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Editorial Reviews
The craft. The history. The power. All these elements of the hip-hop movement are discussed with director Ice-T and the legends he interviews-Afrika Bambaataa, Eminem, Nas, Mos Def, Kanye West, Chuck D, KRS-One, Snoop Dogg, Run-DMC and Ice Cube-in this compelling and gritty feature-length documentary.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
12 of 13 people found the following review helpful
By Beezy
Format:DVD
This is one of the best hip-hop documentaries I've seen, both in the range of artists it interviews and the information it gives to you.
It's kind of like a companion to the book which came out a few years ago, where they got hold of around 100 MCs (many of the same people in this documentary + more), this is the one I mean -
How to Rap: The Art and Science of the Hip-Hop MC
...so this documentary is like additional knowledge to go along with that book, and obviously you get to see some nice freestyles and everything on the screen with this.
It's great that people are finally documenting the actual CRAFT of MCing, rather than either trying to attack it in some way without knowing anything about it, or just talking "around" the art form, by focusing on stuff like the socio-political background... that stuff is important, but not at the expense of a thorough discussion and preservation of the actual creation of the music, which is what this documentary focuses on.
Definitely worth watching and an awesome addition to the growing body of work on the creation of hip-hop music.
It's kind of like a companion to the book which came out a few years ago, where they got hold of around 100 MCs (many of the same people in this documentary + more), this is the one I mean -
How to Rap: The Art and Science of the Hip-Hop MC
...so this documentary is like additional knowledge to go along with that book, and obviously you get to see some nice freestyles and everything on the screen with this.
It's great that people are finally documenting the actual CRAFT of MCing, rather than either trying to attack it in some way without knowing anything about it, or just talking "around" the art form, by focusing on stuff like the socio-political background... that stuff is important, but not at the expense of a thorough discussion and preservation of the actual creation of the music, which is what this documentary focuses on.
Definitely worth watching and an awesome addition to the growing body of work on the creation of hip-hop music.
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful
By jimmy
Format:Amazon Instant Video|Amazon Verified Purchase
Was one of those early rap listeners who thought it would just be a fad and not ever catch on...early rap artists were more about catchy rhyming and not about any substance...until The Message hit the airwaves and now it became a social highway for other artists to talk about what was happening in the core of the city. It is easily understood why rap has maintained the longevity that it has; I suspect that rap will continue to be at the center of all music that is artfully important. The message can be so powerful and positive, I would love to see our talented musicians (rappers) come together and send out lyrics of growth and positive harmonization. Uplift our youth and create a true pathway for empowerment. Music can and does a lot to answer real questions and guide folks in the right direction....
As a 55 year old advid listener of many types of music...everything from Old School Funk, Neo-Soul, BTO, Chicago, Miles and Coltrane, I am easily drawn to Rap-if the message is on point!!
As a 55 year old advid listener of many types of music...everything from Old School Funk, Neo-Soul, BTO, Chicago, Miles and Coltrane, I am easily drawn to Rap-if the message is on point!!
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
This documentary was very eye opening & informative about the Culture of Hip-Hop as a whole (not just the genre of music). Ice T did a wonderful job of gathering together his good friends (that are true MC's in their own right) from years in the industry to speak about the culture that is hip-hop as well as the true skill of being a MC not just a rapper. The names ranged from some of the legend MC's of all time to some of the greats of hip-hop/rap genre today.
HOWEVER, 1 MAJOR factor kept this documentary from being a 5 star one. The #1 MC that should have definitely been in this was not in it. If you do not know the hip-hop history that well, i'm referring to the 1ST Hip-Hop MC to gain major success before hip-hop became "mainstream". That person is none other than Kurtis Blow. I guess he's not friends with Ice T or Ice T made the decision himself intentionally not to include Kurtis Blow for his own reasons (maybe for someone else in this documentary to say "they was the 1st MC to start it". That move was certainly a star down for me.
Still I suggest you buy this DVD because though it lacks a really big specimen, it makes up for it with distinguishable acceptable quality work of a documentary.
HOWEVER, 1 MAJOR factor kept this documentary from being a 5 star one. The #1 MC that should have definitely been in this was not in it. If you do not know the hip-hop history that well, i'm referring to the 1ST Hip-Hop MC to gain major success before hip-hop became "mainstream". That person is none other than Kurtis Blow. I guess he's not friends with Ice T or Ice T made the decision himself intentionally not to include Kurtis Blow for his own reasons (maybe for someone else in this documentary to say "they was the 1st MC to start it". That move was certainly a star down for me.
Still I suggest you buy this DVD because though it lacks a really big specimen, it makes up for it with distinguishable acceptable quality work of a documentary.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Must See For The Love of Rap!
This is a great documentary on the Art of Rap that brings the artist, the music and the creation to fruition where if you have a love for history, music and the people behind it... Read more
Published 7 days ago by Joseph R. Dixon, Jr.
5.0 out of 5 stars
great
Great documentary. The footage and the way it was presented is great. A must have for Hip Hop aficionados. 2 thumbs up
Published 1 month ago by EarlyBird973
5.0 out of 5 stars
great documentary
Great documentary on the art of the rap, how it started, how rappers/mcs gather their thoughts, writing styles, beats etc.
Published 1 month ago by Annette Villarreal
4.0 out of 5 stars
This is what I grew up on, I had to see it...
I'm a white dude from the 'burbs, few of my peers listened to it, but I love it. This is my high school years' anthem.
I enjoyed it. Read more
I enjoyed it. Read more
Published 1 month ago by MoultonHawk
5.0 out of 5 stars
Cool Documentary
If you love rap then this is an awesome documentary to watch to see some of the history behind this amazing culture. Read more
Published 2 months ago by John-Paul Masson
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great! Interesting and informative.
I really enjoyed hearing everyone's stories. I learned a lot and had a great time listening to the music too.
Published 2 months ago by A A Amann
4.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting
Good information in the documentary. I wish there would have been a little more on the reasons behind some of the songs....
Published 3 months ago by Songbird
5.0 out of 5 stars
Educational
This dvd gives the neophyte in the rap game and the fan of this genre of music who were not present during its birth and development an insight to the historical antecedents and... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Gary Williams
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great Documentary
This gave a better insight to the art known as rap. I enjoyed that Ice T made no mention to the current generation of rappers aka hip hop artists.
Published 3 months ago by Bryan Lyday
4.0 out of 5 stars
First half (New York) is great, second half maybe loses a bit of focus
I may be biased, but I'm a big fan of golden era New York hip hop. When showcasing some of the old greats (Rakim, KRS-One, Chuck D), the doc is fantastic. Read more
Published 3 months ago by A. Conolly
