Sheila Escovedo (better known as celebrated percussionist Sheila E) had just wrapped up the Purple Rain Tour with Prince in 1985 when she was offered an audition for a hip-hop movie called Krush Groove. With zero acting experience and running on fumes, she boarded a plane bound for New York City not knowing what to expect.

“They wanted to see if I had chemistry with this guy named Blair [Underwood],” Shiela recalls. “So we went to New York and I did a couple of scenes. I’d never taken any lessons, but I thought I could do anything, so I was like, ‘Sure no problem. Not a big deal.’ We did the little screen test and everything worked out well, so we did the movie.”

Starring Blair Underwood as Def Jam Recordings co-founder Russell Simmons, Def Jam co-founder Rick Rubin as himself and Simmons as hot headed Crocket, Krush Groove took a deep dive into the inner workings of a record label and the artists on its roster. With the direction of Michael Schultz, who’d directed 1975’s Cooley High, Sheila embraced her role as both Underwood’s love interest and an explosive performer, which included an iconic live rendition of “A Love Bizarre.” But the cast— which also boasted the Beastie Boys, Run-DMC, Kurtis Blow, LL COOL J, The Fat Boys and New Edition — could’ve never predicted Krush Groove would become the cult classic it is today.

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