Inspired by 2 Chainz Life
It takes courage to put your personal life on the big screen and that’s what Tauheed Epps, famously known as 2 Chainz, did for his first short film, Red Clay. Red Clay premiered at the Atlanta Film Festival on May 3, 2025, during the Shorts Program entitled Black Boy Fly, which featured five other shorts.
2 Chainz is a rapper, actor, entertainer, serial entrepreneur, philanthropist, and a huge family man. The film is loosely based on his upbringing. Red Clay follows Nook (Christopher A’mmanuel), who is just trying to survive the life he was given.
Red Clay depicts real-life scenarios of what some young Black men face in America, from a parent with drug addiction to having to become the “man of the house”. The short film also shows the strength of brotherhood and how despite one’s circumstances, you can still hope and want for more in life.
2 Chainz’s mother, who is turning 75 years old this year, along with his wife, two children, cousins, and friends of over 30 years were in attendance during the screening.
“A lot of the stuff that’s in Red Clay I’ve never rapped about, I never speak about it in interviews. It was just like a very steep mountain coming up where I’m from…but now we on the other side of the mountain. Matter of fact we’re down the mountain now,” said 2 Chainz after the screening to the crowd. “…It’s just surreal for me too. Very vulnerable moment for me but we here now.”
Red Clay was 10 years in the making and is executive produced and written by 2 Chainz, co-written and produced by seasoned actor Omar Epps (a cousin of 2 Chainz), and directed by Christian Nolan Jones.
The Grit of Atlanta
Red Clay is set in 2003 in Atlanta around the start of trap music. Nook is troubled with wanting a better life but is also willing to do whatever it takes to survive, even if that means helping his mother with her addiction. Epps took some time to speak with Carvd N Stone about his role in the short film.
“It’s a responsibility really because you just want to honor all the people involved. It takes a certain amount of vulnerability to reveal history of self and so everything was from that angle of just wanting to honor that and it’s not just entertainment. This is real people lives, so for me it was about the responsibility of that and making sure it all came out, and like I said we wanted to make Mama Chainz proud,” Epps told Carvd N Stone.
Epps, known for his acting roles in classics like The Wood, said we have to keep telling our own stories.
“You know ultimately this equality of equity that we want in this business or in any form of entertainment, we have to own our own narratives. We can’t live these great lives and then have someone else come tell our stories,” Epps said to Carvd N Stone. “So I just say keep pushing because this is what it’s all about.”
Red Clay references Georgia’s soil which is known as red clay.
Check out our video interviews from the 2025 Atlanta Film Festival here.
Nyesha Stone founded Carvd N Stone in 2017 to cover positive news while attending the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Stone has a B.A. in Journalism. She has raised over $30,000 to award grants and scholarships. She has also been featured in ESSENCE and worked with the American Black Film Festival.
