Rhyme and Reason (1997)

Starring:

• Too Short
• Himself
• Kurtis Blow
• Da Brat
• Grandmaster Caz
• Sean Combs
• Chuck D.
• Desiree Densiti
• Dr. Dre
• E-40
• MC Eiht
• Heavy D
• Lauryn Hill
• Ice-T
• Wyclef Jean

IMDB.com
I am not a huge fan of hip-hop music, but I am somewhat fascinated by it as an art form. First of all, I think it's unfair how hip-hop artists get such bad raps (no pun intended) because their material contains references to violence, sex, rape and drug use, as well as being drenched in profanity. Who said art has to be clean? When a motion picture shows things like gang violence and strong sexual content, the film is acclaimed for being "realistic" and "compelling." As one of the rappers said in the film, (paraphrasing) "Arnold Schwarzenegger can make a movie where he kills a bunch of cops, but we can't make a song about killing one cop." When these artists live around such horrors, what are they supposed to rap about? Rainbows and fields full of lillies? You write what you know about. Your inspiration comes from real-life experience.

What these rappers do takes talent. A lot of them do freestyling, where they just belt out rhymes off the top of their heads. That takes a strong imagination and quick wits. Most singers spend hours coming up with lyrics to their songs.

The film really fascinates me, as it sheds light on many aspects of hip-hop. It never drags, it's only 90 minutes long and the pace is tight. The documentary never goes off into tangents. I learned some interesting new things like the fact that most hip-hop artists don't "enjoy" living in the hood. In the case of Ice-T, once he became rich and successful, he bought himself a swanky house on the hills. He says, "White people look around my house and they tell me that I have a nice house, but what they really mean to say is that I have a nice house for a black man." I thought that was a very compelling statement.

I would recommend this film even more to those who aren't big fans of hip-hop, because it will educate you. Fans of the music will probably enjoy it more on an entertainment level. Of course, some will choose to stray from any film having to do with hip-hop, but the open-minded moviegoer knows much better.

El Poder Negro [Black Power] (1975)

Starring:

• Sergio Oliva
• Héctor Suárez
• Lila Morillo

CG
Rare wrestling movie, a crossover between the lucha and blaxploitation genres. The story involves black dockworker Pedro getting mixed up with a gang of arms smugglers and falsely imprisoned on a charge of murder. He is finally released and Mil Máscaras convinces him to become a luchador, wrestling under the name of “Black Power”.

This movie was made as a showcase for former Mr. Olympia Sergio Oliva (who boasted a physique El Santo and Blue Demon could only dream of) and is actually a pretty legitimate drama compared to some of the off-the-wall lucha pictures being made at that time. Still, it reeks of the 1970’s with its loud fashions, garish color schemes and campy nightclub acts. Like many wrestling films of this era it was shot outside Mexico as a cost-cutting measure, in this case Venezuela.

Never released on home video and in Spanish only.

A Raisin In The Sun (1961)

Starring:

• Sidney Poitier
• Claudia McNeil 
• Ruby Dee 
• Diana Sands 
• Ivan Dixon 
• Louis Gossett Jr. 
• Steven Perry 
• Joel Fluellen 
• Louis Terrel 
• Roy Glenn 
• John Fiedler

Storyline
This lauded drama follows the Youngers, an African-American family living together in an apartment in Chicago. Following the death of their patriarch, they try to determine what to do with the substantial insurance payment they'll soon receive. Opinions on what to do with the money vary. Walter Lee (Sidney Poitier) wants to make a business investment, while his mother, Lena (Claudia McNeil), is intent on buying a house for them all to live in -- two differing views of the American Dream.