Justin Lin is one of the biggest blockbuster directors working today — he helped revive the Fast & Furious franchise and is now lending his talent to Star Trek Beyond — but in the early 2000s he was a recent film school grad with no connections and dreams of making it in Hollywood.
A chance encounter with a rapper fading from his prime changed his life forever. Lin met MC Hammer at a technology expo, helping him navigate the world of digital cameras, the exchanged numbers and three years later, the "U Can't Touch This" hitmaker kickstarted Lin's career by financing his first feature film, the Sundance hit Better Luck Tomorrow.
Lin recounts the amazing story and reveals the way Hammer has remained a part of his life in our exclusive interview with the director. Needless to say, the rapper recouped his initial investment and probably a lot more.
Watch our interview with Justin Lin above, and click here to see the film's male leads, Zachary Quinto and Chris Pine, talk about hate crimes, LGBT pride and more. see Star Trek Beyond in theaters now.