San Antonio Director Taps Houston Rappers For Powderkids

​San Antonio independent film director Buddy Calvo of Machina Cinema is all about his city. He films movies in his city and uses local city talent to make those movies, but when it comes to his flicks' soundtracks ... let's just say they couldn't be any more Houston.

Such was the case with Calvo's 2010 hit The Powderkids, a film about an academically troubled college student who returns home to find his high-school friends deeply involved in the drug trade. Our own rap underground has its signature all over it.

The films crew reached out to Rocks Off several months before the film was completed, and we sent them a slew of artists to consider. Four made the cut:

Talented businessman and longtime veteran Lucky Luciano; former Jay-Z signee Aztek Escobar; the highly celebrated Preemo; and the fast-rising Mayalino all found their tracks on key scenes in Powderkids, which generated lots of buzz in the San Antonio media and closed the San Antonio Local Film Festival.

"It seemed like hip-hop was the right kind of vibe for the film, even though the cast was little more [Caucasian]," says Calvo. "This soundtrack and story could have worked in Brooklyn with an all-black cast and people might have thought it'd make more sense, but when I was playing it my mind, nothing else seemed to fit.

"I love hip-hop. The main complement besides the technical aspect of the film was that the music was the coolest they've ever heard."

Right now, Calvo doesn't have a hard soundtrack CD to offer fans of the film, but he tells Rocks Off it's an idea that's brewing among the artists, and he plans on reaching out to the soundtrack's contributors to discuss the idea. No need to worry. Rocks Off has Houston's representation.

We sat down with Calvo to discuss his music selection for the film.