Milan Records will release the Filly Brown - Original Score Album digitally on April 16, 2013. The recording features original music by Reza Safinia (Snap) and includes original hip-hop songs co-written and produced by Safinia performed in the film by leading actress Gina Rodriguez and other artists.
Reza comments, "Filly Brown was a dream job for a composer like me. I got to use every part of my musical palette from dramatic orchestral arrangements to boom-bap hip-hop, to dark electro, and the exciting part was to make them blend in and out of each other seamlessly. It was really awesome working with directors like Youssef and Michael who place such an emphasis on the importance of music in film, and they placed a lot of trust in me. It was also a delight to work with Gina and watch her transform from someone with no mic experience to a consummate pro as Filly Brown, and last but definitely not least the absolute pleasure to write songs with great artists such as Diamonique and Braxton Millz."
Filly Brown is an inspiring and gritty portrait of a young artist striving to find her voice and seize her dreams without compromise. Majo Tonorio, aka, "Filly Brown" is a young raw hip-hop artist from Los Angeles who spits rhymes from the heart. With a mother in prison and a father struggling to provide for his daughters, Majo knows that a record contract could be her family's ticket out. But when a record producer offers her a shot at stardom, she is suddenly faced with the prospect of losing who she is as an artist, as well as the friends who helped her reach the cusp of success. Directed by Youssef Delara and Michael Olmos, Filly Brown is propelled by an exceptional cast featuring Lou Diamond Phillips, Edward James Olmos and the legendary Jenni Rivera in her final on-screen performance. Fueled by a fierce hip-hop score, Filly Brown heralds the arrival of Gina Rodriguez in the electrifying title role.
Co-Director Youssef Delara adds, "Reza has the uncanny ability of incorporating many different unique styles of music into one cohesive flow. Hip-hop was our foundation but the music in the movie draws from Latin rap underground, to dubstep, to classic movie score, to trip-hop. If you look at the music landscape these days there is so much cross-pollination of styles being incorporated together. It's a great time in music and I think the sampling and riffing history of hip-hop has added not only to the way we listen to music but from here on out how we make music worldwide. The music of Filly Brown rides that wave - it has a "RIGHT NOW" quality."
Reza Safinia is a multi instrumentalist composer raised in London and living in LA. Prior to composing for film, he was a Universal Music songwriter and record producer/engineer with work spanning from pop (Kylie Minogue, Britney Spears) to underground (Freestylers, Ms Dynamite). He is a co-founder of UK indie label Illa State records, among the pioneers of UK urban music, meshing hip hop and electro, with MOBO award winning artist Akala. Influenced by Beethoven and Nine Inch Nails in equal parts, Reza's textured approach to composing fuses orchestra with industrial ambience, and electronica, to create a tactile sound serving the image. Reza has recently completed work on psychological thriller Snap which premiered at SXSW, starring Jake Hoffman (Barney's Version) and Nikki Reed (Twilight). Next, Reza Safinia will score the upcoming horror feature, Mercy.
Pantelion presents Filly Brown, in theaters on April 19, 2013.