CB4

I've heard various stories about CB4, so finally I had the conclusion that I just have to see this piece. CB4 covers all my funny prejudices about the gangsterrap culture, and starts out with a small crew who wants to end up like rap stars - it's all about the beat and the attitude! Chris Rock just plays his role like a mad man, so good and so real! I just laughed the whole time this piece rolled in the VCR, and these scenes who are shooting parody of the gangsterculture just takes home the first prize award - it's too much of the good stuff! It has a good point after all, and when the ending credits roll I felt that this was a true piece of acting - funny and creative as it does not follow any other film formula I've yet seen so far. 7/10!

After watching CB4 I'm wondering how much royalties they had to pay because a lot of those gangsta tunes sounded very familiar. The music was actually the best thing about this movie, along with some good comical scenes. I laughed four or five times, good laughs, but overal that's not enough for a comedy. Parodizing the west coast rap gangstas was funny, the real artists appearing in a couple scenes was also nice to see, but it was the soundtrack that enjoyed the most. The story itself isn't that great, the acting is okay but not from everybody. CB4 is good to watch once but saying it's the greatest rapumentary of all time, to quote another reviewer, is highly exaggerated.

This is by far one of Chris Rock's best works to date, and it's his first starring role! This movie has tons of talent, a tight plot (okay - you need a good ability to suspend your disbelief), and a palpable message.

It quickly became something of an underground classic as the early 90s launched the careers of many gangster rap artists. This movie does a great job of parodying the rise and fall of a gangster rap group.

It's got a unique urban flavor and is loaded with perhaps more race-driven humor than others may think necessary (many many MANY racial stereotypes are exploited in this movie, such as a local restaurant called "Big Ass Biscuit" where the young rappers frequented). However, it's done in a very tongue-in-cheek manner and the overall effect is hilarious, not heinous.

The addition to the cast of Chris Elliot playing the role of "A. White", the rapumentary's director, is brilliant. Elliot is great at playing a white fanboy who lands the job of working for his new favorite rap group, and he fumbles through the movie as only Chris Elliot can.

Phil Hartman is equally funny as Virgil Robinson, a local politician who tries to use CB4's profanity as his new platform for re-election (meanwhile, his son is addicted to CB4's music and image). The interaction between Virgil and his son in this manner represents how many parents viewed rap music as their children began to listen to it.

This movie is laden with parodies too numerous to list. The soundtrack is also quite good (if you like rap music at all) and includes the song "Sweat of my Balls" - a song featured in the movie (also hysterical, complete with a stage show of large testicles being dropped from the ceiling onto the crowd).

If you aren't easily offended, this movie is VERY entertaining. If you are able to look beyond the veneer of racial overtones and profanity, it also has a few points to make about the origins of "fake" gangster rap groups and their image.

Look for underrated performances by Tyrone Granderson Jones as "40 Dog", Richard Gant as "Baa Baa Ack" and Charles Q. Murphy as "Gusto".

I CAN'T WAIT for this to be released on DVD - if it ever will be...

What Spinal Tap did to heavy rock, CB4 does to rap in the 1990s and it was about time.

Chris Rock is Albert, a decent guy who along with his friends want to hit the big time as rappers. They try every gimmick to break into showbiz. Albert inadvertently gets mixed up with a local hoodlum, Gusto getting arrested and decides to adopt his hard core gangster identity, MC Gusto and the group becomes CB4. They eventually raise the ire of conservative politicians but the record buying public love them but Gusto breaks out of prison and wants to get even.

The film succeeds because it makes pointed and prescient digs at gangsta rap and some of the songs they parody are actually very good and reflective of the music of the early 1990s.

The story is not the strongest, the satire always not sharp or even hits the target but the Rock and the rest of the cast seem to be enjoying the ride and real rappers turn up as to be in on the joke.

This movie is a classic. I had wanted to see it when I was younger, but of course I wasn't allowed to. I saw this a few months ago and it was even better now. This is one of Chris Rock's best performances, he nails the role of a rapper perfectly (not to mention his costume...). The movie was one of the first to feature parody raps and they are great, considering this film was Pre-Insane Clown Posse and the like. "Sweat from my balls" still makes me laugh every time I hear it.

Some might say this does not transfer to the new rap school, but It definitely does. If you were once a fan of oldschool rap or are still a fan of rap, this movie is definitely worth checking out.