Apple TV+ brought fictional record label Stackin’ Hits records to life on Thursday, Sept. 4 to usher in director Spike Lee’s newest joint “Highest 2 Lowest” to the streaming service just weeks after a limited theatrical release. The listening party showcased London-born songwriter Aiyana-Lee’s performance of the title soundtrack at the exclusive Water Street Associates tower across the river from the Brooklyn penthouse where film’s protagonist David King (Denzel Washington) resides and presides.

Whether intentional or not, art imitated life as Spike put on Aiyana-Lee (no relation) just as Denzel’s King did her character Sula in the movie’s ultimate payoff. Spike gave brief remarks before handing the mic off and intently listened to her performance as if he was courtside watching the Knicks.

During the night, Aiyana-Lee recounted how Spike reached out over Instagram. “He said ‘this is the real Spike Lee.’ I see the check mark and I’m kind of like ‘could it really be this guy or did someone pay for the verification and is impersonating him?’” Can’t be too careful these days with all the bots on social media after all. They connected and she found herself in her first movie.

“Spike is hands on [and] really cares about the art,” said Aiyana-Lee. “Every time I watch this movie, I discover something new and he really cares about music.”

Denzel Washington stars in “Highest 2 Lowest.” Credit: (Photo courtesy of David Lee/A24)

But “Highest 2 Lowest” pays homage to the past as much as to the future. The film’s eclectic reverence for Black music history (a standout scene notably deploys James Brown’s “The Payback”) remained apparent during the listening party, with vinyl from the likes of Sam Cooke, Marvin Gaye, and Public Enemy lining the walls under the fictional Stackin’ Hits banner.

The listening party kicks off a major rollout for “Highest 2 Lowest.” Show times aren’t hard to find here in New York City, but Apple TV+ streaming is the first opportunity for some audiences across the country (and world) to see the film due to the limited release.

As a film, “Highest 2 Lowest” takes inspiration from inspiration as an on-screen redux of Akira Kurosawa’s critically-acclaimed “High and Low” (or, more accurately, “Heaven and Hell” in Japanese), which stemmed from Ed McBain’s novel “King’s Ransom.” The 2025 version mirrors its forefathers in a tug-of-war between personal ambition and morality — kidnapped child and all.

Of course, Lee provides his personal touch of social commentary. There’s no Officer Long a la “Do the Right Thing,” but the male NYPD detectives (played by John Douglas Thompson and Dean Winters) show how your bank account and conviction record can determine whether you’re a victim or evidence.

New York State lawmakers particularly welcomed the film highlighting the Ebony Alert system, which notifies the public about missing Black youth — they make up 38% of all missing children cases in the U.S. but receive disparities in media coverage and investigative resources. Missing Black children can often be mistaken as runaways, leading to their exclusion for an Amber Alert.

Bill S6865/A8386, championed by State Senator Lea Webb and Assemblymember Noah Burroughs, would establish the second statewide Ebony Alert system in the U.S. after California. The legislation is shown in the film.

“They didn’t just mention the Ebony Alert bill,” said Webb. “They lifted up the Senate bill number, they went and lifted up the fact that it’s just a bill, at this point it’s not law yet, [and] the importance of media and how it shapes the culture [and] raises awareness.”

When the AmNews first reviewed “Highest 2 Lowest” last month, writer Mark Winston Griffith pointed to parallels between Spike Lee and David King. Denzel’s portrayal of the aging hitmaker certainly seemed to belie Spike’s own leanings against artificial intelligence and social media. You can almost hear Lee’s own internal monologue when King advises his son Trey (played by ex-Marvel Television star Aubrey Joseph) to tune out the online noise.

But Spike’s wistful vision isn’t limited to just raging against the machine. “Highest 2 Lowest” clings onto a past New York City as the five boroughs face transition. Scenes set at the Puerto Rican Day Parade and an uptown train north of 110th Street anchor a world when Lee’s films served as an authoritative window into neighborhoods that transplants now flock to for cheap rent and cool bars. Even the anachronistic Black cool of the music mogul, sullied by the downfalls of Diddy and Russell Simmons, along with a general disillusionment against Black capitalism, harkens to his heyday.

Ariama C. Long contributed to reporting for this story.

Highest 2 Lowest is now available for streaming on Apple TV+

Like this:

Like Loading…

Related