Following its previous cast announcement, Starz’s Black Mafia Family has added Demetrius ‘Lil Meech” Flenory Jr. and Da’Vinchi. It is the first non-Power series at the network produced by Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson and his G Unit Television.
The Detroit-set series, from Jackson and writer and executive producer Randy Huggins, previously cast Russell Hornsby and Steve Harris in series regular roles and Detroit rapper Arkeisha “Kash Doll” Knight in a recurring role. Steve Harris’ brother, Wood Harris, has also joined in a recurring role. Tasha Smith is helming the pilot and will direct multiple episodes as well.
The description: Black Mafia Family is inspired by the true story of two brothers who rose from the decaying streets of southwest Detroit in the late 1980’s and gave birth to one of the most influential crime families in this country. Demetrius “Big Meech” Flenory’s charismatic leadership, Terry “Southwest T” Flenory’s business acumen and the fraternal partnership’s vision beyond the drug trade and into the world of Hip Hop would render the brothers iconic on a global level. Their unwavering belief in family loyalty would be the cornerstone of their partnership and the crux of their eventual estrangement. This is a story about love, kinship and capitalism in the pursuit of the American dream.
Demetrius “Lil Meech” Flenory Jr. will play real-life father, Demetrius “Big Meech” Flenory. He’s described as “a charming and ambitious Detroit legend-in-the-making, who becomes the face of the operation. Hungry for his slice of the American dream, Meech quickly advances from a corner boy to a mid-level man, who knows when to use the carrot or the stick as he and his brother set out to become the Kings of Detroit.”
All American and grown-ish Da’Vinchi will play Demetrius’ brother Terry “Southwest T” Flenory, “the quiet and calculating brains behind the scene. Terry is torn between two competing identities: being a new father and becoming the first male in their family to graduate high school, or tight-roping as a serendipitous dealer who must protect his brother from himself as well as secure their safety.”
Wood Harris will play Pat, “the revered O.G. who gives Meech and Terry their first shot in the game. He instills a family first attitude that the Flenorys adopt until they begin to outshine their mentor and pursue their own independence.”
The series will begin filming in Atlanta and Detroit later this month.
