The Get Down

Wow! Just finished the first episode of 'The Get Down' and being a massive Hip Hop fan with a healthy appreciation of countless musical genres stretching from Punk to House, it's perhaps inevitable that I've fallen in love with this show. Everything about it seems well thought out, the characters, the sets, the wardrobes, the music, just everything! Yes, it's flamboyant and a bit over the top but very much in keeping with the period.

I'm not gonna go into a detailed review other than to say - get it watched. Hope the rest of the series lives up to first episode - if it does - this will be the best TV show of 2016. Word up.

As someone who's not a fan of rap music, I still find the historical aspects and how the elements of hip-hop came together very intriguing! All the characters are interesting and entertaining in their own ways which make me want to know more about them--making for very vivid episodes (it seems each character has their own mood that they add). Hopefully, next season we'll get to see more of those stories... As more of a disco fan, I found those parts to not be as interesting sadly but it could be because of the transition that disco was going through at the time. The parts about the music business was really eye-opening in seeing how it operate(s)(d). Hopefully, the show keeps up the cultural and historical elements that make this show feel like a time-warp, while telling us more about the non-main characters.

I saw part one minutes ago. As someone to whom Grandmaster Flash and the likes of him is a big part of growing up the movie strikes a cord with me by nature.

But apart from that I like the wild mixture of dance movie, musical, Hip Hop party, poetry slam, documentary, Kungfu flick, coming of age, spraying, "mastering" the ceremony, DJing, comedy, drama and romance. I recommend to watch the documentary Rumble Kings before watching The Get Down to fetch some historical background information.

Hip Hop with its sampling, mixing, scratching and juggling with words opened up a musical playground for audience and artists. The movie transforms this successfully into visuals.

Perfect, Perfect , Perfect depiction of the start of RAP in the bronx. Having, been younger in those days and leaving in the east coast. People like granmaster Flash, Kool Herc, etc.. They were the people you'd daydream about, without really knowing anything about them (pre-internet). Now, the way, the show goes on, it shows all these persona's as seen through the eyes-of fresh young dudes. Example-the way-Shaolin fantastic is represented-how they focus on his red pumas--and how the kids talk about him "His hands are samurai swords". This is the way, anybody who was there(youngins)-remember that time. Now, some people say It's not gritty (If you want gritty-see Sin HOMBRE), the whole point of rap, was that in was against violence- so, it actuality, this is the memory that will have stayed with the youth, more than the violence-the media loves to OFFICIALLY potray as a BRONX staple. Now, the director is Baz Luhrman, and man, did he potray the music in the most perfect way, the way he could parallelly show some rap group trying to rap, and and the same time a disco pre-queen singining. No, other director could have really showed the music so finely as Baz. If you want nitty -gritty streets-watch the Warriors. If you're genuinely interested in RAP the beginnings, before Gangster rappers. Then run and watch this.

This show brought tears to my eyes, it felt like I was in a time machine. Episode 6 was off the chain, I really enjoyed the authenticity and accuracy of the harmonizing style of rhyming, the systematic word play, a true Hip Hop landmark, I feel bad for the rappers of today, (noticed I said rappers not MC's, there's a difference) majority of them don't even know the history of Hip Hop, I thank whoever had the genius to do this show, showing the Bronx how it was, the disco era, vogue dancing, the shows in the park, all that. I must have called ten friends about this show, in those days my crew was called "Ultra Sonic Sounds" my hip hop name was "Cheap Charlie", and I'm proud to say I was there at that time and it was remarkable, especially how we loved to harmonize at the parks, powering our equipment from light posts, the crowds dancing, etc. Anyway Without further ado, Netflix! thanks for the memories, it is well appreciated.