Hip hop film
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Hip hop films are motion pictures that display the aesthetics and culture of hip hop, primarily use hip hop as the musical soundtrack, use hip hop artists as their main characters, or all of the above. Some have suggested that hip hop movies also include video recorded concerts and documentaries. Hip hop movies cover a wide range of genres and themes.
Contents |
[edit] The beginning of hip hop movies
In 1982, all the elements of hip hop were combined into a motion picture for the first time. Wild Style portrayed DJing, breaking, MCing, and graffiti art. It is a classic according to hip hoppers not only because of all the elements being portrayed, but also because it is set in the birthplace of hip hop, the South Bronx. This would be the beginning of movies shown and stories being told from a hip hop perspective.
Another movie that portrays the elements, but mostly graffiti art is Style Wars.
[edit] Breakin
After Wild Style, the next hip hop movie would focus on dance. Breakin debuted in 1984 and focused on west coast hip hop. West coast dancers add on to break dancing by introducing the boogaloo and popping and locking. These forms of dancing are the center of attention in this movie. It was directed by Joel Silberg and written by Charlie Parker and Allen DeBevoise.
[edit] Hip Hop movie shift
After Wildstyle, Breakin, Krush Groove, and Beat Street, writers began to not only focus on the main elements of hip hop, but also incorporate these main elements of hip hop into more mainstream story lines and genres. Although the story lines became more mainstream, the aesthetics and the display of the culture remained the same.
In 1985, the first hip hop martial arts film debuted, The Last Dragon. Hip hop has always had somewhat of a connection to martial arts and it can be found in some of the breaking techniques. In this particular film produced by Berry Gordy, CEO of Motown Records, the soundtrack and the dance scenes were what distinguished it as an authetic hip hop movie.
