The new Starz drama BMF is based on the story of Detroit’s Black Mafia Family.
But how much of the series happened in real life? In a recent video call, show creator and writer Randy Huggins told us he tried to keep the series as authentic as possible.
“I took some liberties, but everything there is based on a story,” Huggins explained. “Obviously, you can’t have people’s names in there. Obviously some of the places may have changed.”
BMF follows two brothers who rose from the streets of southwest Detroit in the late 1980s to create one of the most influential crime families in the U.S.
Huggins grew up in Detroit and said he was very familiar with the story of the Black Mafia Family.
“I don’t think there’s a character in there, that I hadn’t heard of. I may have to take a creative liberty to make an art pop a little bit more. I may have to take a creative license to make a scene funnier than it may have been, but that’s just part of telling a story,” Huggins said. “This is not a documentary.”
Huggins previously worked as a producer on Power. He credits executive producer Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson with preparing BMF star Demetrius “Lil Meech” Flenory to play his father, BMF co-founder Demetrius “Big Meech” Flenory.
“Fifty was going around having these national casting sessions,” Huggins recalled.
“In the process of doing this, Lil Meech was sitting right there next to him and one day he just looked at him and said, ‘It’s you.’ Then 50 Cent put him in acting school for a year and a half. [Lil Meech] had to leave Miami and fly to L.A. The acting school that he went to was Tasha Smith’s acting school.”
In an interview with Urban Hollywood 411, Lil Meech praised 50 Cent for giving him a chance.
“He believed in me before anybody did. Before I believed in myself, he always knew I was the one for the role,” he said.
The rest is history.
In addition to Huggins and Jackson, the drama is executive produced by Terri Kopp, Anthony Wilson and Anne Clements. Tasha Smith directed multiple episodes and co-executive produces.
The Starz drama debuted on Sept 26. The show scored the cable network’s most-watched premiere this year, and was quickly renewed for a second season.
BMF airs Sundays on Starz. You can watch our interview with Randy Huggins here.
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