A Look Back @ DENT's TOP 15 Hip-Hop Movies! What is your Fav. One? #IamDENT

Hip-hop and film have been linked for over 30 years. Before hip-hop culture became popular culture, a collection of films helped spread word of its core elements to a larger audience. As hip-hop became more popular, these films were produced more frequently, eventually becoming staples which served as another creative outlet for record labels and individual artists. Some artists stayed within traditional "rap movie" territory, while others branched out, looking to grow by accepting more diverse roles.

To define a "rap movie," one must consider the role that hip-hop plays in the film. For some, the mere presence of a rapper constitutes a rap movie, while others boast plots that rely on hip-hop as a major theme. This list of rap’s best films include both, though it leans a little bit more on the latter.

The past three decades have seen these films evolve from introductory pieces to reflective works on the lives and careers of rap’s most important artists. Enjoy the ride.

15. Brooklyn Babylon

Year: 2001 Director: Marc Levin Cast: Tariq Trotter, Sara Goberman, David Vadim, Slick Rick, Mad Cobra

Marc Levin’s not-so-subtle combination of the Bible, West Side Story, and Romeo and Juliet tells the story of Sol (Tariq “Black Thought” Trotter) and Sarah (Karen Golberman). After Sol, who’s Rastafarian, and Sarah, a Hasidic Jew, literally collide into each other in a car crash, their forbidden love begins. Released 10 years after the Crown Heights riots, Brooklyn Babylon uses that racial tension as an obstacle to Sol and Sarah’s relationship, fashioning them a modern day Solomon and Sheba.

The star-crossed lovers theme is a bit heavy-handed, but music—hip-hop, specifically—plays a key role in the film. Aside from the overt “Song of Songs” theme, Sol is a member of The Lions, (played by The Roots) who fuse hip-hop with Rastafarian sensibilities. While Brooklyn Babylon continuously shoves its message in the faces of viewers, it does present a story which will make even the most progressive thinkers question their morals.

14. Who's the Man?

Year: 1993 Director: Ted Demme Cast: Doctor Dre, Ed Lover, Salt, Badja Djola, Denis Leary, Richard Bright

The relationship between hip-hop and law enforcement is as contentious as the one police have with the general public. That’s why Doctor Dré and Ed Lover's friends threw them tons of shade when the duo became cops in hope of figuring out how their mentor Nick (Jim Moody) died. Using their connections, the rookie cops are able to solve the crime.

The film’s plot is the last thing viewers care about. Novelty is what makes this film worth the viewing, as it’s filled with appearances from comedians and popular rappers of that era. Only a special film gives screen time to Colin Quinn, Bill Bellamy, and damn near the entire rap game through the early ‘90s. Director Ted Demme, the nephew of Silence of the Lambs director Jonathan Demme, accomplished the latter thanks to connections he made during his stint as a producer for Yo! MTV Raps.

During an era where cameos were novel due to the element of surprise, Who’s the Man? is a film every true hip-hop fan has seen at least once. Plus, the soundtrack (which contains Biggie’s debut single, “Party and Bullshit”) is pretty good, too.

13. Above the Rim

Year: 1994 Director: Jeff Pollack Cast: Tupac Shakur, Duane Martin, Leon Robinson, Bernie Max, Tonya Pinkins, David Bailey, Marlon Wayans

Basketball fans born during a certain period grew up memorizing every move and every piece of dialogue from Jeff Pollack’s Above the Rim. Kyle Watson (Duane Martin) is a tremendously talented high school basketball player with dreams of playing for Georgetown University. The only things impeding this are his shitty attitude and some of the off-court decisions he makes, like getting caught up in the menacing Birdie’s (Tupac Shakur) world. In between, he receives humbling guidance from Thomas “Shep” Shepherd (Leon Robinson), who abandoned his own youth basketball aspirations following a tragedy.

Above the Rim is clearly a sports flick, but hip-hop serves as its pulse. 2Pac turned in the film’s best performance, and a few of his songs (“Pain,” “Holler If Ya Hear Me,” and “Pour Out a Little Liquor”) are played during keys points in the film. None of those songs were included on the stellar Death Row soundtrack, but music (rap, specifically) plays a huge role in why Above the Rim has become so well-received over the past 20 years. Thank Above the Rim for “Regulate” and the “Anything” remix. The world is a much better place as a result.

12. CB4

Year: 1993 Director: Tamra Davis Cast: Chris Rock, Allen Payne, Deezer D, Chris Elliott, Phil Hartman, Charlie Murphy, Khandi Alexander, Art Evans, Theresa Randle, Rachel True

Faking it until you make it works—until, of course, you make it and your past returns to haunt you. In Tamra Davis' spot-on satire CB4, a group of wannabe rappers (Chris Rock, Allen Payne, Deezer D) seek help from hilariously intimidating goon Gusto (Charlie Murphy). They appropriate his hardcore persona into their music, fashioning themselves CB4, or “Cell Block 4,” a far cry from their wholesome upbringing. Their thug appeal results in popularity, but when Gusto breaks out of prison, good sense makes them drop the act, but not before Gusto ends up back behind bars where he belongs.

CB4 excels at making fun of hip-hop itself. The Wacky Dee character is a blatant reference to MC Hammer; CB4's hit single “Straight Outta Locash” is a parody of N.W.A.'s “Straight Outta Compton”; and the idea that an image needs to be sold to the public is a faulty idea that still plagues hip-hop to this day. Chris Rock helped write the film, and being the self-aware genius that he is, he was smart enough to reference some of his past roles. For example, New Jack City's crack-addicted Pookie and the skinny, Jheri curl-wearing kid pestering the great Isaac Hayes for a single rib in I'm Gonna Git You Sucka.

Though hip-hop doesn't take itself too seriously (well, some artists do), it occasionally needs a good lampooning. This is why CB4 remains a trailblazing piece of filmmaking.

11. Brown Sugar

Year: 2002 Director: Rick Famuyiwa Cast: Taye Diggs, Sanaa Lathan, Mos Def, Queen Latifah, Nicole Ari Parker, Boris Kodjoe

Brown Sugar is the original Love & Hip Hop. It focuses on the bond between Dre (Taye Diggs) and Sydney (Sanaa Lathan) and ponders whether or not men and women can ever truly be platonic friends. Close since childhood, Dre becomes a successful A&R, while Sydney becomes the editor-in-chief of a prominent hip-hop magazine. The friendship is finally tested when Dre gets engaged to Reese (Nicole Ari Parker), the anti-Sydney.

This is a love story, devoting equal time to Dre and Sydney’s mutual love of hip-hop and each other. In exploring the depths of their relationship, it also delves into the inner-workings of the music industry on the record label and editorial levels. They’re quite close, and hip-hop plays such a prominent role in the film that it might as well be the third lead behind Diggs and Lathan.

10. Belly

Year: 1998 Director: Hype Williams Cast: DMX, Nas, Method Man, Taral Hicks, Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins, Hassan Johnson, Jay Black, Oli “Power” Grant

When trailers for Belly surfaced in the fall of 1998, hip-hop fans were ecstatic. The two lead roles were filled by DMX, who was on the verge of releasing two No.1 albums in one year, and Nas, who co-wrote the film and was months away from releasing I Am… Sitting in the director’s seat was Hype Williams, arguably the most prolific music video director of the decade. The final product is one of the most flawed, visually stunning creations committed to film.

Williams went into his bag of music video tricks to craft a masterful opening scene where Tommy (DMX), Sincere (Nas), Mark (Hassan Johnson), and Black (Jay Black) rob The Tunnel, setting the film’s tone. What follows is a convoluted story of violence and redemption that helped Method Man launch a serious acting career and started a string of Nas “Back to Africa” jokes which have yet to subsist.

Belly may be a narrative disaster and every stage of production was likely hell, but it’s a beautifully shot noir flick that hip-hop fans will never turn off. (Even if they don’t know what the hell is going on.) To this day, Belly is the reason that the minimalist rendition of Soul ll Soul’s “Back to Life” makes you and your friends feel invincible whenever you walk into a club.

9. New Jack City

Year: 1991 Director: Mario Van Peebles Cast: Wesley Snipes, Ice T, Allen Payne, Chris Rock, Judd Nelson, Russell Wong

New Jack City begins in the mid-'80s, right around the time that crack hit New York City hard. Flash forward a few years to when police officer Scotty Appleton (Ice-T) volunteers to go undercover to learn more about the violent CMB gang who operate out of an apartment complex turned drug factory, led by the ruthless Nino Brown (Wesley Snipes).

Before Ice-T released “Cop Killer,” menaced a cop on New York Undercover, then played one on TV, the rapper played an officer motivated by the brutal murder of his mother. His performance as Appleton was overshadowed by the unbridled treachery of Snipes’ Brown, and Chris Rock’s work as Pookie, a recovering crack addict turned police informant, is equal parts hilarious and tragic.

The anti-drug message may seem forced during present-day viewings, but keep in mind that New Jack City a sign of the time.

8. Friday

Year: 1995 Director: F. Gary Gray Cast: Ice Cube, Chris Tucker, Nia Long, Bernie Mac, Tiny “Zeus” Lister, Jr., John Witherspoon, Anna Maria Horsford, Regina King, Paula Jai Parker, DJ Pooh, Faizon Love, Tony Cox

After directing a few of Ice Cube's videos, F. Gary Gray struck gold with his first feature film, the cult-classic comedy, Friday. Cube plays Craig, who's experiencing a long weekend after getting fired from his job, allegedly for stealing boxes. (Is this ever confirmed? Does it even matter?) Anyway, his pothead friend Smokey (Chris Tucker) has a remedy for the situation: get high, because it's Friday and there's nothing better to do. Little does Craig know that Smokey, possibly the worst low-level drug dealer ever, has goaded him into getting high on his own supply when he's already in debt to Big Worm (Faizon Love). They spend the day trying to raise the $200 Smokey owes Big Worm, all the while avoiding hulking neighborhood bully Deebo (Tiny “Zeus” Lister, Jr.) and trying to keep a close eye on everyone's dream girl, Debbie (Nia Long).

Friday doesn't force a deep message down your throat, the plot isn't intricate, and a great portion of the film takes place on Craig's front porch. The characters carry this movie and make it a classic. The loud, animated Smokey provides constant comic relief; Debbie is that around-the-way girl that every dude covets; and Craig is that laid-back hero who knocks the neighborhood bully the fuck out and gets the girl in the end. It's your average friday in the 'hood, except this one is endlessly quotable and has infinite replay value.

7. 8Mile

Year: 2002 Director: Curtis Hanson Cast: Eminem, Mekhi Phifer, Brittany Murphy, Michael Shannon, Kim Basinger

Eminem’s early days (particularly the dues he paid on the underground circuit) have long been a focal point of his music, as well a source of inspiration. Based on his humble beginnings in the Detroit area, 8 Mile provided a slightly less twisted look into how he balanced a frustrating working class lifestyle with a gift that burned inside of him.

Set in 1995, 8 Mile captured the gloom that existed in Detroit, long before the city fell apart financially. Eminem’s Jimmy “B-Rabbit" Smith, Jr. is constantly being humbled by life. His home situation (moving back in with his mom, who’s dating a dude he went to high school with) is demoralizing, and though he’s a gifted lyricist, stage fright prevents him from shining in local battles. His problems are worsened by the beef between his group of friendly bullshitters and their brash rivals, the Leaders of the Free World.

8 Mile perfectly frames a time when a white dude was far more likely to get ridiculed for even daring to take part in a battle. The battles, which feature rhymes written by the Juice Crew’s Craig G, are the film’s strongest moments. Some have dubbed 8 Mile hip-hop’s Purple Rain, and while it’s a slightly better film, the soundtrack isn’t quite as legendary. That’s not a slight, though: Eminem became the first hip-hop artist to win an Oscar, winning Best Original Song for “Lose Yourself.”

6. JUICE

Year: 1992 Director: Ernest Dickerson Cast: Omar Epps, Tupac Shakur, Jermaine “Huggy” Hopkins, Khalil Kain, Samuel L. Jackson, Cindy Herron, Queen Latifah

On one level, Juice is obviously a drama which speaks to how guns give the false notion of power, and how power corrupts. On another level, it's inherently a hip-hop film. Ernest Dickerson's directorial debut tells the story of four Harlem teens whose friendship is tried by an internal power struggle. “The Wrecking Crew”—Q (Omar Epps), Bishop (Tupac Shakur), Raheem (Khalil Kain) and Steel (Jermaine Hopkins)—cut school and bullshit through their teens until they decide to rob a local bodega. This changes their lives, the dynamic within the group, and interferes with Q's passion: DJing.

That's where hip-hop comes in, as Q's hip-hop aspirations are one of Juice's main themes, and the planned robbery conflicts with the DJ battle in which he competes. In addition to being 2Pac's breakthrough performance, Juice featured cameos from Queen Latifah, EMPD, Doctor Dré, Ed Lover, Fab 5 Freddy, and Special Ed.

Juice is about power because “juice” is power. The same thing that tore a group of generally good-natured teenagers apart is what made Nas' “I Gave You Power” so compelling. Whether you love DJing or you're still paralyzed by 2Pac's icy glare,Juice remains one of those films you have to stop and watch whenever it's on.

5. Krush Groovin'

Year: 1985 Director: Michael Schultz Cast: Sheila E., Run D.M.C., The Fat Boys, Kurtis Blow, New Edition, Beastie Boys

Released just after Def Jam Recordings got off the ground, Krush Groove gave audiences a fly-on-the-wall look at the label’s early days. A young Blair Underwood played Russell Walker (the Hollywood interpretation of Russell Simmons), a rising producer who corrals hip-hop’s most popular acts and signs them to his label, Krush Groove.

With cameo appearances from Run D.M.C., the Beastie Boys, Rick Rubin, LL Cool J, and Simmons himself, Krush Groove was a dramatized oral history of Def Jam. It featured performances of classic Def Jam records (Run D.M.C.’s “My Adidas” and “King of Rock”; LL’s “I Can’t Live without My Radio”), which was instrumental in bolstering the popularity of both the artists and the label. The addition of crowd-pleasing cameos from artists such as Sheila E., the Fat Boys, and a young New Edition only adds to the film’s legend. The origin of hip-hop’s most storied record label is certainly worthy of being shared with the masses, and Def Jam benefited from having the tale reach the world nearly 30 years ago.

4. Paid In Full

Year: 2002 Director: Charles Stone lll Cast: Wood Harris, Cam'ron, Chi McBride, Mekhi Phifer, Regina Hall, Esai Morales, Elise Neal

Drug-dealer lore and hip-hop go hand-in-hand, as the street tales that passed down through generations have become the fuel for many a rap song. So many songs, lyrics, and careers have been influenced by these stories, and the dealings of Rich Porter, Albert “Alpo” Martinez, and Azie “AZ” Faison was brought through the masses through Paid in Full.

With the names changed to protect the not-so-innocent, the narrative follows Harlem native Ace (Wood Harris), who’s sucked into drug-dealing after becoming disenchanted with his job working at a dry cleaner. After partnering with his friend, Mitch (Mekhi Phifer), and the unpredictable Rico (Cam’ron), the trio form an empire in Harlem that’s eventually destroyed by greed.

Paid in Full places crack-era New York City under the spotlight, doing justice to the saga of three of the city’s most infamous drug kingpins. It focuses on the impact that Scarface had on a generation of impressionable youths who lacked positive examples. The surprise was Cam’ron’s turn as Rico, whose over-the-top personality is both charming and dangerous. Of all of Roc-A-Fella’s films, this is hands down the best.

3. House Party

Year: 1990 Director: Reginald Hudlin Cast: Christopher “Kid” Reid, Christopher “Play” Martin, Robin Harris, Martin Lawrence. Full Force, Tisha Campbell, A.J. Johnson, John Witherspoon

Kid 'n Play were well known in the hip-hop community for their lighthearted songs and dance moves, but their starring roles in Reginald Hudlin's House Partyexposed them to a larger national audience. Christopher “Kid” Reid and Christopher “Play” Martin play Kid and Play, friends and good-natured kids forever in search of fun with their more temperamental buddy Bilal (Martin Lawrence). Play plans to host a party at his house while his parents are gone, but Kid's strict father (Robin Harris, in one of his final roles) forbids him to attend after getting into a fight at school with a trio of bullies (Full Force's “Paul Anthony” George, Lucien “Bowlegged Lou” George Jr., and Brian “B-Fine” George). Kid of course sneaks out of the house and experiences a wild night that includes dancing, an impromptu rap battle, jail, and a near miss at sex.

Part of the reason House Party became such a hit is for the universality of its situation. Kid doesn't disobey his father because he's a bad kid, he does it because he doesn't want to miss out—a feeling all of us understand.

House Party's strongest scenes take place at the party, particularly the “dance off,” which has been duplicated at parties and school talent shows for the past 23 years. Though the scene is set to Full Force's “Ain't My Type of Hype,” it was miraculously filmed sans music. If you're foolish enough to question House Party's impact, ask yourself these questions: How many parties has it inspired over the years? How many will it continue to inspire? There's a generation born slightly after the film's release who probably know little of Kid 'n Play the rappers, but still represent for the film and the duo's feel-good spirit.

2. WildStyle

Year: 1983 Director: Charlie Ahearn Cast: Lee Quinones, Sandra Fabara, Patti Astor, Fab 5 Freddy, Cold Crush Brothers, Rock Steady Crew, Busy Bee, Grandmixer DST

Considered the OG hip-hop film, Wild Style is also recognized as the genre’s best film. It depicted hip-hop’s early days, offering the initial look at its four elements: MCing, DJing, graffiti, and breakdancing. Aside from serving as a landmark beginner’s guide, its cast is composed of hip-hop forefathers like Grandmaster Flash, the Cold Crush Brothers, Fab 5 Freddy, and Lee Quinones.

The impact that Wild Style has had on the culture makes it the requisite hip-hop movie. Artists ranging from Nas to Black Star have sampled segments of the film, and Fab 5 Freddy explains that Wild Style was the most efficient way to explain all that hip-hop encompasses:

I wanted to show that for a culture to be complete, it should combine music, dance, and a visual art. I thought there were elements around that could be pulled together and made to look like one thing, and that a movie would help.

Hip-hop has evolved tremendously over the last three decades, but Fab 5 Freddy hit his target with Wild Style.

1. BEATSTREET

Year: 1984 Director: Stan Lathan Cast: Rae Dawn Chong, Guy David, Jon Chardiet, Leon W. Grant, Saundra Santiago

As part of the first wave of hip-hop-focused films to receive a larger release, Beat Street helped introduce the masses to each of its main principles. Using hip-hop’s birthplace of the Bronx as the primary setting, the film follows a group of friends whose talents include hip-hop’s core elements of graffiti, DJing, MCing and B-Boying.

Serving as sampler for what hip-hop was about in its earlier days, Beat Streetincluded performances from hip-hop legends such as DJ Kool Herc, Doug E. Fresh, and Melle Mel & the Furious Five just to name a few. Furthermore, knowledge of Beat Street is one of the many keys to understanding Jay Electronica’s lyrics, as he referenced rival graffiti artists Spit and Ramo (“Who gon’ bring the game back?/Who gon’ Spit that Ramo on the train tracks”) on “Exhibit A.” Because of its early impact and lasting influence, it’s impossible to have a conversation about hip-hop’s best movies without mention of Beat Street.

I Know I may have missed quite a few, there are so many more out there. This is off the top of the head,Hip-Hop is taking over! There are so much hiistory and documentaries you have to ressearch and check out. It's very important that we Teach Hip-Hop History, and Hip-Hop History Film, if not then, Hip-Hop Will Be History! Thanks for reading once again! #IamDENT