Now available on Fox Entertainment's streaming service Tubi, Living for the Sacrifice: A Hood Hero's Guide to Success (BMB Entertainment) gives an intimate look into the life of Brian Maurice Brown aka "Peanut." Brown was once one of Detroit's most notorious former drug kingpins. Now reformed he masters a myriad of elevated roles such as music executive, reality star, and spirit-led family man.
The documentary is a compelling extension of Trea "The Storyteller" Davenport's biopic book "Living for the Sacrifice", which chronicles Brown's radical rise as the mastermind of a narcotics empire on the same Motor City streets that took the lives of both of his parents. As the author of Brown's memoir and a friend of over three decades, celebrity publicist Treavion Davenport was a natural fit to direct and produce the film.
Your story is a true tale of love loss, and thriving against the odds, share your background.
A: I come from what some might consider nothing. I grew up in Detroit. Both of my parents struggled with drug addiction and substance abuse….opportunities and role models available to myself and my peers were very limited.
I was a really good basketball player, definitely bound for the NBA. I even made the shot that sealed the championship game for my high school Chadsey.
However, I had a coach who really hated me. He made judgments and determinations about my life and my future. During my senior year, scouts for many schools were present at all of my games, especially at that championship tournament. When the scouts asked about me, my coach told them that I would end up either doing drugs or selling drugs like the rest of my family.
So, he had basically sealed my fate. As he predicted, I eventually turned to a life in the streets. I learned a lot along the way and served my time. I have done many things to right my wrongs and balance out my energy and karma - I’m determined to help others pursue their dreams and provide the opportunities that weren't afforded to me.
Your friend and celebrity publicist, Treavion Davenport, embarked on writing your story and have now turned it into a film Living for the Sacrifice of the Hero's Guide to Success. It shows your radical rise as the mastermind of a narcotics empire on the same motor city streets that took the life of both your parents and your complete turnaround. Tell us about the film.
A: The film is exciting. Entertaining, but yet, very enlightening. It not only discusses my past, and my present, but it really digs into my purpose in life, which I call ‘living for the sacrifice’. Which means living outside of oneself, for any soul or situation that's put before me. That's why I'm still here today. I believe you'll find my journey in the documentary to be quite an exciting one.
Treavion Davenport is the director and producer of this project. What was it like working with her? What are her strengths as a director and producer?
A: It's great working with Trea. We've been working together for over 30 years now. She's not only a very accomplished, thorough storyteller, but she's one of my best friends.
Her strengths are the fact that she's going to get the job done no matter what. She's a self-proclaimed workaholic. And very passionate about what she sets her mind to. She also is very resourceful and is going to find a way out of no way to get things done.
What lessons can younger people glean from your story?
A: The book and the film lists my outline of engagement. For example, I share some of my principles. One is; ‘everybody you meet is somebody you already know’. And that's just a way for people to deal with new, interesting, and sometimes complicated characters. If you realize that history and people basically repeat themselves, you'll be able to recognize a tough situation or a difficult person, because you realize you've already encountered this type of energy before. That's just one of the principles that have helped me survive.
You are savvy, the founder of BMB. record label. Your music projects and the roster has included artists like rapper Kash Doll, Dre Butterz, Brooklyn Queen, Love & Hip Hop star Ray J, and All-American co-star Bre Z. What will people notice when working with you?
A: They will notice another one of my principles, which is to let people be who they are. I really believe it's important to just let people feel comfortable right away. The sooner you allow people to feel secure, the sooner they're able to really let their guard down and function in their natural essence, then and only then do you get the best out of a person whether it's an artist on your label or just an individual that you're encountering with on a daily basis. I believe that's something that's very different about BMB Entertainment. I’ve never signed artists because we thought that they could sell a million records, or because they have a certain number of followers on Instagram. It's always been about the energy of the artist or either who brought the artist to the table. Sometimes that's worked in my favor and other times it has certainly brought about some unique and challenging circumstances. But it's all good no matter what.
Share what was your proudest moment?
A: Oh, I have to say, my proudest moment is really any in every moment when I have the opportunity to reflect on how blessed I am and my family is. My two oldest daughters are college-educated and graduated, independent, beautiful women doing very well for themselves. My daughter Breanne is a freshman at Arizona State University on a cheerleading scholarship. My son BJ attends one of the country's top schools for athletics and academics. My other children are all very healthy, very intelligent, and have their own unique personalities. I have 14 children, Everybody is striving and I am actively involved in all of their lives.
Do people deserve second chances?
A: Absolutely. Absolutely, people deserve second chances. And sometimes maybe even a third. We're all works in progress. We all fall short and people make decisions based on their frame of reference or their circumstance at the time. Just leave it there for a second. We can leave it at that for now.
What is your hope for the film?
A: That people relate to some aspect of my journey and purpose, and that by doing so, it may somehow bless, enlighten or advance their train of thinking and put them in a position to deal with themselves and others more in a way that is more complimentary to everyone involved.
Please share your projects and or goals for 2020?
A: Well, BMB Records is definitely growing and becoming a formidable player in the industry. My recording artist. Brooklyn Queen, for example, is absolute TikTok royalty. She is definitely one to watch. We will continue to push her career with everything that we have in us. Our lead music producer Dre Butterz has been nominated for a 2021 Grammy for Best Progressive R&B Album for his work on Eric Bellinger's “New Light” album. Butterz has always been our secret weapon, he is a scientist and a genius musically in everything he does. We will continue to pour into them and all of the other artists on our roster.
We have some very unique goals related to streaming and disrupting the system, inadvertently forcing the industry to take notice of our talent.
In terms of our BMB Films, LLC projects; Trea and I are currently in pre-production. We're for the feature film about my life, the documentary and book are doing well. However, we have been approached and are now working on an actual feature-length film about my life and that's something that will be filmed and completed in 2020. We are expanding into NFT's cryptocurrency and many other enterprises that will be flourishing in the months to come!
An insider's take on the American dream, Living for the Sacrifice is a must-watch, true tale of love, loss, and thriving in life against all odds. Stream Living for the Sacrifice on Tubi: https://tubitv.com/movies/618565/living-for-the-sacrifice.
Follow Brian Brown @mrbmbrecords and director Treavion Davenport @treadavenport on socials.