Freestyle: The Art Of Rhyme Review
by Morley Seaver

Wow. This is just an awesome look at one of music's most talented area: Freestyling --- where rappers just speak right off the top of the head without writing their rhymes. Freestyle: The Art of Rhyme is an in-depth look at the origins of rap and freestyling by talking to a wide group of MCs. It breaks down the history as well as the future, as illustrated by The Lost Poets, some of the first rappers from the Bronx and Eluard Burt II, a jazz musician and historian.

The DVD is broken down into sections which focus on certain aspects of the art. The first, after the introduction, is the one called The Bronx. It tells how freestyling came from the Jamaican Toasters and shows clips of early rap bands like Run DMC. 

With the battle section, rappers stare down their opponents from a foot away, spitting rhymes that are meant to both destroy the competition and get the crowd on their side.

"I'm competitive with everything," declares Otherwise, an L.A, rapper. "Nobody knows who came in third, fourth or fifth place. If you're going to do it, Do It! I'm trying to go to the point where I'm stopping people from rapping. They want to change career fields. They want to do other things. I don't feel real bad because if they continue rapping then I haven't completed my mission."

Another section deals with ciphers, the circle that starts among friends and after one person starts rhyming, it just flows around the circle with people joining in as they're feeling it.

Umar Bin Hassan from The Last Poets describes how rappers, in particular freestylers, were able to sometimes use their talent to get out of street confrontations and possibly avoid blood shed.

Several rappers are profiled, like Supernatural, the Freestyle Champion from Brooklyn who battles Craig G and Juice. Also, DJs and B-Boys get their fair share of the camera. 

Sprinkled throughout is commentary by a plethora of rap's most hallowed: Talib Kweli, Mos Def, Pharoahe Monch, Jurassic 5, and Questlove.

It reportedly took Fitzgerald seven years to make this documentary and it is the first film by him. He has done a magnificent job with both a scholarly and emotional approach. You want to know about all the individuals involved and where their roads lead.

This is a complete, educational and entertaining movie. The DVD also contains many extras including additional interviews, deleted scenes, and more freestyles from various artists. If you're a fan of rap, you MUST see this movie.

Freestyle: The Art Of Rhyme

Label:Palm Pictures
Rating:

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