Freestyle: The Art of Rhyme (2000)
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.
Released: Apr 14, 2000
Runtime: 71 minutes
Genre: Documentary, Music
Stars: Muhammad Ali, Planet Asia, Bahamadia, Akim Funk Buddah, Eluard Burt, Myo Campbell
Crew: Freestyle Fellowship (Music), Omid Walizadeh (Music), Henry Alex Rubin (Producer), Darkleaf (Music), Brad Abramson (Executive Producer), Paul Devlin (Producer)