Hip Hop Movie Club
Hip Hop Movie Club
Recent Episodes
With Bad Boys: Ride or Die in theaters now, we went back to watch the original Bad Boys film from 1995. The Bad Boys franchise is now a billion dollar one, but it was fun to go back to before Will Smith became blockbuster box office and Michael Bay truly blew up!
Topics discussed:
- Will Smith and Martin Lawrence have a natural and (very) bankable on-screen chemistry.
- Michael Bay does a solid job in his feature film directorial debut.
- Part of the plot line feels like it is based on a typical 'Three's Company' misunderstanding.
- The movie is lower on the scale of hip hop movies but we still consider it a hip hop movie.
- Will Smith's career as an A-list blockbuster actor started with this film.
Also check out:
Michael Bay directed many music videos at the beginning of his career, including two for Vanilla Ice: Play That Funky Music and I Love You.
Credits
Hip Hop Movie Club is produced by your HHMCs JB, BooGie, and DynoWright. Theme music by BooGie. Follow @hiphopmovieclub on Instagram!
And remember:
Don't hate...operate!
Beanie Sigel plays wannabe drug kingpin "Beans" in this 2002 crime film from the Roc-A-Fella conglomerate. Jay-Z and several members of the State Property rap group appear in the film. You either get down or you lay down.
Topics discussed:
- The movie is violent and brutal.
- There are copious amounts of nudity, and right from the jump.
- There is no real character development or plot line for that matter.
- Jay-Z's talents are wasted in this film, as his role is brief and consists mostly of mumbles.
- The soundtrack may be the sole highlight of this film, and just barely.
Also check out:
Norm MacDonald's bit on Hot Property from "Star Search"
Credits
Hip Hop Movie Club is produced by your HHMCs JB, BooGie, and DynoWright. Theme music by BooGie. Follow @hiphopmovieclub on Instagram!
And remember:
Don't hate...concentrate!
Fear of a Black Hat (1993) is a film satirizing some of the biggest hip hop acts of that era. It is replete with parody songs and wild shenanigans. But is it as good as the other classic hip hop parody films CB4 or Don't Be a Menace to Society While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood?
Topics discussed:
- The movie spoofs several of the big name hip hop acts from the late 80's and early 90's.
- The movie is in a mockumentary format and draws some comparisons to "This is Spinal Tap."
- The parody songs were pretty well constructed and quite catchy.
- There are a few side-splittingly funny moments.
- It's debatable whether the movie holds up.
Also check out:
Credits
Hip Hop Movie Club is produced by your HHMCs JB, BooGie, and DynoWright. Theme music by BooGie. Follow @hiphopmovieclub on Instagram!
And remember:
Don't hate...consolidate!
Today on Hip Hop Movie Club: Set It Off, the 1996 heist movie starring Queen Latifah, Vivica A. Fox, Jada Pinkett, and Kimberly Elise that was groundbreaking – in more ways than one!
Topics discussed:
- This is Queen Latifah's first lead role, and one of the best performances of a rapper turned actor 👑
- This film is also an ode to Black women friendship and sisterhood, with strong performances from the four leads to match 👩🏾
- We see an early instance of an LGBTQ relationship in a major motion picture, and it's handled well without making it a clumsy plot point 🏳️🌈
- The soundtrack is hip hop heavy and important to the heist sequences 🎤
- Some of the themes (police brutality, racism, sexism, systemic oppression) are sadly still relevant, which gives the film a poignant quality 😓
Also check out:
The Film Experience: Gay Best Friend: Cleo (Queen Latifah) in "Set It Off" (1996)
Nerdist: A Brief History of Black Queer Representation in Cinema
Autostraddle: “Set It Off” Is the Queer Tribute to Black Women’s Friendship We Need After a Summer of Black Mourning
Credits
Hip Hop Movie Club is produced by your HHMCs JB, BooGie, and DynoWright. Theme music by BooGie. Follow @hiphopmovieclub on Instagram!
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And remember:
Don't hate...create!
Mentioned in this episode:
Set It Off Rebroadcast
Hey listener, in honor of Pride Month, here is a rebroadcast of our episode on 1996's heist film Set It Off. This film has one of the first positive depictions of an LGTBQ relationship, featuring one of our favorites, Queen Latifah. She came out herself a few years ago. Enjoy the show.
All the Streets are Silent is a 2021 documentary which details the close connection between the vibrant subcultures of skateboarding and Hip Hop in the late 80s and into the 90s. Along the way, we see some legendary rappers in their early days on the come-up.
Topics discussed:
- Skateboard crews in New York City helped promote and propel the culture of Hip Hop.
- Club Mars was a major venue for any hip hop act trying to break through into the big time.
- Like Club Mars, a lot of superstar rappers got early exposure on the Stretch and Bobbito radio show.
- Watch this film to see the origin stories of the Zoo York and Supreme streetwear brands.
- The Zoo York mixtape was the flashpoint of skateboarding and hip hop's symbiotic relationship – which helped blossom both sub-cultures into multi-billion dollar industries.
Also check out:
Our episode on Untold: The Rise and Fall of AND1
Resources for sexual assault, suicide, and drug abuse.
Credits
Hip Hop Movie Club is produced by your HHMCs JB, BooGie, and DynoWright. Theme music by BooGie. Follow @hiphopmovieclub on Instagram!
And remember:
Don't hate...skate!
Mentioned in this episode:
Content Warning
This episode contains some discussion of sexual assault, suicide, and drug use starting around the 25:58 mark. Please take care as you listen. If you're in need of resources related to these situations, please check out the links elsewhere in the episode description.