Meet The Rapper Who Inspired James Franco’s “Spring Breakers” Character

His songs include “My Fork” and “Pots ‘N Pans.”

1. In Spring Breakers, James Franco plays a character named “Alien.”

He’s a rapper who sells drugs and is involved in a variety of other vague illegal activities.

Via: collider.com

2. Franco said the character was inspired by a rapper named Dangeruss, who he’s posing with here.

Source: jamesfrancoworld.tumblr.com

Franco told GQ:

“I would say the biggest influence on the role was this local Florida rapper named [sic] Dangerous. He’s fairly unknown, but he was down there in the place, living the life, and he became the biggest model for me and he’s in the movie.”

4. Dangeruss appears briefly in the movie, onstage with Alien during one of the party scenes.

Image by BRJ/FameFlynet Pictures

5. Franco even shot and directed this video for Dangeruss’ song “Hangin’ With Da Dopeboys.”

Video available at: http://youtube.com/watch?v=2C2pkfBRNws.

Franco explained: “I didn’t want the relationship with Dangeruss to end so I asked him if I could film him for a video. I liked the idea of shooting him doing his daily routine, simple and autobiographical like his music. He watched basketball, he drove over to his friend’s house, they smoked blunts, they freestyled. Later, I flew Dangeruss to LA and we filmed more in the old movie palace downtown where Chaplin’s “City Lights” had premiered. He was epic. This video is the result.”

Source: youtube.com

6. But his greatest song is definitely “My Fork.”

Video available at: http://youtube.com/watch?v=tlpcXYkJa9I.

It’s about his fork.

Source: youtube.com

7. Dangeruss is big on rapping about kitchen utensils. This one’s called “Pots N Pans.”

Video available at: http://youtube.com/watch?v=457w8Nfn8-4.

Source: youtube.com

8. By the way, Dangeruss hasn’t seen “Spring Breakers” yet, but he heard it was “bad.” (Ed note: beg to differ.)

DANGERUSS @DANGERUSS727

@somanyshrimp i see alot of ppl saying it was bad. Lol what you think? i haven't seen it yet

6:26 AM - 16 Mar 13

• Reply
• Retweet
• Favorite

9. He’s looking for a publicist and manager.

DANGERUSS @DANGERUSS727

Damn i need a team right now.with the right people i could make us rich in a short period of time. I need a publicist and a manager ASAP!

10:30 PM - 11 Mar 13

• Reply
• Retweet
• Favorite

DANGERUSS @DANGERUSS727

I need a good publicist

5:19 AM - 11 Mar 13

• Reply
• Retweet
• Favorite

11. There was a lot of speculation that Alien was actually based on another rapper, Riff Raff.

But Franco said this wasn’t true, in the same interview he revealed that Dangeruss was the main inspiration: “[We] looked at some of Riff Raff’s videos as inspiration, but he was one of a number of people we looked at.”

Via: hiphopvirus.com

12. Apparently this made Riff Raff upset!

MTV @MTV

Rapper Riff Raff is maaaad at James Franco over the #SpringBreakers character: bit.ly/Z0D3sM

12:30 AM - 1 Mar 13

• Reply
• Retweet
• Favorite

According to MTV, he sent out an email to friends and media complaining that Franco ripped off his image and didn’t give him credit:

“The storyline ain’t mine but no one on Earth can deny that James Franco’s image and appearance characteristics are Riff Raff all day. Even the Florida rapper [Dangeruss] says that Franco isn’t dressed like him in the movie. All I want is credit for his image and I’m confused why a superstar actor with millions of dollars would steal and deny credit from a new upcoming rapper like myself who hasn’t even dropped an album yet. What a fuckin’ asshole — I would never do any bullshit like that if I was in his position.”

14. Dangeruss fired back:

DANGERUSS @DANGERUSS727

@MTV tell him he soun like a bitch he tryin to do to me what he "claims" my dawg @JamesFrancoTV doin to him. Sensitive

3:29 AM - 2 Mar 13

• Reply
• Retweet
• Favorite

15. You keep doing your thing, Dangeruss.