Abhiroop Das
In Apple TV+‘s ‘Highest 2 Lowest,’ the protagonist, David King, sets out on a journey of self-reflection, with a very real threat to his loved ones underlining every step he makes. Once a music mogul with a Midas touch, the protagonist is now a shell of his former self, and his legendary music label, Stackin’ Hits, is at a crucial juncture. Faced with various moral and psychological quandaries at once, David decides to go back to his roots and take matters into his own hands. Whether he is able to return to his former glory entirely depends on the lengths he is willing to go, and that fills this Spike Lee directorial with endless twists and turns. As the story slowly climbs towards a crescendo, both David and his company’s legacy are revealed in bits and pieces, in turn directly informing his present.
David King is Partially Modelled After Old-School Record Producers
While David King is a fictional character created by writer Alan Fox, he does find some parallels in real-life record producers and executives. In an interview with FilmConnect, Spike Lee discusses one of the movie’s most pivotal scenes, and in the process reveals that David’s mindset is closer to that of an older generation of industry hitmakers. He states, “He (David) is more like a Quincy Jones, Berry Gordy kind of producer. He’s not necessarily into newer forms of rap.” David’s successful career also reflects Jones and Gordy’s era of dominance in the music industry, with the latter in particular emerging as one of the most successful African American businessmen, not unlike the protagonist. While these overlaps do not establish a direct correlation, they do give crucial insight into the inner workings of the character.
The fact that David King rose to prominence in the modern era also puts him in proximity to legendary producers and label executives. One person who stands out as a possible source of inspiration is Russell Simmons, the co-founder of one of the biggest record labels in hip-hop, Def Jam Records. Known for his wit, charm, and tenacity, Simmons played a major role in bringing the label from the ground up and turning it into an industry titan, with many of the greatest artists under its belt. All of these facets align with David King’s company, Stackin’ Hits, which lends credence to the idea that Simmons was a reference point. However, the fact that there has been no explicit confirmation of this suggests that these links might have been a coincidence. At the very least, David is likely informed by the many successful record executives who changed the face of music.
David King Serves as a Reimagining of Akira Kurosawa and Evan Hunter’s Protagonists
Given that Spike Lee’s ‘Highest 2 Lowest’ is based on Akira Kurosawa’s ‘High and Low,’ which itself is an adaptation of ‘King’s Ransom,’ a book by Evan Hunter, a line can be drawn between all three protagonists. To that end, David King’s character also absorbs many of the traits displayed by his fictional predecessors, including the central dilemma of saving a life versus saving a company. However, while the psychological exploration of these characters taps into the same beats, there are some noticeable differences between the iterations. In particular, Kurosawa’s protagonist, named Kingo Gundo, is the owner of a shoe-making company, which is drastically different from David’s career in the music industry. As such, while they delve into similar themes, David’s take on the story maintains a sense of originality.
Over the course of the story, David King deals with a variety of contemporary issues, tackling the complicated subject of class divide, as well as the rise of artificial intelligence in storytelling mediums. This brings out an authentic edge within his character, which in turn is flawlessly portrayed by actor Denzel Washington. The actor spoke about what drew him to the character in a conversation with LRMonline, stating, “I like the idea of a man who may have considered himself a God in his industry, and when we meet him, he’s really been humbled, and someone who tries to use God to his advantage (…) everyone could see it but him.” As such, Washington’s own take on David helped him mould the various intricacies of his personality.
Stackin’ Hits Vaguely Resembles One of the Biggest Record Labels in History
Much like David King, his record label, Stackin’ Hits, is a fictional company created purely for the narrative of the film. However, the details about the company, coupled with its cultural legacy, make it similar to a number of real-life equivalents. As mentioned previously, Russell Simmons’s importance to the realm of music bears a striking resemblance to David King’s arc. To that end, Simmons’ music label, Def Jam Recordings, might have served as a potential inspiration for Stackin’ Hits. There are some points of commonality between the two companies, starting with their setting, as both are based in New York City. Additionally, Def Jam Recordings has cemented its position as one of the biggest and most influential labels ever, and the same can be said about its fictional counterpart, making the connection even more probable.
However, there are some major differences between Russell Simmons and David King’s companies. The most notable one is their era of dominance, with Def Jam Recordings arguably reaching its peak in the 80s and early 90s. This goes against the film’s account of Stackin’ Hits, with the label producing the highest number of hits in the early 2000s. Furthermore, King’s life’s work becomes the subject of a tug of war within the story, leading to many dramatic scenarios that likely do not have any biographical character to them. As such, it is likely that the protagonist’s music label is based on the general idea of legendary production houses and brings a nuanced take on the internal struggles that might go on within. This idea expands the possible scope of the company’s real-life references, while still adding a layer of originality to the creators’ work.
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