In the Raising of an OG, a coming-of-age period drama about the life of a highly successful businessman in Chicago who carries his difficult and troubling past with him as he juggles upward mobility, family obligations, and childhood trauma, we can't help but become fixated on the main character, BEST. But what makes him a real O.G.? In a recent focus group, we asked women ages 28-46 what they see in this man. The results were tantalizing.
The Raising of an OG | Dionne Roberts-Emegha
He's Sexy as Hell!
An "artwork of body tattoos," we're first introduced to Best (30), as he lies naked in bed with his woman, as she gently presses her leg to his. Hours later, he steps out of his 2022 Black BMW 530e in a solid tan linen-blend suit, with a blue stripped dress shirt, silk tie, and pebbled leather Ferragamo's, and walks down a long walkway of "Rookwood pottery beneath the sloping green Spanish-tile gabled roof, " of Chicago's Monroe Building, with a swagger so confident that he wreaks of arrogance and charisma . . . Cue the rap music, he's at a press conference surrounded by Fortune 500 Executives, celebrities, and a sea of media announcing a groundbreaking partnership. A depth of restraint, he manages every emotion -- amusement, sexual intrigue, anger -- with a slight raising of his left eye-brow and the clinching of his chiseled jaw. His character exudes sex appeal on the page, as revealed by one middle-aged participant, "I'm sorry, but I just wanted to rip his clothes back off and go to work."
He's Smart
Born in inner-city Baltimore and raised on the West Side of Chicago, Best has risen to lead a forward thinking consortium that has leveraged the power of sports in a meaningful way to impact Chicago's inner-city neighborhoods. Best could be just another guy with a title, but he's helping kids whose stories resemble his to develop life skills and business competencies. Best is a thinker, a doer, and a giver! He lures us all in as we watch him make dreams come true.
He's Charming
Best's sentimentality is endearing. He seems to have the right level of compassion and affection for every occasion. To his 66 year-old Aunt Beula: "Look at you looking all pretty . . . You must have gotchu another man," he flatters, before taking over her duties in the restaurant to allow her to rest her feet. Later, Best takes his younger brother, DeMario, to the local barber shop to get him cleaned up physically and emotionally after his release from jail. Bombarded by work obligations, his phone blares incessantly with texts and calls as he turns and catches his brother laughing as if he were a young boy, again. Without contemplation, Best deletes every incoming message and patiently waits until DeMario hops to his feet and declares, "Nigga, I'm back!" Exclaimed one participant, "I don't know about you, but life hurts sometimes. When you have a strong man making you a priority - giving you that special kind of attention - it propels you forward and fills you with the strength to continue fighting life's journey."
He's Interesting
When Best realizes that his woman, Destiny, might be involved in an entanglement with a dude from the local gym, he parks his car down the street and waits -- okay, stalks. He watches as her personal trainer, Mike, brushes the hair from her face and shoos her off the phone. Catching her in a blatant lie about her whereabouts, we suspect that Best is going to lose control and go full throttle on Mike. He doesn't! In fact, he allows her space to work out her emotions . . . well, until he doesn't. He ends up handling Mike in a way none of us suspect, which leaves us wondering, was it Best who put THAT THANG on Big John in the final act? We won't know until the series gets picked up. But we do know that Best keeps us in all our feels.
He's got Heart!
One of the greatest strengths of the storytelling in "The Raising of an O.G. " are the flashback scenes that occur throughout the script, particularly when Best interacts with his father, Ira. The original gangster, Ira Lyons, is the standard that Best can't shake. While his views on women are certainly suspect, his love for his son(s) is not. We watch as Ira schools Best on everything from learning patience, to how to win a girl's heart - - TRIANGULATION AT ITS FINEST. In one scene, seven year-old Best runs down the block, through his house, and into his garden to collect flowers for his crush on the block, Stacy. Ira quickly intervenes:
BEST: "But dad, I have to hurry and give Stacy these flowers before Ron does."
IRA: So you gonna run down there and hand her these here flowers in front of them two dudes, huh?"
BEST: Yeah!
IRA: (pulling a gun from his hip): Oh, okay! Well, when you give her them flowers, give her this too. . . cause one way or the other, you about to be shot in your heart!
Best (pouting his lips as if to cry): But, I don't want to be shot in my heart! -- Awww! He's adorable.
Ira: Son, you ain't gotta choice!
I can safely say that there is stunning character work all around, but Best is incredibly well written. The framing of the pilot episode is really brilliant . . . the way we see Best act on traits passed down from his father in the past and in the present strengthens both characters and provides an engaging theme for the audience to chew over." -- Coverage from the Script Lab
My Take: As James St. Patrick is to Power, Best Lyons is to the Raising of an O.G. Similar to Patrick, Best is a business and family man with a dark side. However, this show really digs deep into the psychosis of childhood trauma and explores how one's early relationships and experiences impact choices in adulthood. Specifically, this show explores themes of masculinity and dabbles with unconventional family structures in a way we've not seen. This series is probing and thoughtful, without lacking excitement or sex appeal. Best is the glue that holds this story together and makes us question our own actions and motivations.
I can't tell anyone what to do, but knowing what I know now, if I had an early opportunity to invest in the Power television franchise before the pilot was released, I would jump back in time and give my last dollar to support that project. With the brilliance of the character work of this show -- the prowess of Best -- you get a second chance!
For more information about The Raising of an OG, casting or investment opportunities, contact, info@1919mediacompany.com.
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