Building on his schooling at the real life Fame, Manhattan's HighSchool For The Performing Arts|, Mobb Deep's Prodigy has written and directeda film with the help of 24-year-old independent director Lawrence Page. Thefilm, which shares the title of their fourth full-length Murda Muzik,will be released in January to either pay-per-view or theatres.

Mobb Deep Manager Jonathan "Lighty" Williams, says the film will star Mobbassociates Big Noyd and Godfather, with P and Havoc playing supportingroles. Also making guest appearances are Nas and up-and-coming producer,the Alchemist.

While Lighty and Page were hesitant to divulge the entire plot, they did saythat the film's protagonist, Godfather, plays a rapper who goes to jail ashis debut album drops. The Alchemist plays a suburban rich kid gone bad.Even though his parents win the lottery, his character deals high-poweredweapons to Godfather and Noyd's character.

The story plays out in the Mobb's stomping grounds: Long Island City, NewYork's Queensbridge Houses. Murda Muzik is the first film to gain apermit to shoot inside Queensbridge. (Page says they gained permission toshoot from Queensbridge residents, effectively cutting the office of NewYork Mayor Rudy Guiliani out of the permitting process.)

The location was key to Page, who says it really helped the film'sauthenticity. "This is the first time you really see the gritty and realNew York [on film]," says the self-taught co-director, who grew up inFreeport, Long Island.

This is not the first time Page and Prodigy have worked together. MobbDeep, Redman and the Lost Boyz all appeared in Page's the straight-to-videodebut Statistic, which he directed and starred in.

Page says that Prodigy's vision of film is similar to his musical vision."He wanted to do a real film," he says. "He had the concept and the visionand I just adapted to it." P wrote the whole screenplay, which according toPage, allowed the actors some room for improvisation.

The film, which has a budget of "close to a million dollars," was completelyfinanced by Prodigy. Murda Muzik will be part of an ongoing seriesof ventures between Lawrence Page/Infamous Films. - Adam Matthews