Letter to the President (2005) (V)

User Rating:

7.0/10   

Director:

Thomas Gibson

Writers:

Sharmila Ariathurai (writer)
Thomas Gibson (writer)

Release Date:

29 March 2005 (USA)

Genre:

Documentary | Music

Plot:

Narrated By Snoop Dogg- Letter To the President is a feature documentary that showcases the close-knit ties between the Hip Hop Music community and America's social and political policy in the last 30 years. |

Plot Keywords:

America | Hip Hop | Ghetto | Rap | Rap Music

Cast

Snoop Dogg	...	Narrator (voice)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
50 Cent	...	Himself - Recording Artist
Aesop Rock	...	Himself - Recording Artist
Mario Africa	...	Himself - Journalist
David Banner	...	Himself - Recording Artist
Amiri Baraka	...	Himself - Poet / Activist
Easy Mo Bee	...	Himself - Producer (archive footage) (as Eazy Mo Bee)
James Bernard	...	Himself - Editor
The Notorious B.I.G.	...	Himself (archive footage) (as Notorious B.I.G)
Jack Blum	...	Himself - Former Senate Staffer (archive footage)
Buckshot	...	Himself - Recording Artist
George Bush	...	Himself (archive footage)
George W. Bush	...	Himself (archive footage)
Rev. Calvin O. Butts III	...	Himself (as Reverend Dr. Calvin Butts)
Luther Campbell	...	Himself - Recording Artist (as Luther 'Luke' Campbell)
Cappadonna	...	Himself - Recording Artist
Jeff Chang	...	Himself - Author
Chingy	...	Himself - Recording Artist
Bill Clinton	...	Himself (archive footage)
Sean 'P. Diddy' Combs	...	Himself (archive footage)
Common	...	Himself - Recording Artist
Mike Concepcion	...	Himself - Community Activist
Ice Cube	...	Himself (archive footage)
Chuck D.	...	Himself - Recording Artist / Activist
Davey D	...	Himself - Hip-Hop Activist (as Davey D.)
Defari	...	Himself - Recording Artist
Dilated Peoples	...	Themselves
Lateef Dumont	...	Himself - Recording Artist (as Lateef)
Michael Eric Dyson	...	Himself - Professor
Eazy-E	...	Himself (archive footage)
Mike Epps	...	Himself - Actor / Comedian
Larry Flynt	...	Himself - Publisher
Doug E. Fresh	...	Himself - Recording Artist
Nelson George	...	Himself - Author / Journalist
Dick Gregory	...	Himself - Civil Rights Activist
Warren G.	...	Himself - Recording Artist (as Warren G)
M.C. Hammer	...	Himself - Recording Artist (as MC Hammer)
Ice-T	...	Himself - Recording Artist (as Ice T)
Niger Innis	...	Himself - CORE
Jesse Jackson	...	Himself (archive footage)
Jay-Z	...	Himself - Recording Artist
Wyclef Jean	...	Himself - Recording Artist
Quincy Jones	...	Himself
Juvenile	...	Himself - Recording Artist
John Kerry	...	Himself (archive footage)
Ghostface Killah	...	Himself - Wu-Tang Clan
Kwame Kilpatrick	...	Himself - Mayor
KRS-One	...	Himself - Recording Artist / Activist
Ludacris	...	Himself (archive footage)
MC Lyte	...	Herself - Recording Artist
Mack 10	...	Himself - Recording Artist
Method Man	...	Himself - Recording Artist
Evelyn McDonnell	...	Herself - Writer
Kool Moe Dee	...	Himself - Recording Artist
Pharoahe Monch	...	Himself - Recording Artist
Cedric Muhammad	...	Himself - Publisher
Mystic	...	Herself - Recording Artist
Napoleon	...	Himself - Recording Artist
Tech Nine	...	Himself - Recording Artist (as Tech N9ne)
Oliver North	...	Himself (archive footage)
Carl Officer	...	Himself - Mayor
Paris	...	Himself - Recording Artist
Colin Powell	...	Himself (archive footage)
Ronald Reagan	...	Himself (archive footage)
Kate Rhee	...	Herself - Hip-Hop Activist
Slick Rick	...	Himself - Recording Artist
Vin Rock	...	Himself - Naughty By Nature
Freeway Ricky Ross	...	Himself - Former Drug Dealer (archive footage) (as Ricky Ross)
Saigon	...	Himself - Recording Artist
Sonia Sanchez	...	Herself - Poet / Professor (as Sonja Sanchez)
Attallah Shabazz	...	Herself (archive footage)
Russell Simmons	...	Himself
Mutulu Skakur	...	Himself - Activist
Tavis Smiley	...	Himself
Parrish Smith	...	Himself - EPMD
Immortal Technique	...	Himself - Recording Artist
Big Tigger	...	Himself - Radio / TV Host
T.I.	...	Himself - Recording Artist
Guy Torry	...	Himself - Comedian
C. Delores Tucker	...	Herself (archive footage)
Maxine Waters	...	Herself - Congresswoman
Gary Webb	...	Himself - Journalist / Author
Nicole White	...	Herself - Writer
Will i Am	...	Himself - The Black Eyed Peas
Brian Williams	...	Himself - Recording Artist (as Baby)

MPAA:

Rated R for language, some drug content and violent images.

Runtime:

USA:90 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Certification:

USA:R | Australia:MA

Company:

QD3 Entertainment

See this... especially if you dislike rap

I'm glad I saw this movie. Although I have disliked rap, I have always wondered about the rappers themselves--what kind of people are they? Whenever I see their pictures, they always have menacing looks on their faces, and they give off the impression of foul-mouthed spoiled brats trying to intimidate people while showing off their bling.

Well, in this movie they reveal themselves to extremely creative, literate, and thoughtful people who are trying to get something positive done.

The one word that kept on coming up was "community." That's where the music began, and that's why it keeps on going. It's where the rappers came from, it's where their heart still is at, and it's why they are trying to change things.

Many black communities are in dire need of change. Ever wonder why the people there steal and do drugs? Poor people need to eat and they need to be human. If they don't have food, they're going to have to steal. If they don't feel human in their everyday lives, they're going to turn to drugs to escape. These are very simple equations that the rappers are trying to tell other folks about.

All people should see this movie, and it goes without saying that that includes our elected officials most of all.