education system and what he calls White Gang privilege.)

Mike’s catalog is a favorite of both. ozarks Showrunner Chris Mundy and series music director Gabi Hilfer and their solo and group efforts were featured on the show’s soundtrack throughout its five years, most notably in the song “Oh La La”. ” by Run The Jewels. High-octane peak season finale. (After Helen Pierce, a lawyer for the Navarro cartel, met her shocking death, she was shot in the back by her own boss.) Season 4’s eighth episode, which features killer Mike, has an equally violent arc: after the murder of her cousin Wyatt, Ruth travels from the Pilgrim to Chicago seeking revenge (listening to Bone Ice Age. The rapper sits at a table with his entourage, and two thoughts on Nas, then ask him what he’s been listening to.

“You hear a wink at the end of the scene,” Mundy explains the secret in an interview with the room writer for the new project. “He says, ‘I’m not sleeping, you know, because he’s a cousin of death.’ The episode title is the same, he lost his cousin, but so be it. [referencing] In the lyrics. I wanted it to be a playing moment where if you know the record, you’ll like it.” Hilfer notes that a blink of an eye is similar to Killer Mike’s own appearance: he’s not called by name on stage. “He doesn’t say ‘ I love you, Killer Mike,’” he adds.

The rapper even hit the camera. “Everyone wanted to,” Mundi shouted. “Laura Lynn came to the set, even though she wasn’t playing on this stage. He sent the flowers to Garner and director Amanda Marsalis. It’s just an amazing class act.”

“Amanda was amazing and Julia is an amazing actress,” says Mike. “He gave me instructions. But really, my first connection [to Ozark] It’s Laura Lynn. I met him on the plane. my wife was watching big CAnd I remember talking to him recently about how his show has affected my wife. And we kept in touch. ”

Although Mike is the only rapper who has ever acted in a role ozarksHip-hop has been an engaging element of the series’ musical history, especially when it comes to Ruth’s playlists. There are moments early in the show when Ruth tries to dodge Bob Seger and switch to old-school hip-hop, and then a blue cat in a Tupac T-shirt appears. His fanaticism came about as a result of an argument between Mundi and Hilfer, two self-proclaimed musical puzzles. Hilfer moved to New York in 1988 and happily remembers listening to New York stars like Run-DMC, Public Enemy and Wu-Tang Clan (De La Soul’s). Three feet tall and rising It was the first record he ever bought.) began writing Rolling Stone Shortly after arriving and staying for ten years, he covered hip-hop’s first emerging lineup.

Hilfer adds that Ruth often uses 80s and 90s hip-hop music as her “safe haven”. Like many well-known journalists and music fans, he also brings you the best rap albums, not only of that era, but of all time. ilmatic. The episode “Death Cousin” is a watershed moment for Nass and his hugely influential work. And the last song Ruth played before she was gunned down by new cartel boss Camilla Navarro was Pete Rock and CL Smooth’s 1992 awe-inspiring gem “TROY (The Reminisce Over You)”. Rocky’s close friend, however, has become one of rap’s most solemn anthems, enhanced by Rocky’s triumphant horn and drum patterns and CL’s gripping stories.

“We all have people we’ve lost,” says Rocky as he sits in his studio surrounded by vinyl albums. “For me, this is the most important record in hip-hop when it comes to that. Death affected me a lot, I think that’s why God was in the room when I was making this song. “It’s precious to me and when I hear people who have lost others telling me what this song has brought to their lives, it’s heartwarming.”

Mundi explains that once he decided Ruth would die on the show, “TROY” would be his perfect message: “It was always a song like this. He was coming back to her. It’s a big moment in her life at that point.” Point out; “The song was supposed to be upbeat, sentimental, but not hilarious, talking about family and the past.

recent episodes ozarks Now streaming on Netflix.