Hip Hop Movie Club

We discuss "Straight Outta L.A.', the 2010 ESPN 30 For 30 documentary directed by Ice Cube, which explores the tight bond between the NFL's Raiders and gangster rap, especially by N.W.A. Also check out: "No Mas Presents: Dock Ellis and The LSD No-No" by James Blagden Credits Hip Hop Movie Club is produced by your HHMCs JB, BooGie, and DynoWright. Theme music by BooGie. And remember: Don'...

Can hip hop tell stories about everyday Black life — not just struggle, but community, responsibility, growth and maturity — and still stay authentic? Ice Cube's Barbershop (2002) film sets out to do this. Did it work? HHMC takes a cut at it! Topics discussed: 📸 A quick snapshot of this pivotal shift for Ice Cube 🎤 Where this fits in the hip hop canon 🎞️ Fun facts about this Chicago classic 💥 T...

Ahead of our 10th anniversary screening of Straight Outta Compton, we examine The World's Most Dangerous Group's family tree, perhaps the most powerful one in hip hop, going from Snoop Dogg all the way to Kendrick Lamar. Topics discussed: 🌳 N.W.A.'s family tree 😱 N.W.A.'s controversies 📽️ Their biopic, Straight Outta Compton Also check out: Our episode on Straight Outta Compton and our deep dive...

Does Idlewild got that swing, or ain't got that swing? Set in Prohibition-era Georgia, 1930s, Idlewild portrays the story of two childhood friends going in completely different directions. Percival—played by André 3000—is a quiet, introverted church pianist who dreams of playing bigger stages, and then there's Rooster, Big Boi's character, running the hottest speakeasy in town, the Idlewild club,...

We have spoken about our Mount Rushmore of rappers turned actors: Will Smith, Queen Latifah, Tupac Shakur, and Ice Cube. Who is in the next tier? Listen and find out! Credits Hip Hop Movie Club is produced by your HHMCs JB, BooGie, and DynoWright. Theme music by BooGie. And remember: Don't hate...marinate! Check us out: Our next live event is STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON on Thursday Nov. 13 at SteelStac...

Warren Beatty's 1998 political satire Bulworth gave us an audacious experiment: a white politician who ditches his teleprompter for freestyle flows and brutal honesty about America's political machine. Topics discussed: 📸 A quick snapshot of this political satire 🎤 Where this fits in the hip hop canon 🎞️ Fun facts about this cult classic 💥 The impact this film had on politics 😱 Fan reaction th...

A documentary film crew ventures into the Amazon rainforest and gets hoodwinked into helping a mysterious snake hunter. A deadly encounter with The Predator ensues, with a Death Certificate waiting for AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted and Jenny from the Block.    Topics discussed: 📸 A quick snapshot of this polarizing movie 🎤 Where this fits in the hip hop canon 🎞️ Fun facts abou...

Don't be scuuuurrrred, the Halloween season is near! We dove into the 1995 horror anthology movie Tales from the Hood . Tales from the Hood is a horror anthology about three young men who visit a mysterious funeral home, where the eccentric mortician tells them four supernatural stories that blend scares with social commentary on issues like police brutality, racism, and domestic violence. Th...

If you're a big hip hop fan, you might be considering watching Ice Cube's new disaster flick, War of the Worlds. We watched it so you don't have to. Topics discussed: Quick snapshot of this disastrous disaster film Where this fits in the hip hop canon (it doesn't really) Fun facts about this tedious movie The impact this film might have Hilarious roasting by fans Also check out: National Geographi...

Superstar comedian Katt Williams made his film debut in the third installment of the Friday series, 2002's Friday After Next . "Money Mike" stole scenes like Ghetto Santa Claus stole Craig and Day-Day's Christmas presents! Topics discussed: 🎄 It's a Christmas movie 👥 We see an evolution of the dynamic between Craig & Day-Day 😂 There is a shift to a more slapstick style of comedy 3️⃣ This wa...

Today we answer this question about the 1993 action crime thriller Judgment Night: why was the soundtrack so much more important than the film itself? Credits Hip Hop Movie Club is produced by your HHMCs JB, BooGie, and DynoWright. Theme music by BooGie. And remember: Don't hate...ventilate! Check us out: Join us on Saturday, October 4th at the Frank Banko Alehouse Cinemas at SteelStacks in Bethle...

In honor of back to school season being upon us, here is an encore presentation of our original episode on How High starring Redman and Method Man. Will the Ivy League academic career of Silas and Jamal be lit? Or will the experience all go up in smoke?  How High on IMDb Where to Watch:  Amazon Prime Girls Gone Wild  (Wikipedia) FUBU How High soundtrack  (Spotify) "Together Aga...

In honor of our 30th anniversary screening this Friday August 15th of FRIDAY, here is an encore presentation of our original episode on the film and television career of Ice Cube. Get tickets and join us at SteelStacks! Topics discussed: 🎞️ Ice Cube is more versatile as an actor than you might realize.  🎭 Even as his acting career has evolved in surprising ways, he has stayed true and authen...

Welcome to an encore presentation of our original episode on Friday , the 1995 classic starring Ice Cube and Chris Tucker. If you're in the Bethlehem PA area on Friday August 15, you can catch our 30th Anniversary screening of Friday at SteelStacks. Get tickets now and see it on the big screen! Doors at 7:30 with throwback set by the one and only DJ ARM 18! Topics discussed: So many funny bits, se...

In honor of the new Clipse album coming out, we wanted to kick it back to our original episode on Piece by Piece, a fun and inspirational LEGO® movie about the creativity and career of Pharrell Williams! Topics discussed: 🧱 What better way to tell the story of Pharrell Williams' vivid life than through LEGO bricks? 🤩 He has produced and written so many great songs, you could easily forget just h...

We think Ice Cube's progression from gangsta rapper to family friendly actor is unprecedented, and he cements it as Nick in "Are We There Yet?" Credits Hip Hop Movie Club is produced by your HHMCs JB, BooGie, and DynoWright. Theme music by BooGie. And remember: Don't hate...navigate! Check us out: Our next live event is FRIDAY (30th anniversary!) screening on August 15 - at SteelStacks: Buy ticket...

Biz Markie was the "Clown Prince of Hip Hop". He paved his own way in the industry and in turn, opened doors for future legends. He was like a big kid and larger than life. Even in death, nobody beats the Biz. (Nobody Beats the Biz!) But what was the late, great Biz Markie really like?  Today the four-year anniversary of his passing in 2021, here is a rebroadcast of our episode on "All U...

(Encore presentation) The film adaptation of In The Heights from Lin-Manuel Miranda is a joyous spectacle of singing, dancing, and asserting your dignity in small ways. Topics discussed: There are multiple elements of hip-hop culture present in the film - and the rapping is on point.  Several Latin cultures are represented, showing the diversity of Washington Heights.  The vocal talent i...

The Freshest Kids explores the history and evolution of b-boying, also known as breaking, from its roots in the Bronx to its international explosion. Archival footage of key figures in the b-boy scene, and many hip hop luminaries dot this fascinating journey about the enormous impact of breaking on society. Topics discussed: 🎤 A Bronx tale 🎥 Hollywood story 🚔 The system strikes back ⭐️ A cast...

Bomb the System follows the exploits of Anthony, a.k.a. Blest, and his crew members Justin and Kevin, who live the gritty life of graffiti bombers in New York City. Credits Hip Hop Movie Club is produced by your HHMCs JB, BooGie, and DynoWright. Theme music by BooGie. And remember: Don't hate...appreciate! Check us out: Our next live event is BEAT STREET on Wednesday June 25 at SteelStacks in Beth...

In honor of our screening of the classic hip hop film Beat Street (in 4K!) on Wednesday June 25 at SteelStacks, here is an encore presentation of our first-ever episode of Hip Hop Movie Club. Tickets still available: Get them at SteelStacks.org! Doors open at 6:45 with a throwback set by our man DJ ARM 18 and a special b-boy performance by the Lehigh Valley's own BRKN STEEL! Film starts at 7:15. A...

To commemorate the 10th anniversary of Hamilton and the upcoming 78th annual Tony Awards, here is our original 2023 episode on the film version of the beloved musical. In the 2020 film version of the Broadway musical Hamilton, a young and ambitious Alexander Hamilton yearns to write a long-lasting legacy of his own, and of a brand new country in the New World he helped create. Aaron Burr, one of h...

The 1979 documentary "80 Blocks from Tiffany's" is a fascinating slice-of-life look at two South Bronx gangs, the Savage Skulls and the Savage Nomads. Although this isn't the most hip hop film we've ever discussed, there are some interesting tidbits about the conditions from which hip hop emerged. Topics discussed: There isn't much plot line or narrative, but the glimpses of how these gangs operat...

Ever wonder how hip-hop was actually born? "Rubble Kings" takes us back to the 1970s South Bronx, a neighborhood abandoned by the city and ruled by more than 100 street gangs engaged in all-out turf wars. After the shocking murder of peace counselor Black Benji in 1971, something remarkable happened—rival gang leaders met at the historic Hoe Avenue Peace Meeting and decided to put down their weapo...

In honor of the ongoing NBA playoffs, here's an encore presentation of our original episode on Just Wright, starring Queen Latifah and Common. Topics discussed: Queen Latifah displays why she is on our Mount Rushmore of hip-hop star turned actors  Common shows that he is a solid actor  The basketball scenes are just mid The plot is quite formulaic and predictable, but hey, it's a rom-com...