Hip-Hop Evolution (2016)

Interviews with influential MCs, DJs and moguls trace the genre's dynamic evolution from the 1970s through the 1990s in this documentary series.

Directors:

Darby Wheeler, Sam Dunn (co-director)

Writer:

Rodrigo Bascunan

Stars:

Sal Abbatiello, Paul Ackerley, Bill Adler

1 nomination.

Cast

Credited cast:
Sal Abbatiello	...	Himself
Paul Ackerley	...	Newscaster (voice)
Bill Adler	...	Himself
Charlie Ahearn	...	Himself
Claire Armstrong	...	Newscaster (voice)
B-Real	...	Himself
Afrika Bambaataa	...	Himself
Big Daddy Kane	...	Himself
Kurtis Blow	...	Himself
Dan Charnas	...	Himself
Chuck D	...	Himself
Cheo Hodari Coker	...	Himself
Joe Conzo	...	Himself
Brian Cross	...	Himself
DJ Disco Wiz	...	Himself

Storyline

Interviews with influential MCs, DJs and moguls trace the genre's dynamic evolution from the 1970s through the 1990s in this documentary series.

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Plot Keywords:

hip hop music | rap | hip hop | 

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Genres:

Documentary | Music

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Details

Official Sites:

Official Site

Country:

Canada

Language:

English

Release Date:

29 April 2016 (Canada)

Also Known As:

Эволюция хип-хопа

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

CAD 2,500,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Banger Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min (Hot Docs International Documentary Festival)

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Connections

Version of Hip-Hop Evolution (2016)

User Reviews

Hip-Hop 101

Hip-hop was my life growing up, as it was the life of so many around me. My earliest memories were Run DMC, Kurtis Blow and the Beastie Boys. In fact, I remember trying to "scratch" on my mom's record player because of hip-hop. So to see this four part tribute to its origins was just magnificent.

The team that put this together went back to the genesis: Bronx, New York. They started with the underground parties of Kool Herc and progressed through the timeline from there stopping at the contributions of Afrika Bambata, The Furious Five, The Sugarhill Gang, Run DMC and others.

What cannot be overlooked is the contribution of Grandmaster Flash. What he did for hip-hop was nothing short of wizardry. He was a scientist when it came to mixing and spinning two turntables. I was floored to hear about how he started and what he started with. It was amazing to hear about a music style that blossomed in the 80's but can really be traced to a time period well before that.

I think anyone that has a serious interest in hip-hop should watch this documentary. It was somewhat nostalgic for me because many of the artists mentioned and interviewed were artists I enjoyed as a kid. I was slightly disappointed that some--what I consider pioneers--were not mentioned. Those like KRS One, Fat Boys, Doug E Fresh, Whodini, Salt-N-Pepa, Slick Rick and more. I also would have liked to see hip-hop's first entry into movies as I remember Krush Groove, Breakin' and Beat Street.

Even with those absences I was impressed. There's only so much you can cover anyway and I know they tried to hit the highlights. It is still a seminal work that has paved the way for even broader endeavors. This was an essential lesson in hip-hop 101 that has no substitute at this time.