THURSDAY,OCTOBER 10,2002
FILM
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN = 11
Movies that represent the hip-hop generation
By Peter Black
pblack@kansan.com
Jayplay writer
Many of the hip-hop celebrities on MTV's Cribs say the only thing more gangster than rolling on 22-inch rims is owning Scarface. Sure Tony Montana embodied the gangster lifestyle, but is Scarface really the film that should define hip-hop music and the rap lifestyle? Here are some movies that truly define hip-hop.
The Warriors
This 1979 gangster epic directed by Walter Hill has become a cult classic, earning praise from critics and Ol' Dirty Bastard alike. The film chronicles a New York gang wrongfully accused of killing a rival gang's leader. The gang makes its way across New York trying to get back to the safe ground of its home turf. This is one of few films to try to depict the life of gangs. Plus it has been
quoted by numerous rappers, including Wu-Tang Clan on its debut album Enter the Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers.
He may not be as popular as Shaft, but Dolemite is everything Shaft wishes he could be. Dolemite was released in 1975 and takes being a gangster to another level. If getting girls is part of being a gangster then Dolemite has everyone beat. Not only does he pimp the occasional hooker but he also has a gang of Kung Fu girls who help him fight back against "the man," Mayor Daly, to get his night club back. Scenes from this film were used in Ol' Dirty Bastard's music video for "Got Your Money." Breakin'2: The Electric Boogaloo
Dolemite
What is more hip-hop than break dancing? How about a sequel to a movie about break dancing. In 1984 Breakin' was released and in that same year its sequel The Electric Boogaloo was released. The
sequel is superior to its predecessor because of its stylish depiction of Los Angeles street dancing. It weaves the hiphop culture and the street lifestyle into a cinematic fabric highlighted with the neon colors of the early'80s.
The film is about a couple of break dancers who are trying to save the local community center by raising $200,000. Breakin' may have been the first breakdancing film to arrive at Hollywood's door but The Electric Boogaloo knocked it down.
Slam
Released in 1998 and directed by Marc Levin, Slam is a story about a freestyle hiphop poet, Ray Joshua, played by Saul Williams. Joshua is sent to a rough Washington, D.C., prison because of drug charges. Inside the prison he spends his time writing and expressing his emotions through his poetry and rapping. He is the
center of attention in prison because two gangs are competing for his membership. Slam is interesting because it fuses the world of gangs with the poetic side of hip hop. That also gives the film a caring heart, which many gangs films lack.
Bamboozled
Bamboozled is writer and director Spike Lee's satirical look at oppressed feelings of racism that still exist in America today. A gangster-like television executive, Michael Rapaport, gives the green light to a show exploiting the dancing talents of two local street artists in a modern-day minstrel show. Audiences love it and members of the African-American community revolt. A rap group headed by Mos Def and Canibus seek revenge through their lyrics and through violence. Bamboozled is a shocking, self-questioning look at the exploitation of race and stereotypes in modern-day popular culture.
Rap artists interested in more than just rhyming
By Stephen Shupe
sshupe@kansan.com
Jayplay writer
Few pop-culture icons seem content with a single spot in the limelight. As soon as an image is built and fans have made associations with the work, a star will suddenly confess, "I've done this, but what I really want to do is this."
For hip-hop artists, this new career path often involves acting. Even though the prominence of music videos has helped facilitate a crossover for some, movies undeniably serve to redefine a rapper's image, and not everyone comes away unscathed.
So, while the hip-hop industry waits to see if Eminem will embarrass or enlighten
audiences with next month's 8 Mile, let's take a look at three other artists who have made the transition to movies.
Ice-T
Ice-T's film career began promisingly enough but faded fast. During the last three years, he's appeared in 24 films, and only one, 3000 Miles to Graceland, saw theatrical release.
Following his debut in Denzel Washington's underrated police thriller, Ricochet, Ice-T gave a ferocious performance in Mario Van Peebles' New Jack City. As Scotty Appletree, the street-tough cop taking his revenge on the all-powerful Nino Brown, the music artist behind "Cop Killer" found equally edgy footing in his film work. Snoop Dogg
If Ice-T's films started out good and got
progressively worse, Snoop Dogg's films appear to be getting better. Half Baked and The Wash were funny, but they also reinforced negative stereotypes about African Americans in relation to crime and drugs. His two most notable films indicate a new direction. In John Singleton's ambitious Baby Boy, Dogg played Rodney, an ex-convict with no qualms about inviting himself over for the night.
Dogg's best film yet is Bones, a horrific ghetto-set film in which gangster Jimmy Bones is executed and then returns as an avenging ghost. In Bones, he uses his cool to open up new possibilities for African Americans in movies.
Mos Def
With a near-perfect track record in both music and film, Mos Def has made the
most successful transition of the three artists. Whether teaming with Talib Kweli on Black Star or on his own with Black on Both Sides, Def has earned underground acclaim for his music. His movies have received similar recognition, especially Spike Lee's Bamboozled.
A fearless satire and one of the few movies to address corporate ownership of media, Bamboozled depicts the rise of a modern minstrel show. Def plays the film's most provocative character, Julius Hopkins, the leader of a radical rap group named the Mau Maus.
Def also showed off his talent in the Eddie Murphy comedy Showtime, and recorded the title song for his newest film. Brown Sugar, which opens nationwide tomorrow.
---