Hip Hop Beyond Beats And Rhymes 2006

In this gutsy and incisive documentary, dedicated Hip Hop head Byron Hurt dares to ask difficult questions about sexism, misogyny and homophobia, to a wide assortment of fans and artists, and succeeds in addressing serious issues without sounding pedantic or condescending.

Featuring interviews with artists like Jadakiss, Mos Def and Busta Rhymes, industry moguls like Russell Simmons, and a host of fans of all genders, persuasions and perspectives, Hurt asks some incendiary questions and in the process blows the lid off the whole issue. Some, like Fat Joe, toe the line of apology and rationalization; some, like Busta Rhymes, simply leave when the questions are too pointed, calling to mind his appearance on The Boondocks in “The Story of Gangstalicious”. Most insightful are the thoughts of the many hungry freestylers who Hurt is constantly recording and interviewing, emphasizing the common lyrical thread of violence and misogyny – in one MC’s words, “They don’t want to hear us speak righteously!”.

The film approaches each question separately, with full treatments of scenarios like Nelly’s attempted Bone Marrow Drive at Spelman College, thwarted because of the images of women in his video “Tip Drill”; and rap video footage accompanied by statistics of gun violence and sexual assault in America. The issue of white consumption of a Black cultural product is poignantly depicted by the young white Hip Hop head in his dad’s truck who exclaims that gangsta rap is “my music!”. Jadakiss, who’s earlier dismissal of violence in rap is somewhat disturbing, actually frames the whole scenario best when he explains how “any sales over 700,000 is in the white market”, and that the old money suits that really control the industry and sign the cheques are all “scratch white”.

Mistah Chuck D. himself provides the skeleton by commenting throughout on what Hip Hop has become and what it could be, if we were to actualize our full potential as creative beings. As the representative of Golden Era Hip Hop who stays true to it’s original values, Chuck exemplifies the artist as a man of his community, who speaks for his people with love and respect.

Thoroughly educational and entertaining, “Beyond Beats and Rhymes” contains so many gems of wisdom that it merits multiple viewings, and should stimulate a long needed discussion in the Hip Hop community at large. This type of effort, from a truly concerned Head, is the kind of forward thinking and daring project that could herald a new vision of what Hip Hop represents, one that actually believes in maturity and respect from a movement that is past pushing thirty.