Film review: 'Rhyme & Reason'
In his lively feature documentary debut, "Rhyme & Reason," producer-director Peter Spirer (nominated for an Academy Award in 1994 for his short "Blood Ties: The Life and Work of Sally Mann") investigates and chronicles the hip-hop culture and its close relative, rap music.
Fast and informative, the crowd-pleasing Miramax release features plenty of tunes and stars, including a few brief moments with the late Tupac Shakur. While the language is often raw and there's a limit to the film's appeal, "Rhyme & Reason" will draw good crowds in select theaters and go on to heavy rotation as a video rental.
The distinction between hip-hop and rap is made clear early on. The former is a lifestyle encompassing clothes, language, graffiti and rap music. "Rap is something being done; hip-hop is something being lived," sums up KRS-ONE.
It's a situation that recalls many popular cultural movements of the past, and Spirer ambitiously probes the wide world of hip-hop with a historical perspective that leads to some genuine insight from the many artists interviewed.
From members of the Wu-Tang Clan to Ice-T, there is plenty of tough talk about life in the big-city slums, where rap moved "from project to project." In its early days in the South Bronx, the streetwise poetry with a pounding rhythm was a personal or group expression.
The "scratching" of records was eventually introduced, and DJs in clubs and at parties became part of the hip-hop scene. Break-dancing and elaborate graffiti painting were energetic responses to the urban environment, while rap became the means to express one's mind.
Over time, rap has become a $3 billion-a-year industry but has been plagued by scandals, tragedies and its wide perception as "gangster" music. The film addresses these and more issues -- such as the rivalry between East Coast and West Coast rappers -- but no definitive conclusions are reached.
For hip-hop fans, however, there are many highlights. Newer acts such as Nas, the Pharcyde and Busta Rhymes are included along with such veterans as Dr. Dre, Biz Markie and Salt-N-Pepa.
From these interviewees and many others, Spirer and crew have created a cultural portrait that argues persuasively, in the words of Speech (formerly of Arrested Development), that hip-hop music is "a voice for oppressed people who, in many ways, don't have any other voice."
RHYME & REASON
Miramax Films
A City Block and Asian Pictures production
A film by Peter Spirer
Director Peter Spirer
Producers Charles X. Block, Peter Spirer,
Daniel Sollinger
Executive producer Helena Echegoyen
Music supervisors Happy Walters,
Andrew Shack
Editors Andy Robertson, David Wilson
Music Benedikt Brydern
Color/stereo
With: Ice-T, the Pharcyde, Salt-N-Pepa, Chuck D, Erick Sermon, Tupac Shakur, Dr. Dre, Heavy D, Grand Master Caz
Running time -- 89 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
Fast and informative, the crowd-pleasing Miramax release features plenty of tunes and stars, including a few brief moments with the late Tupac Shakur. While the language is often raw and there's a limit to the film's appeal, "Rhyme & Reason" will draw good crowds in select theaters and go on to heavy rotation as a video rental.
The distinction between hip-hop and rap is made clear early on. The former is a lifestyle encompassing clothes, language, graffiti and rap music. "Rap is something being done; hip-hop is something being lived," sums up KRS-ONE.
It's a situation that recalls many popular cultural movements of the past, and Spirer ambitiously probes the wide world of hip-hop with a historical perspective that leads to some genuine insight from the many artists interviewed.
From members of the Wu-Tang Clan to Ice-T, there is plenty of tough talk about life in the big-city slums, where rap moved "from project to project." In its early days in the South Bronx, the streetwise poetry with a pounding rhythm was a personal or group expression.
The "scratching" of records was eventually introduced, and DJs in clubs and at parties became part of the hip-hop scene. Break-dancing and elaborate graffiti painting were energetic responses to the urban environment, while rap became the means to express one's mind.
Over time, rap has become a $3 billion-a-year industry but has been plagued by scandals, tragedies and its wide perception as "gangster" music. The film addresses these and more issues -- such as the rivalry between East Coast and West Coast rappers -- but no definitive conclusions are reached.
For hip-hop fans, however, there are many highlights. Newer acts such as Nas, the Pharcyde and Busta Rhymes are included along with such veterans as Dr. Dre, Biz Markie and Salt-N-Pepa.
From these interviewees and many others, Spirer and crew have created a cultural portrait that argues persuasively, in the words of Speech (formerly of Arrested Development), that hip-hop music is "a voice for oppressed people who, in many ways, don't have any other voice."
RHYME & REASON
Miramax Films
A City Block and Asian Pictures production
A film by Peter Spirer
Director Peter Spirer
Producers Charles X. Block, Peter Spirer,
Daniel Sollinger
Executive producer Helena Echegoyen
Music supervisors Happy Walters,
Andrew Shack
Editors Andy Robertson, David Wilson
Music Benedikt Brydern
Color/stereo
With: Ice-T, the Pharcyde, Salt-N-Pepa, Chuck D, Erick Sermon, Tupac Shakur, Dr. Dre, Heavy D, Grand Master Caz
Running time -- 89 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
- 3/5/1997
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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