The official trailer for “Beats, Rhymes & Life”, Michael Rapaport’s documentary of A Tribe Called Quest, has just been released! The movie’s official poster and release dates have also been unveiled.
I seriously cannot articulate how pumped I am for this film.
There’s a documentary going around the internet (legitimately and legally) about the deaths of the Notorious B.I.G. and 2Pac, two of the biggest hip hop stars this mortal realm has ever known. Many of the links are US only, so here’s one that streams it online worldwide.
Here’s the description:
Biggie and Tupac is a no holds barred investigation into the still unsolved murders of two of the biggest superstars rap has ever produced; Christopher Wallace, aka Biggie Smalls, and Tupac Shakur. Answering the crusading calls for justice from Biggie’s mother Voletta, Broomfield hits the streets from East Coast to West Coast, putting his own life at risk as he uncovers sensational new evidence that points directly to the involvement of the LAPD and imprisoned Death Row records co-founder Marion ‘Suge’ Knight in the violent slayings that shocked the hip hop world
I haven’t seen the film yet, so I can’t comment. But I’m stoked that people haven’t forgotten. In a world where there’s so much technology and resources, it’s still surprising that no one was ever able to solve these decades-old murders.
Trailer is below:
Since we here at 4080Records seem to love documentaries oh so very much, I thought I’d keep going with the trend.
Get ready to spend 49 minutes with Mos Def in Japan.
This is shaping up to be some sort of oddly riveting film about record collectors. It really doesn’t glamorize the habit, but really gives you a good idea of the people behind this.
Not every record collector is some dope ass DJ in fly gear, digging through crates to find a decent sample. In fact, the vast majority are amateurs. But there’s also the forgotten class of perfectionists, bordering on OCD, who search forever for mint condition albums. There are also those who search for the rare albums just because they’re rare. The one-time pressings, the original album for some obscure promotion.
These Vinyl Junkies can’t help themselves. It’s a compulsion that they can’t ignore.
After a little googling, I found this. Not sure if it’s legit or not, so if it’s not please let me know and I will remove the embed.
Lazy weekend of videos for you people out there. Here’s a little documentary on just how those glorious LPs get made and wind up making you so happy.
I think it would be amazing to own the master record of any of a number of my favourite albums. There’s something special about having the very first edition of something.
Back in 2000 there was a pretty amazing hip hop documentary that came out called Freestyle – The Art of Rhyme. This video features some of the biggest names in hip hop (amongst others).
Our man Mos Def is there, Supernatural, Craig G, the Freestyle Fellowship and tons of others.
There’s footage from Notorious, 2Pac, John Coltrane, Muhammed Ali, Kool Herc, J5 and lots of interesting interviews.
Once more, I love google video, and here is the full length documentary for your viewing pleasure.
I can’t tell you how much I love the internet. It’s the eternal time-waster, but it also lets me get exposed to things I never would have seen otherwise. Playing for Change is just one such example.
This movie (brought to me courtesy of Metafilter) is fascinating. The filmmaker went to a variety of different countries all over the world, and had different musicians sing/play along to the song Stand By Me. He then layered the tracks together and created a pretty amazing song. Check it out below.
Check out this documentary about the Wigan Casino, one of the most important clubs of the northern soul scene. It features some excellent clips of cats gettin’ their dance on, as well as some dope music. Courtesy of Universoul Productions, this video is a bit long but definitely worth a peek:
In what should be the dopest documentary film released in the next little while, Video Rahim is releasing Talib Kweli: The movie.
Check out the trailer below:
Thanks for the boys over at Okayplayer for publicizing this.
Like the best horror films, “Rock The Bells” is an exercise in tension. Although billed as a concert documentary, Bells is an edge-of-your-seat thrill ride, and is far more exciting than most Hollywood fare these days.
The film’s protagonist is an affable concert promoter named Chang. Coming off a string of successful shows, Chang attempts the impossible: booking the entire Wu-Tang Clan for his inaugural Rock The Bells concert. After much work Chang convinces 9 of the 10 members (including Cappadonna) to appear at the concert, albeit as separate acts. The RZA, impressed by Chang’s determination, eventually agrees to appear as well, and, in so doing, certifies it as an official Wu reunion. And that’s when the movie gets good.
As Chang and his team scramble to pull off their ambitious project, things being to unravel around them. On the day of the concert security shows up late, equipment malfunctions (forcing Chali 2na and DJ Nu-Mark to freestyle their entire set), disgruntled fans overrun security checkpoints, and – worst of all – ODB refuses to leave his hotel room. Perched precariously between utter disaster and sublime triumph, Chang pushes on, absolutely convinced that his show will succeed. The filmmakers capture the moment perfectly; watching Chang try to placate 10,000 near-riotous fans and plead with a cracked-out ODB is compelling stuff.
Speaking of ODB, the film also serves as a powerful testament to his life and legacy. Much of the film is dedicated to eulogizing the popular Wu member, and one of the DVD special features is a powerful interview with ODB’s former bodyguard.
Check this film out for sure, even if you aren’t a Wu fan. It’s easily one of the best documentaries I’ve ever seen.
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