The lives of several performing R&B groups and artists inspired this film: The Dells, The Temptations, Frankie Lymon and Sam Cooke according to Robert Townsend in a Mademe Noir Interview. Townsend says the crux of the story was based on the breakup of the Temptations which was an event he took personally.
De La Soul sampled the "Why do we have to cross over?/Why are niggas always crossing over, huh?/I mean, what's the matter?/They can accept our music as long as they can't see our faces?" dialogue for their song "Patti Dooke" from their 1993 album "Buhloone Mindstate."
Eddie Griffin's first film.