The 1995 documentary that asked if hip-hop was art or poison — before the culture won.
Rap music has articulated a black aesthetic that is influencing pop culture around the world. But does it also promote violence, misogyny, and crime? This program featuring rap master Melle Mel describes the history of rap and hip-hop from its roots in earlier oral and musical traditions to its full flowering in the mid-1990s. Commentary by Grandmaster Flash and Afrika Bambaataa, rap’s early innovators; music critic Nelson George, author of hiphopamerica; radical jazz poet Gil Scott-Heron; movie star and rapper Ice Cube; former gangsta rapper Snoop Doggy Dogg; members of Public Enemy, Arrested Development, and the jazz/hip-hop fusion group UFO; and others speak out about the urban African-American experience, civil rights, social responsibility, and other pressing topics. Clips from music videos provide a visual perspective on the genre. Some images and lyrics may be objectionable.
Writing
Nelson George's cultural commentary hits different.
Production
Rare 1995 Snoop footage before the persona calcified.
Editing
Jarring cuts between scholarly analysis and raw video clips.
Director
Susan Shaw
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Released during the 1995 congressional hearings on rap lyrics, this doc functioned as a rebuttal to C. Delores Tucker and conservative critics demanding warning labels.
Susan Shaw never made another film; this singular documentary remains her only IMDB credit, making it a fascinating one-hit wonder in itself.
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