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The Show (1995)
Character: Self
A documentary about the culture of hip-hop. Through interviews with some of hip-hops biggest names, the film makers attempt to find out why it has become so popular.
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Beat This!: A Hip Hop History (1984)
Character: Himself
Beat This: A Hip-Hop History is a 1984 BBC documentary film about hip-hop culture, directed by Dick Fontaine. The cast includes Afrika Bambaataa, DJ Kool Herc — the film includes footage from Herc's original dance parties — The Cold Crush Brothers, Jazzy Jay, Brim Fuentes, and The Dynamic Rockers. It is narrated by Imhotep Gary Byrd. Originally part of the Arena television series, it was among the first crop of documentaries about hip-hop.
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NY77: The Coolest Year in Hell (2007)
Character: Self
New York City, 1977 - It was a time when the city had fallen into decay, with too few jobs, money, police, schools, and social services. There was a city wide blackout with major looting, a serial killer on the loose, and the Bronx was burning. And yet out of the chaos emerged one of the most creative times any city has ever encountered.
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The Making and Meaning of 'We Are Family' (2002)
Character: Self
Featuring inverviews from: Afrika Bambaataa, Ashford & Simpson, Jackson Browne, Kim Burell, Taylor Dayne, Carmen Electra, Faith Evans, Roberta Flack, Joel Gray, Kc & the Sunshine Band, Eartha Kitt, Patti Labelle, Queen Latifah and more?
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Rap: Looking for the Perfect Beat (1995)
Character: N/A
Rap music has articulated a black aesthetic that is influencing pop culture around the world. But does it also promote violence, misogyny, and crime? This program featuring rap master Melle Mel describes the history of rap and hip-hop from its roots in earlier oral and musical traditions to its full flowering in the mid-1990s. Commentary by Grandmaster Flash and Afrika Bambaataa, rap’s early innovators; music critic Nelson George, author of hiphopamerica; radical jazz poet Gil Scott-Heron; movie star and rapper Ice Cube; former gangsta rapper Snoop Doggy Dogg; members of Public Enemy, Arrested Development, and the jazz/hip-hop fusion group UFO; and others speak out about the urban African-American experience, civil rights, social responsibility, and other pressing topics. Clips from music videos provide a visual perspective on the genre. Some images and lyrics may be objectionable.
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Red Hot + Blue: A Tribute to Cole Porter (1990)
Character: Self
This music special is dedicated to dispelling the prejudices associated with the HIV infection and raising money for AIDS research and relief. Some of today's most celebrated recording artists performing their interpretations of the classic songs of Cole Porter.
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One World, One Voice (1990)
Character: Self
An extraordinary music special is the climax to One World week. The brainchild of ex-10cc drummer Kevin Godley, it features the first true global composition involving rock stars, classical musicians and artists from all over the world. Godley and a film crew toured the globe in just 44 days with a 'chain tape', asking musicians to add a new theme or idea. Artists include Sting, Dave Stewart, Peter Gabriel, Clannad, Lou Reed, Leningrad Symphony Orchestra, Afrika Bambaata and the Kodo Drummers.
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James Brown: Soul Survivor (2003)
Character: N/A
James Brown's legacy has influenced rap, soul, funk and R&B. But along with his huge talent, there's a dark side to Brown's success that includes stints in prison and unceasing tabloid speculation. This in-depth documentary takes a look at the meteoric highs and deep lows of Brown's career, offering some fascinating insights from the Godfather of Soul himself, as well as interview footage with Chuck D, Little Richard, Wyclef Jean and many others.
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The Bass That Ate Miami: The Foundation (2013)
Character: Self
A documentary feature about the hip hop music sub genre Miami Bass. Weighing out the music's cultural impact, its influence on pop music, and being that it's one of the only music genres South Florida has a legitimate claim of origin to, it's extremely surprising that more people don't know this story. Bass music was never exclusive to the Miami region, but these musicians were the ones who put Miami's name on it and cultivated the exploitative image and party lifestyle that would become forever synonymous with the up-tempo Roland 808 synth boom. And while 2 Live Crew were the obvious champions, there was a stable of talented MCs, DJs, producers, label heads, and studio engineers whose pioneering contributions to the Miami sound have gone virtually undocumented until now.
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And You Don't Stop: 30 Years of Hip-Hop (2004)
Character: Self
The film documents the development of hip hop culture since its inception in the 1970s. With interviews from various figures in the community such as Afrika Bambaataa, Grandmaster Flash, Fab 5 Freddy, KRS-One, MC Hammer and Busy Bee.
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Bombin' (1987)
Character: Self
First broadcast in 1987 on the UK's Channel 4, Bombin' is a documentary about Afrika Bambaataa's Zulu nation bringing American hip-hop culture to the UK for first time. The main focus is the graffiti art of Brim and the variety of reactions he is faced with from the British public and press.
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Modulations (1998)
Character: Self
Less a documentary than a primer on all electronic music. Featuring interviews with nearly every major player past and present, as well as a few energetic live clips, Modulations delves into one of electronica's forgotten facets: the human element. Lee travels the globe from the American Midwest to Europe to Japan to try to express the appeal of music often dismissed as soulless. Modulations shows that behind even the most foreign or alien electronic composition lies a real human being, and Lee lets many of these Frankenstein-like creators express and expound upon their personal philosophies and tech-heavy theories. Lee understands that a cultural movement as massive and diverse as dance music can't be contained.
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Sample This (2013)
Character: N/A
A documentary that reveals how a forgotten record by the Incredible Bongo Band helped cement the foundation of hip hop when DJ Herc extended its percussion by playing them back to back, creating an anthem on the streets of the Bronx.
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The Work of Director Chris Cunningham (2003)
Character: Car Park Attendant
British director Chris Cunningham has drawn acclaim for groundbreaking music videos for the likes of Autechre, Aphex Twin, Squarepusher, Bjork, and Portishead, his award-winning commercials, and his risky short films. The Work of Director Chris Cunningham is the second release in Palm's Directors Label Series.
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5 Sides of a Coin (2004)
Character: Himself
"5 Sides of a Coin" is a comprehensive overview of the worldwide cultural movement of Hip-Hop.
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Something from Nothing: The Art of Rap (2012)
Character: Self
SOMETHING FROM NOTHING: THE ART OF RAP is a feature length performance documentary about the runaway juggernaut that is Rap music. At the wheel of this unstoppable beast is the film's director and interviewer Ice-T. Taking us on a deeply personal journey Ice-T uncovers how this music of the street has grown to dominate the world. Along the way Ice-T meets a whole spectrum of Hip-Hop talent, from founders, to new faces, to the global superstars like Eminem, Dr Dre, Snoop Dogg and Kanye West. He exposes the roots and history of Rap and then, through meeting many of its most famous protagonists, studies the living mechanism of the music to reveal 'The Art Of Rap'. This extraordinary film features unique performances from the entire cast, without resorting to archive material, to build a fresh and surprising take on the phenomenon that is Rap.
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808 (2015)
Character: Self
The inspiring story of the Roland TR808, from the creation of Planet Rock which established it as a dynamic modern instrument, to how it defined hip hop and modern dance culture, through to its continued use today.
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Beastie Boys Story (2020)
Character: Self (archive footage)
Here's a little story they're about to tell... Mike Diamond and Adam Horovitz share the story of their band and 40 years of friendship in a live documentary experience directed by friend, collaborator, and their former grandfather, Spike Jonze.
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Beat Street (1984)
Character: N/A
An aspiring DJ, from the South Bronx, and his best friend, a promoter, try to get into show business by exposing people to hip-hop music and culture.
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