Release Date

14 Apr, 2000

Runtime

01:11: (HH:MM)

Synopsis

From neighborhood ciphers to the most notorious MC battles, "Freestyle: the Art of Rhyme" captures the electrifying energy of improvisational hip-hop--the rarely recorded art form of rhyming spontaneously. Like preachers and jazz solos, freestyles exist only in the moment, a modern-day incarnation of the African-American storytelling tradition. Shot over a period of more than seven years, it is already an underground cult film in the hip-hop world. The film systematically debunks the false image put out by record companies that hip-hop culture is violent or money-obsessed. Instead, it lets real hip-hop artists, known and unknown, weave their story out of a passionate mix of language, politics, and spirituality.

Original Title

Freestyle: The Art of Rhyme

Photos

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Actors

Muhammad Ali

Planet Asia

Bahamadia

Akim Funk Buddah

Eluard Burt

Myo Campbell

John Coltrane

Darkleaf

Yasiin Bey

Kirby Dominant

DJ Kool Herc

Debi Mazar

The Notorious B.I.G.

Tupac Shakur

Boots Riley

Bobbito Garcia

Crew

Freestyle Fellowship

Omid Walizadeh

Henry Alex Rubin

Darkleaf

Brad Abramson

Paul Devlin

Kevin Fitzgerald

Joey Anuff

Youree Henley

DJ Organic

Ann Berger

Paul Devlin

Rachel Raimist

Isaac Solotaroff