Chronicles the origins and evolution of West Coast hip-hop through the life and influence of Alonzo "Lonzo" Williams. Known as the "Godfather of West Coast Hip-Hop," Lonzo’s journey began in 1976 as a young DJ, and over the years, he emerged as one of the most pivotal figures in the genre, discovering legendary artists like Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, and many others who went on to revolutionize music.
Suffering debilitating grief from the passing of his best friend who introduced him to the world of dance, Derrick must confront a monster that seeks to separate him from everything he loves.
I'm Still Here is a portrayal of a tumultuous year in the life of actor Joaquin Phoenix. With remarkable access, the film follows the Oscar-nominee as he announces his retirement from a successful film career in the fall of 2008 and sets off to reinvent himself as a hip-hop musician. The film is a portrait of an artist at a crossroads and explores notions of courage and creative reinvention, as well as the ramifications of a life spent in the public eye.
After a run-in with local thugs, aspiring Harlem rapper Rob flees to a place and father he never knew, and finds his salvation in Reggaeton, a spicy blend of hip-hop, reggae and Latin beats. Puerto Rico, the spiritual home of Reggaeton, inspires Rob and his step-brother Javi to pursue their dream of becoming Reggaeton stars. Together with a dancer named C.C., they learn what it means to stay true to themselves and each other, while overcoming obstacles in love, greed and pride, all culminating in an explosive performance at New York’s Puerto Rican Day Parade.
Tony Silver and Henry Chalfant's PBS documentary tracks the rise and fall of subway graffiti in New York in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
In 1997, rap superstars Tupac Shakur and Christopher Wallace (aka Biggie Smalls, The Notorious B.I.G.) were gunned down in separate incidents, the apparent victims of hip hop's infamous east-west rivalry. Nick Broomfield's film introduces Russell Poole, an ex-cop with damning evidence that suggests the LAPD deliberately fumbled the case to conceal connections between the police, LA gangs and Death Row Records, the label run by feared rap mogul Marion "Suge" Knight.
Live at Wembley is a full concert-performance shot in London during Beyoncé’s first solo international tour Dangerously In Love. As one of the biggest female entertainers in the world, Beyoncé dazzles the audience with her #1 hits.
Demon Days: Live at the Manchester Opera House is a Grammy Award nominated live DVD by Gorillaz, It compiles live performances by the band from the 1st through the 5th of November 2005 at the Manchester Opera House that recreated the Demon Days Studio album.
Hendrix dreams of hip-hop greatness, but he’s spiraling down a rabbit-hole of crime and poverty until he meets Doc, an old poet still haunted by his martial law past. Can they turn each other’s lives around before they’re swallowed by their circumstance?
Copyright Criminals examines the creative and commercial value of musical sampling, including the related debates over artistic expression, copyright law, and (of course) money. This documentary traces the rise of hip-hop from the urban streets of New York to its current status as a multibillion-dollar industry. For more than thirty years, innovative hip-hop performers and producers have been re-using portions of previously recorded music in new, otherwise original compositions. When lawyers and record companies got involved, what was once referred to as a “borrowed melody” became a “copyright infringement.” The film showcases many of hip-hop music’s founding figures like Public Enemy, De La Soul, and Digital Underground—while also featuring emerging hip-hop artists from record labels Definitive Jux, Rhymesayers, Ninja Tune, and more.
Tomboy Yui (Mao Inoue) brings her 3 male friends along with her to see a live performance of local Okinawan rap group, “Workaholic”. Upon witnessing the crowd reaction, the boys decide to start a rap group of their own to impress chicks—while Toru (Hayato Ichihara) has the added motivation of impressing his older, more sophisticated love interest Nagisa (Ayumi Ito). With only 2 weeks to learn how to play instruments and prepare for their first show, the performance is predictably humiliating. In order to save pride they decide to give it another shot, but this time they ditch the instruments for a sampler and stay truer to themselves. Will Toru be able to capture Nagisa’s heart? Will Yui ever confess her love to Toru or will she just keep practicing her advanced pro wrestling techniques on him instead?
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, skateboarding and hip-hop culture collide in downtown Manhattan. Archival footage from the era showcases the fusion of these two forms of expression.
This anti-coming-of-age film follows Generation Y characters as they chase the desire for radical self-realisation.
"The MC: Why We Do It" takes a look inside the world of Hip Hop and MCs to explore the issues and concerns that define todays most popular music form. The MC started out as a mere introducer of musical acts, but when DJs began spinning tracks at block parties in the Bronx in the late 1970s, the MC began to rap along to the beats, emerging as the focal point of a new music form. The film not only explores the origins of MC'ing, but the environmental, spiritual and moral aspects to this art form. As Hip Hop turns 25 years old, MC's consider the past, present and future of their music, giving a unique insight into what drives these artists to continue spitting rhymes. Written by Iain Kennedy
A documentary depicting the life of American boyband Brockhampton while making their Saturation album series.
Poignant stories of homelessness on the West Coast of the US frame this cinematic portrait of a surging humanitarian crisis.
Everything changes for a rising hip-hop star, SEMBRÉ, and his manager, MARLENE, a talented indie artist in her own right; as they are dealing with the collapse of their five-year romance, a new producer shows up with a major record deal, forcing them to confront their past while navigating the price of loyalty and fame in the underground Chicago music scene.
This documentary is an in-depth look into not only Eminem's career, but also the careers of the all the artists' who graced the label over the years. First and foremost, we spoke to Em and Paul, whose partnership and unique friendship is what made the label possible. But we also spoke to the man who helped turn Em into a superstar, Dr. Dre, and the man who Em helped turn into a superstar, 50 Cent. With additional interviews from Mr. Porter and Royce Da 5'9", this documentary is the definitive look into how one of the rap's greatest juggernauts came to be.