This is Blitz the Ambassador's accompanied film for his new LP Native Sun. I didn't watch the entire 21-minute film, but from what I viewed it looks gorgeous. Co-directed by Terence Nance and photograph by Shawn Peters, the film is about an orphan African boy who embarks on a journey to find his long-lost father. The film was shot entirely in Ghana and it shows the beauty of Africa.
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I don't usually post trailers because they are a waste of time -- especially if it's for a three-minute music video. But these are a series of trailers for a biographical project on Little Brother alum/ producer 9th Wonder (real name Patrick Douthit).
L-R-G has teamed up with filmmaker Kenneth Price to produce a documentary about the Grammy award-winning hitmaker called The Wonder Year. The film chronicles 9th Wonder's life from his childhood upbringing in North Carolina to his late-night studio sessions to what inspires him creatively in life. The 78-minute documentary will premiere on April 20 (via the Internet). L-R-G released several trailers featuring producers like Drake, Sha Money XL and Young Guru praising 9th for his acumen in the studio.
Below is probably the most interesting trailer. This is fellow Little Brother member Phonte talking about his reconciliation with 9th after their heated argument on Twitter last year. The two will talk about their reunion and more at the Noisemaker event on April 6 in New York with Hot 97 DJ Peter Rosenberg.
Peep the trailer:
Watch: L-R-G
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One of the proudest moments I've seen in hip-hop was in the 1983 film Flashdance. The hyperbolic dance movie was about a female wielder named Alex Owens (played by newcomer Jennifer Beals) who strives to achieve her dreams of becoming a ballet dancer in a prestigious dance repertoire. In one exciting scene, she encounters a b-boy session on the street and watches the phenomenal Rock Steady Crew pop-locking and break-dancing to Jimmy Castor's "It's Just Begun." The song is a seminal urban anthem, which mixes rhythmic Latin horns, guitars and drums with an infectious chorus, "Watch it now, it's just begun."
For me, that scene marked that the hip-hop movement had arrived. It showed me that hip-hop was more than just an urban phenomenon; it was a cultural art form ready for absorption into popular culture.
"Watch us now . . . we've just begun."
-- Excerpt from an essay I wrote in college (circa 1992) about the emergence of hip-hop culture.
**BONUS**:
Rock Steady Crew -- "Hey You" (The Rock Steady Crew)
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It goes without saying that The Roots are the best band ever in the history of hip-hop, period. Some "hip-hop intellectuals" might disagreed with my sentiments, but they are just simply foolish. The Philadelphia band recently won three gramaphones at the Grammy Awards for their work on Wake Up! their collaborative album with John Legend. Unfortunately, they didn't get the Best Rap Album trophy of which they richly deserve for their great LP How I Got Over. You can blame Eminem for that. Hey, win some and you lose some.
Below is a short film by filmmaker Cam Be about the Legendary Roots crew that was shot during the group's Chicago stop via the Hennessey Tour. Media personality Jeff Baraka interviews Roots drummer Questlove as he talks about the band's work ethic and their influential stamp on hip-hop and pop culture.
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Wow! Drop everything and watch Raphael Saddiq's dramatic new video for "Good Man." The Isaiah Seret-directed project is set in the early 1970s and it involves two lovers caught in a web of love, betrayal and greed. You might recognize the lead actor -- that's Chad Coleman who played the ex-con Dennis "Cutty" Wise in HBO's The Wire. The lovely vixen is played by model/actress Yaya DaCosta.
The song "Good Man" is from Raphael Saadiq's upcoming LP Stone Rollin', which hits stores on March 22.
Raphael Saadiq -- "Good Man"
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