Freestyle: The Art of Rhyme

This documentary had so much to offer. Unfortunately, it didn't push forward and deliver what it could have. Hip hop heads will leave this film knowing a few more names or stories about underground hip hop but the history lesson ends there.

Documentaries, for the most part, are made to expose a niche. To show others its esoteric quality. While Freestyle: The Art of Rhyme begins to scratch at the surface, it barely leaves a mark. The history of hip hop and its origins in the Bronx are passed over as though everyone in the audience were a hip hop connaisseur. The other aspects of hip hop (graffiti, break dancing and DJing) are mentioned in passing as though it had no correlation to Freestyling.

The Art of Rhyme is simply a fan's video of favourite MCs and friends freestyling and battling in the streets. The psychology of freestyle rhyme, of battles and its roots (some historians date it back to the days of slavery) are muted by the redundant scenes of freestyle artists rhyming for the camera, hoping for exposure.

While showing actual freestyling is essential for the film, too much of it just dilutes the artistic and historically-significant aspect of Hip Hop. Most importantly, its lack of depth confirms what narrow-minded critics have said for years about Hip Hop music and its generation.

This documentary had a lot of potential, but I feel that it is pretty weak. Most of the legendary freestyle footage shown in this film has been available for years in hip hop circles, so if you've already seen it (like the biggy street corner free) there really isn't a whole lot of reason to watch this movie. There are a lot of nobodies dropping weak freestyles in this film. If you've ever been in a real cypher you know that half the stuff in this film is garbage. You get some dope freestyles by Supernat and some others, but overall, this film is not the amazing, eye-opening opus that the blurbs on cover would have you believe. I guess if your just getting into hip hop there is some appeal in this movie, but if your a life long dedicated fan and participant, this film has very little to offer.

as a person fairly new to the world of hip hop, i found "freestyle" to be informative, entertaining and enlightening. the cinematography was captive and gave the viewer a sense of being present and intimate in settings we might not otherwise have had access to. it was quick paced and varied enough to keep us interested, but also did not gloss over moments or personalities - rather it led us into the world of free styling with a set of characters who were both charming and disconcerting; refined and raw. the film succeeded in giving its audience a chance to experience free styling in a way we otherwise may not be able to.

Great film showcasing and explaining freestyling both to hip hop heads and a new audience. I could have sat there for hours more just watching footage of these amazing and talented people bustin out.

If you get a chance then check it out.

A few years ago, Chris Rock yelled "Im sick of having to defend hip hop." even though he said it a few years back, his words still echo loudly today. Much of the reason is that, sadly, there's not much out there in the mass media to defend hip hop. the genre holds less status than less innovative genres out there. and isn't even regarded as art. Americana, which uses rap as a marketing tool and extols its materialistic side, also ends up hurting artists who try to do more than just sell their products. We see the bling, but often miss the substance behind the bling. The end result is that, simply put, most people just don't get hip hop But wait, there is hope. There are a few things in the mass media that show the artistic side of hip hop. this film is one of those few gems. it responsibly shows the hidden brilliance of rap - the lyrics, the cadence, the competition, the art, the spirituality, the depth, the innovation, etc. this movie, although technically not the most fluid documentary in the world, shows great live footage that you wont find anywhere else. It honors the starving artists and displays the beauty of their talent. more importantly, the film achieves great tasks for the entire genre - it equates the underground with the popular, and it balances rap with the other genres that Americana holds dear… I cant get enough of this DVD. I'm glad its out there and i hope it adds fuel to a new trend of more cerebral depictions of hip hop