Image via Warner Bros.
For its sixth installment since 1990, House Partyis back with an all-new cast, new chaos, and a lot of Kid Cudi.
The movie, starring Tosin Cole, Jacob Latimore, DC Young Fly, Rotimi, and more, shows everything that could possibly go wrong when throwing a secret party at LeBron James’ mansion. When two friends find themselves down on their luck and strapped for cash, they see their newfound access to the NBA star’s mansion as an opportunity to make some money while also making a name for themselves as party promoters.
But what’s an A-list party without an A-list guest list? The House Party reboot is also stacked with endless cameos, including Mya, Snoop Dogg, Tinashe, Lil Wayne, and of course, the original duo Kid N Play.
Image via Warner Bros.
“Everybody knows House Party is a classic. You know what I mean? We can’t touch a classic,” said DC Young Fly, who plays an unreliable DJ named Vic in the movie. “We can’t try to revamp a classic. But, it’s like music. We just took a sample from the classic and recreated a whole new song.”
James served as a producer on the film (his mansion was used during filming) and Atlanta writers and producers Jamal Olori and Stephen Glover penned the script. Complex sat down with the new cast and Kid N Play to talk about the franchise in its entirety, their thoughts on reboots, and how Scott “Kid Cudi” Mescudi fell into his scene-stealing role ahead of the film hitting theaters on Friday, Jan. 13.
There is a brand new party in the House Party Universe. What excited you all at first about the project?
Jacob Latimore: I think the writing out the gate. I think House Party itself as a culture, we all look at it like, “We sure we want to do this [reboot]?” But Stephen Glover, Jamal, we love what they’re already doing for the culture with Atlanta and their great work, so it was the script.
Rotimi: For me, it was the script, it was also seeing who was attached to it. And knowing that like all these fresh, young, hungry actors are a part of it, it was like, “Alright, yea, we gonna definitely kill this.”
DC Young Fly: With all of that, we’re friends off set, you know? Knowing that we built the chemistry off-set, it’s gonna be the same chemistry on-set. And like [Rotimi] said, we hungry, and we know for a fact that we don’t waste opportunities. So if we were going to be attached to something iconic like this, I felt that we was all coming in it trying to take it and grasp it for the new generation.
Tosin Cole: I was just trying to get paid. [Laughs.] Nah, it was just a fun script to do, it was a fun character to play, and, you know, I’m getting to work with my friends, so it was just a good moment.
Kid N Play, what in your opinion makes a good spin-off?
Play: It’s been done so much to so many, sometimes the audience can start to get desensitized. And then you have some people with a special relationship with the originals that they’re not so eager to see it being touched. I’ve seen that in the comments quite a bit. But when you’re working with the caliber of talent I understand is involved with this one, they got some good people that know what they’re doing.
TC: Good script, good cast, good execution. If it’s good, it’s good, innit?
DYF: Everybody knows House Party is a classic. We can’t touch a classic. We can’t try to revamp a classic. But, it’s like music. We just took a sample from the classic and recreated a whole new song.
TC: Damn, that was hard!
DYF: [Laughs.] You feel me? And it’s like writing a love letter to the older generation! Because we gotta dumb it down for the people who don’t understand how culture is presented to the younger generation. We can’t allow other people to create the narrative for us. How do we know how the [idea of a] house party started, or how the [idea of a] house party is, you know, implemented into today’s life? And we do house parties, and we just don’t even know it.
JL: It’s an important part of our culture.
House Party 1,2 and 3 have a star-studded cast. [And there are] cameos galore in this House Party. Were there any celebrities you were surprised to see joining the project?
Play: I’ve been holding back from really wanting to know anything about it on purpose because when we see it at the premiere, I do want to see it for the first time. From what little I saw, is Weezy in it? A couple of NBA stars—because, why not—and I think this other guy that I’ve heard a lot about, always admired his career for quite some time...I think Kid is in it? Christopher Reed? From some duo? [Laughs.]
Kid: Yeah, don’t blink, you’ll miss me! And I know Cudi was down with it… I’ve admired his work. He’s a big favorite of one of my daughters! She was driving me crazy about Kid Cudi.
Rotimi: I mean, Wayne. Seeing Wayne. Like, Wayne doesn’t do anything he doesn’t want to do.
DYF: I stayed! Man, my scene was over at 5. [Wayne’s] scene started at 10, and I was there.
Rotimi: You know Wayne don’t do nothing that’s out of his element, so the fact that he was part of that was legendary.
TC: And he posted it, too.
DYF: He posted it? Maybe he is proud to be in it!
JL: Uncle Snoop was cool, too!
Play: What I would say about that is with the original House Party, the “stars” weren’t stars yet. You know [House Party 1,2, 3] were the platforms for a lot of people’s great career in the making. This one you do have established artists, which there’s nothing wrong with that, but I would say that that’s one of the great things about a House Party, Kid N Play, Reggie and Warrington Hudin legacy. It’s being involved with people before they blew up, so to speak.
I was surprised that Kid Cudi played a major role in this movie. What was it like working with him?
TC: I remember that he was acting so good. And I was like, “Yo, I might have to step this up, ‘cause you’re not about to outshine me!” [Laughs.] I was like “Yo Cudi, you gettin a bit too crazy bro.” [Laughs.]. He was so locked in, he was dedicated, and he was making great comedic choices. I didn’t know he was that funny, do you know what I mean?
JL: And comedy is tough.
TC: They offered [Cudi] to be a cameo and he was like, “Nah, I don’t want to do a cameo.” Like, he wanted to do like a proper part. So someone was supposed to play his part, and then that person dropped out, then someone else was supposed to play that part, then that person was going through some things, so then that person dropped out, and then he stepped up to the plate. He bodied it.
It’s interesting that you mentioned that house parties do exist today. What is the biggest difference between a house party from the 90s and the 2020s?
TC: They ain’t doin' no rap battles, for sure, in the middle of the dance. If I was in a dance house party, I ain’t tryna hear that, bruv.
DYF: It depends on how you and your friends grew up. I know where I come from, we’d put on some freestyle beats and just start rapping!
TC: In the middle of the party?
DYF: In the middle of the party! But you know, social media took away from the [house party] experience.
Rotimi: Yeah, everybody’s on their phone, man.
DYF: A lot of people don’t know where they fit in the house party because they’re too busy on their phone.
Rotimi: We gotta bring back the basement house parties, with the lights dim, sweaty, on the wall…
DYF: Like, “Hold me up! Hold me up!”
House Party is now in theaters.