On stage is an all-star cast, including Mos Def, Erykah Badu, Kanye West, Talib Kweli, Dead Prez, Jill Scott, the Roots, Bilal, and Lauryn Hill with the reunited Fugees. A spirited movie that reminds us why we love hip-hop. Peep the website and buy the movie.
Run-DMC star in this low-budget exploitation crime drama. After the trio sign with a production company for a concert tour, their roadie Runny Ray is killed after he witnesses a drug-related murder. The trio investigate their friend’s death and delight in the violent vanquishing of a group of white racists. Concert footage of Run-DMC, Slick Rick, Junkyard Band & The Beastie Boys. There is also music from Public Enemy. Directed by Rick Rubin who thankfully these days sticks to producing records.
There is a formula for most ‘gangster rises to the top’ movies and 50 Cent follows it almost exactly. Get Rich has all of the usual lessons from the little kid learning to be tough early, to the finding out who your real friends are, all rapped up in a voice-over. Entertaining for kids and young adults into hip-hop culture but Mum and Dad might not be so keen. Not quite 8 Mile but certainly no disaster. Look out for Asher D (So Solid Crew).
8 Mile is as solid a showbiz drama as they come. Based on Eminem’s own experiences growing up in the Motor City Suburb, the Scott Silver-penned story traces a familiar arc: struggling artist overcomes poverty and self-doubt through raw talent. Possibly the best hip hop movie made in recent years? Read what others had to say . . .
When hip-hop innovator Grand Wizard Theodore experimented with scratching vinyl in the ’70s, he couldn’t have imagined the consequences. But watching Doug Pray’s exuberant portrayal of the birth and continuing evolution of the hip-hop DJ, it’s not hard to see why turntables now outsell guitars.
Mixing hip-hop history with interviews with top “turntablists”, footage from competitions and impromptu freestyling sessions caught on camera, Pray’s enthralling documentary eschews flashy effects in favour of allowing the DJs and music to speak for themselves. So sit back and enjoy virtuoso performances from the likes of DJ Shadow, the X-Ecutioners, Qbert and MixMasterMike, whose talent and good-humoured interviews testify to the hours of hard work that go into a six-minute competition spot.
You don’t have to be hip-hop mad to enjoy Scratch, just as you didn’t have to be into skateboarding to appreciate Dogtown And Z-Boys. Its infectious energy will rope in everyone, regardless of whether they know their Qbert from their Schubert.
Click the image to visit the Scratch website.
Krush Groove tells the story of Russell Walker (Blair Underwood), a young rap producer modelled on Russell Simmons, creator of Rush Management and Def Jam Records. Simmons is still one of the chief forces in hip-hop and a scene maker of Diddy-sized proportions. But at the time he was just the scrappy promoter of acts like Run DMC, LL Cool J and the Beastie Boys. The real Simmons started Def Jam with producer Rick Rubin in Rubin’s NYU dorm room and, in the film; Walker heads Krush Groove records (Krush Groove, Def Jam … get it?) with Rubin gamely playing himself. (Their real-life counterparts, in fact, play many of the main characters,). So you get Run DMC, The Fat Boys, Sheila E and old school legend Kurtis Blow all emoting like pros. The main plot finds Run (Simmons real-life brother) and Russell coming to conflict over Sheila E’s affections and Run abandoning Krush Groove in the process. The movie as a whole has a really innocent feeling with all of the young cast members exuding charm and charisma. Run, Sheila E, and Rubin in particular have the fresh-faced honesty that professional actors might not have brought to the roles. Some of the acting may be a bit creaky by technical standards but there is an energy to the film that can’t be faked. For his part, Underwood anchors the film with a sly performance but doesn’t stick out as the sole pro. He plays the fast-talking Russell well enough that viewers can be forgiven for thinking he, like his co-stars, is just playing himself. One of the best things about Krush Groove is spotting the small roles by rappers who have hit it big since. The list is short, but memorable. LL Cool J performs a snippet of his breakout hit “I Can’t Live Without My Radio” in a dynamite scene. He tears the screen up with his wiry, youthful energy. Similarly, the Beasties appear briefly doing their raucous “She’s On It” in what seems like a drunken haze. The film includes some great songs, like Run DMC’s “The King of Rock,” Blow’s “If I Ruled the World,” and the Fat Boys’ “Don’t You Dog Me” It also features a live version of “It’s Like That” from Run DMC.
This excellent documentary offers hip-hop gurus and main-streamers a rare glimpse into the personal and public lives of some of the most notable artists in hip-hop. Artists profiled are Naughty by Nature, Run DMC, Notorious BIG, Warren G, Wu-Tang Clan, Dr Dre, Craig Mack, Snoop Dogg and Tha Dogg Pound, LL Cool J, Slick Rick (in prison!), Kid Capri and controversial Death Row Records owner, Marion “Suge” Knight.
Very hard to find a copy of this but well worth seeking out, as the photography is slick, the sound is on point and it’s some of the best Biggie footage you can find.
In my opinion, the best hip hop concert movie produced so far (after The Show). Jay-Z’ s supposed “retirement party” sees Jigga on fine form and follows him through a classic set backed by Questlove (The Roots) and full band. Slick photography, interesting production insights and a stellar cast of hip hop A-listers. Features Missy Elliott, Foxy Brown, Slick Rick, Ghostface, Diddy, Pharrell, Rick Rubin, Beanie Sigel, etc, etc . . .
Peep the trailer. Then buy it.
New Jack City has enjoyed a long and loyal fan following since it hits the streets back in 1991. It may be a fairly black & white look at the front-line war on drugs, but it works a lot better as a straight “crime flick” than it does as a deep-thinking cautionary tale.
Wesley Snipes stars as the unflinchingly mercenary drug kingpin known as Nino Brown. The year is 1986, and the crack epidemic is just about to hit New York City in a big, ugly way - which means that Nino and his crew are about to hit the big time. The CMB (Cash Money Brothers) overtake a massive apartment complex called The Carter, and it’s there that Nino’s minions will stake their claim; manufacturing facilities, distribution routes, and a captive collection of customers are what The Carter can offer, and Nino storms the place like it was a medieval castle.
Meanwhile, on the law enforcement side of the equation, Scotty Appleton (Ice-T) and Nick Peretti (Judd Nelson) are enlisted to take the CMB boys down, and down hard. All the cops have in their arsenal is a disapproving Lt. Stone (Mario Van Peebles) and a rehabilitated crackhead (Chris Rock). But Peretti & Appleton also have one extra weapon: Their venomous disdain for Nino combined with a casual disrespect for acceptable police procedure.
And of course there are the sidekicks, the henchmen, the abused women-folks, the corrupted, the addicted, and the outraged. It’s a fairly simple story, all things considered, and it’s one we’ve heard more than a few times before. But there’s a vibrant colour and slick fluidity to New Jack City, which makes it easy to overlook the more obvious spots and focus on the assets.
New Jack City doesn’t offer a whole lot that’s new to the “city drug war” genre, but it was one of the first flicks to dress the tale up for a new generation. It’s a slickly entertaining and consistently engaging crime thriller, and it’s a film that stands up for repeat viewings. Ice-T is on fine form in his big screen debut.
Extremely brutal, but gripping and compelling story of a volatile, alienated young teenager growing up in the violent atmosphere of the L.A. Watts District and, against the advice of family and friends, makes no effort to transcend the harshness and ignorance of his surroundings, instead choosing to head down a dead-end path. Violent, almost unbearable at times, but faultlessly acted by the cast, and filled with powerful, authentic scenes. Tate is an absolute powerhouse as Turner’s young, but extremely impulsive and cold-blooded pal. Obviously not for all tastes, but a monumental achievement regardless, thanks to a superior cast of actors.