Something From Nothing: The Art of Rap

Recently, I watched the documentary Something From Nothing: The Art of Rap, directed by Ice-T. The documentary is a series of interviews that highlights the history of hip-hop culture and explains the meaning of rap music. All of the interviewees are hip-hop legends that shaped the culture and started a revolutionary music style. This was Ice-T's (yes, the guy from Law & Order) first film and as a fan of old school hip-hop, I was extremely pleased with Ice-T's execution. Due to Ice-T's high status in the hip-hop world, he was able to get in touch with the pioneers of hip-hop. The interviewees included Snoop Dogg, Grandmaster Caz, Afrika Bambaata, Dr. Dre, Kanye West, Common, Immortal Technique, KRS-One, Ice Cube, Doug E. Fresh, Raekwon, Rakim, and many more legends. The documentary highlights the history of hip-hop on both the East Coast and West Coast and each interviewee spits a freestyle. The video is comprised of city life helicopter shots and street level b-roll. Many people don't appreciate what I would consider to be "real hip-hop." Hip-hop is a form of poetry and art and many mainstream rappers today give hip-hop a bad name and image. I recommend The Art of Rap to those who listen to old school hip-hop and the names of the artists I listed above. I also recommend this film to those who think mainstream rap is good music so that they can understand the poetic roots and appreciate true pioneers of the culture. I also recommend this film to those who dislike hip-hop so that they may come to appreciate the music and learn why and how the culture was created.

                                                    WATCH THE TRAILER.

"Hip-hop didn't invent anything. Hip-hop re-invented everything." - Grandmaster Caz

Breaking Bad and Wilfred

I don't regret purchasing cable but now that my roommate gave me his Netflix password, I don't believe I'll turn the cable box back on in the near future. I don't watch many live sports and since the NHL is locked out, a hole in my heart must be filled with some TV show of equal or greater value. I've been watching new shows every day and a movie every other night. I recently watched the pilot episode of both Breaking Bad and Wilfred. I feel left out when my friends discuss what's new in their TV shows and I find the need to begin a show and catch up until the next season comes out. When the first episode of Breaking Bad was over, I was hooked and wanted to know what was going to happen next. The editing and movie-like filming hook the viewer and, like Professor Sinclair said, there are certain color motifs in each episode. It's strange that people would root for a meth dealer but the other side of the story and Walter's cause allows the audience to sympathize with him. It was also surprising to see Bryan Cranston play such a dynamic character because last time I saw him on television he was Malcolm's dad Hal. I may choose to watch every Breaking Bad episode in order to catch up for the fifth and final season.

After the first episode of Breaking Bad, my roommate told me to watch the Wilfred pilot. I was instantly hooked within the first ten minutes due to the clever lines and absurd plot line. From the first episode, it's hard to understand who Wilfred actually is. Elijah Wood's character Ryan Newman is asked to take care of his neighbor's dog and when she arrives to drop the dog off, it is an Australian man dressed in a gray dog suit. Ryan is depressed and Wilfred, in man form, can only be seen by him. The show is hilarious and every joke made me laugh out loud. The episodes are only thirty minutes long so I could watch both Breaking Bad and Wilfred. I plan to catch up to the current seasons by November so that when the next seasons premiere, I'll be able to follow the story and talk to my hooked friends about it. Also, the story line and movie-like filming can be closely studied and I hope to apply the techniques in my own films.

-Matthew Hadley