An aspiring DJ, from the South Bronx, and his best friend, a promoter, try to get into show business by exposing people to hip-hop music and culture.
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Title: Beat Street (1984)
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Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Rae Dawn Chong | ... |
Tracy Carlson
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Guy Davis | ... |
Kenny 'Double K' Kirkland
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| Jon Chardiet | ... |
Ramon
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Leon W. Grant | ... |
Chollie
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| Saundra Santiago | ... |
Carmen Cararro
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Robert Taylor | ... |
Lee Kirkland
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| Mary Alice | ... |
Cora
(as Mary Alice Smith)
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| Shawn Elliott | ... |
Domingo
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Jim Borrelli | ... |
Monte
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Dean Elliott | ... |
Henri
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Franc Reyes | ... |
Luis
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| Tonya Pinkins | ... |
Angela
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Lee Chamberlin | ... |
Alicia
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Antonia Rey | ... |
Flora
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Duane Jones | ... |
Robert
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Plot Summary
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Add Synopsis
Storyline
An upbeat, lets-put-on-a-show musical about the wonders of hip-hop music and culture that tells the story of Kenny, a young hip-hop artist living in the rough slums of the Bronx with his younger brother Lee and their mother Cora. Kenny dreams of making it big as a disc jockey and playing in the most swank of Manhattan nightclubs, the Roxy. Into their lives comes Tracy, a composer and assistant choreographer from the City College of New York, who inspires him to try to continue his dream while romance begins to grow between them, despite coming from different neighborhoods and worlds. Meanwhile, Lee is part of a break-dancing crew set on dominating the scene of their street. The rest of their friends include Ramon, a graffiti artist determined to spread his painting to every subway car in the city while dealing with his girlfriend Carmen and Chollie, a fellow disc jockey who becomes Kenny's manager after he lands him a gig at a Bronx club. Many hip-hop groups, electro artists, break ... Written by Matt Patay
Taglines:
The music and break-dance explosion of the summer! See more »Parents Guide:
View content advisory »
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See full technical specs »
Details
Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
8 June 1984 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
The Perfect Beat See more »Filming Locations:
Fresh Pond Road Train Station, Fresh Pond Road, Ridgewood, Queens, New York City, New York, USA See more »Company Credits
Show detailed
company contact information
on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
DolbyColor:
ColorAspect Ratio:
1.78 : 1
Edit
Cora: I believe you better shut your damn mouth before I decide to leave you down here.
See more »
Did You Know?
Trivia
Most of the graffiti art that was displayed all throughout the film was not done by real graffiti artists - it was airbrushed by set decorators. See more »Goofs
When Spit tags over Ramo's burner with the Dyer Ave train, you can see the "Sp" in "Spit" from a previous take. See more »Quotes
Lee: [Lee explains about how he got arrested for dancing] Hey, Mom, these fools busted us for dancing, can you believe that?Cora: I believe you better shut your damn mouth before I decide to leave you down here.
See more »
Being that I am a true product of the hip-hop and electronic dance music generation, this is without a doubt one of my favorite movies of all time. Beat Street, although not as "authentic" in some respects as Wild Style, is a film that is guaranteed to tug the heart strings of anyone who takes pride in the culture of urban sample/DJ-based music and electro-club culture.
Although I will admit that at times the dialogue is somewhat cheesy, you can't help but feel for the characters, and ultimately "wish you were there" for the beginnings of hip-hop culture in New York City in the early eighties. The b-boy battle scene at the Roxy nightclub (a real-life, real-time competition between the legendary Rock Steady Crew and the NYC Breakers) is just as essential to a hip-hop fan's archives as any classic album. Watch some of the breakers' moves in slow-motion if possible to truly appreciate the athletic and stylistic expertise of a seasoned B-boy/B-girl. All praises due to the Zulu Nation!!!