From neighborhood ciphers to the most notorious MC battles, "Freestyle: the Art of Rhyme" captures the electrifying energy of improvisational hip-hop--the rarely recorded art form of rhyming spontaneously. Like preachers and jazz solos, freestyles exist only in the moment, a modern-day incarnation of the African-American storytelling tradition. Shot over a period of more than seven years, it is already an underground cult film in the hip-hop world. The film systematically debunks the false image put out by record companies that hip-hop culture is violent or money-obsessed. Instead, it lets real hip-hop artists, known and unknown, weave their story out of a passionate mix of language, politics, and spirituality.

Starring:

Ahmir-Khalib Thompson, Charles Stewart, Crazy Legs, Darryl McDaniels, Debi Mazar, Eminem, John Coltrane, Joseph Simmons, Kool Moe Dee, Lucas MacFadden, Mos Def, Muhammad Ali, Robert Garcia, The Notorious BIG, Tupac Shakur

Genre:

Documentary, Music