Hip Hop Revolucion

Hip Hop Revolución (Documentary Teaser 1) from Alborada Films on Vimeo.

Street Art; Christchurch, New Zealand

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Read/watch about Street Art in Christchurch after the earthquakes here

Chicago Footwork - Meet the Era (documentary)

"The music was for the dance," Chief Manny, a footwork dancer from the South Side of the city, told THUMP. "When I hear footwork, I can't not be thinking about dancing. So it's kind of weird that everyone loves this stuff around the world but doesn't know or interact with dancing origins of it on the ground in Chicago."

In Meet The Era, a new THUMP-produced documentary by Wills Glasspiegel, we meet a group of talented young people determined to preserve and push footwork culture forward in Chicago and beyond. Co-founded in 2014 by South Side native Litebulb, now 25, The Era brings together some of the city's finest battle dancers—including Chief Manny himself, as well as P-Top, Steelo, and Dempsey—all young Chicagoans spreading the message that footwork is an art form that brings music and dance together. "Please don't forget who's out there sweating blood and tears every day and giving their everything just for the music and moment itself," Bulb implores. "We bring those tracks to life."

read more here

"Growing up hip hop"

“Growing Up Hip-Hop” is a 6 part docu-series, following the off-spring of iconic hip hop figures that will air on WE Tv later this year. The show wouldn’t be complete if the music legends themselves didn’t make appearances, Damon Dash, Rev. Run, Russell Simmons, Master P, El DeBarge and Pepa (of rap duo Salt & Peppa) will be on the show supporting their offspring. Here is the synopsis of the show:

“Hip hop is a hugely popular music genre, but beyond the songs it has become a lifestyle and has influenced a generation of young people. ‘Growing Up Hip Hop’ profiles what it’s like to be raised by hip hop legends, living in their shadow while trying to balance success and independence. This series will be right at home in our growing line-up focused on the authenticity and the challenges of real people and real relationships, and we can’t wait to share these distinctive original stories with WE tv viewers.”

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Exarchia Street Art (Greece)

For a form of art so misunderstood as street art, it is only natural to find roof within a neighborhood equally – for many people- misunderstood. A lively area, constantly alerted and restless, mysterious and colorful. Exarchia, located in the centre of Athens.

 In this film we collect moments of the urban scenery of Exarchia and the culture behind it. Exarchia’s walls and streets, interviews with art specialists, residents of Exarchia and of course street artists who talk with us about this subculture and controversial subject.

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Fresh Dressed

"Fresh Dressed’s journey starts in pre-Civil War America, winds through the hyper-localized group identities defining New York street style in the ’70s and ’80s, and ends up discussing the flourishing niche culture of today’s visual landscape. But as much as the film is about fashion on its face, the politics of why people dress the way they do—how that’s changed and why it matters so much to begin with—is the heart of Fresh Dressed."

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Documentary: Mongolia Bling

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Beef

Not Afraid: The Shady Records Story

Beyond Beats and Rhymes

"What are some of the factors that influences the ideas, values, and models of life of young inner-city African-American men today? There are the everyday conditions of life in the neighborhoods of segregated American cities, which Elijah Anderson considers in Code of the Street: Decency, Violence, and the Moral Life of the Inner City (link). But there is also the increasingly violent and misogynist output of hip hop music and video. It is apparent that the images, values, and modes of behavior presented in hip hop music and videos find their way back onto the street and into the lives of young black men and women. Hip hop doesn't simply mirror the street -- it helps to create the street. So the content and identities portrayed in the music makes a difference.

Byron Hurt's very interesting 2006 PBS documentary on violence and sexism in hip hop music and videos, Hip Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes, addresses these issues. (The video is posted at the top.) Hurt does a great job of reading the role that violence and misogyny play in hip hop lyrics and videos. "Why are so many rappers preoccupied with violence and gunplay" (6:30). The basic idea that he puts forward is that this major aspect of hip hop culture is a commercial exploitation of a cartoonish version of masculinity—hard, tough, unafraid, ready to kill, ready to exploit and sexualize women. (Hurt calls it “hyper-masculinity”.) The representation of women in much of this music is hyper-sexualized and brutalizing. And there is a recurring theme of homophobia and homophobic slurs."

Read the rest here

'Bad Rap' - documentary trailer on Asian-American rappers

The Art of Rap - Something from Nothing

2008 Tech N9ne - The Psychumentary

New School Dictionary

Old School Dictionary: Poppin, Lockin & Breakin

One More Road to Cross - DMX documentary

Kings and Toys

Piece by Piece: San Francisco Graffiti

The Freshest Kids (2002)

Hip-Hop History: Jay-Z