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| Tookey's Review |
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| Pro Reviews |
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| Mixed Reviews |
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| Cast |
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| Released: |
2012 |
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| Genre: |
OVERRATED
MUSICAL
DOCUMENTARY
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| Origin: |
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| Colour: |
C |
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| Length: |
112 |
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Unbelievable.
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Reviewed by Chris Tookey
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Here is a celebratory doc which may impress those who swallow its dubious message: that rappers are not purveyors of obscenity and vulgar self-aggrandisement, but highly skilled artists who deserve our hushed respect.
Rapper Ice-T (pictured right with Dr Dre) does the directing and interviewing, and spends a lot of time on-camera, cracking up at the brilliance of his pals and making sure we understand that rap is an important and demanding art form.
Everyone he interviews agrees with him – hardly a surprise, since they are all rappers – and dissenting voices are ignored. No one, for example, questions whether the words that are meant to rhyme actually do. If you listen to the lyrics they present, however, you may notice that a lot of them aren’t exactly Sondheimian in their word-play.
You won’t hear anyone inquiring why so many rap lyrics are sexist, violent and racist, why they glorify crime, drugs and guns, or why so many of its leading exponents are prematurely deceased. Yes, I know John Keats died young, but it wasn’t in a drive-by shooting.
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