“The Get Down” is a television series that premiered on Netflix in August 2016. The show was created by Baz Luhrmann and Stephen Adly Guirgis and is set in the South Bronx during the late 1970s. It combines elements of drama, music, and history to tell the story of the birth of hip-hop and the rise of disco in a culturally vibrant and economically troubled New York City.
The series features a talented cast, including Justice Smith, Shameik Moore, Herizen F. Guardiola, Jaden Smith, and more. It explores the lives of a group of young people with a passion for music and dance, including hip-hop and DJ culture. The show also delves into the social and economic challenges faced by the characters and their community.
The Get Down Quotes
1- Ezekiel ‘Zeke’ Figuero : Manhattan, Bronx, disco, the get down, moving up, moving out. We made it this far. Just keep loving me and I promise it’s gonna all be all right. ‘Cause all we gotta do is love each other, right?
2- Francisco ‘Papa Fuerte’ Cruz : I’m always happy, Stan. Sadness is for suckers.
3- Shaolin Fantastic : Players always get played at the end.
4- Shaolin Fantastic :Kings don’t run. Kings walk.
5- Ezekiel ‘Zeke’ Figuero : I wanna be your man, Mylene. I know you like me. And I like you so much, I can’t hardly breathe. I like you so much, I feel like I got thunder and lightning inside of me. You make me nervous. But you also make me calm. Real calm. Calm almost like how God must be calm, you know, Mylene? Calm from loving. I love you. Mylene, I love you.
6- Ezekiel ‘Zeke’ Figuero : When I get up on stage and say what I gotta say, I know who I am, and right now y’all are pushing me to be who you want me to be and nobody’s asking what I wanna be.
7- Grandmaster Flash : If you wanna be a true DJ, conquer your street. Conquer your park. Conquer your neighborhood, conquer your borough. Conquer your city. And the world is yours. So, battle.
8- Shaolin Fantastic :We are in the streets, bro. What we do is in the street. And in the street, s*** happens.
9- Ezekiel ‘Zeke’ Figuero :If making something of myself means losing myself, then what am I making?
10- Ramon Cruz : Better a failed church than a soiled nest.
11- Ramon Cruz : We all have sins. All of us are searching for forgiveness.
12- Ezekiel ‘Zeke’ Figuero : You truly are as fine as wine, and so divine. You know I had to make you mine, no matter the time. So, I scaled that mountaintop to get that record dropped, just to see the clouds part, as your pretty lips did the same, hoping, one day, they’d utter my name.
13- Ezekiel ‘Zeke’ Figuero : You see, up in the Bronx that which is wrong can seem right, and right seem wrong.
14- Herbert Gunns : To estimate the intelligence of a leader, look at the men he keeps around him.
15- Ezekiel ‘Zeke’ Figuero : It ain’t talk when it’s true.
16- Ezekiel ‘Zeke’ Figuero : Life is a test
It will break you or drive you
Into the ground
In the game of survival.
17- Herbert Gunns : It’s the friendships we break more so than the friendships we make that delineate the intelligent leader.
18- Ezekiel ‘Zeke’ Figuero : You see, up in the Bronx that which is wrong can seem right, and right seem wrong.
19- Lydia Cruz : In this life, if you want something, you have to pursue it. You can’t just rely on life to pursue you.
20- Ezekiel ‘Zeke’ Figuero : The young people aren’t the problem. We’re the solution.
21- Ezekiel ‘Zeke’ Figuero : I’ll always wait for you. I’ve been waiting on you my whole life. Even when we together, there’s still a part of me is waiting on you.
22-Shaolin Fantastic : This ain’t Disneyland, this s*** is the f*****g Bronx. Either you be strong, or you be gone. All I find, all I keep. Either you beat the world, or you get beat.
23- Ezekiel ‘Zeke’ Figuero : That’s the art. We know how to scratch it without scratching the record.
24- Shaolin Fantastic : When you know better, then you do better. Each one, teach one, come together.
25- Ezekiel ‘Zeke’ Figuero :You tell the mayor he has a very simple choice. Lose the election, or fund my vision.
26- Francisco ‘Papa Fuerte’ Cruz :Got a bunch of crabs in a barrel, one’s trying to climb out. All the other crabs just claw him until he goes right back down again.
27- Ezekiel ‘Zeke’ Figuero :I ain’t no hard rock like you, but when it comes to my girl, I’m all heart. I’m do or die. So, kill me all you want to. Stab your hate into my love. You might kill me, but you’ll never beat me. ‘Cause I got love, and you’ll probably never even know what that is.
28- Francisco ‘Papa Fuerte’ Cruz : All a man has is his word.
29- Ezekiel ‘Zeke’ Figuero : No matter if I live or die
I Promise Imma meet you on the other side.
30- Ezekiel ‘Zeke’ Figuero :When you a king, you gotta look out for your people.
31- Francisco ‘Papa Fuerte’ Cruz : Violence is discouraged but not prohibited.
The Get Down Facts
- Production Costs: “The Get Down” was known for its high production costs. It was one of the most expensive television series ever produced. The elaborate sets, period-accurate costumes, and music licensing rights contributed to the show’s high budget.
- Baz Luhrmann’s Involvement: Baz Luhrmann, known for his work on films like “Moulin Rouge!” and “The Great Gatsby,” co-created the series and directed the first episode. His distinctive visual style and storytelling techniques were a hallmark of the show.
- Historical Accuracy: The series aimed for historical accuracy in depicting the South Bronx during the late 1970s. It explored the emergence of hip-hop culture and the challenges faced by marginalized communities during that time.
- Musical Collaboration: The show featured a wide range of music from the 1970s, including disco, funk, and early hip-hop. Grandmaster Flash, a pioneer of hip-hop and a character in the series, served as an associate producer and advisor for the show’s music and DJ culture.
- Diverse Cast: “The Get Down” had a diverse cast, reflecting the multicultural nature of the South Bronx. The young actors, including Justice Smith, Shameik Moore, and Herizen F. Guardiola, received praise for their performances.
- Two-Part Release: The first season of “The Get Down” was released in two parts. Part 1 premiered in August 2016, while Part 2 was released in April 2017. Each part contained a distinct arc in the story.
- Canceled After One Season: Despite its critical acclaim, Netflix decided not to renew the series for a second season. The decision was primarily attributed to the show’s high production costs and the relatively low viewership in comparison to the budget.
