Hip-hop culture began to emerge in the seventies of the twentieth century among the working middle class in New York. One of the elements of hip-hop music is rap. In its modern form, it appeared among African Americans in the Bronx area.
A lot of films with famous rappers were directed in 1980-2010. Some of them won the Academy Award for Best Song. The list is presented below.
"Pay in full"
2002 film made by Charles Stone III.
The action takes place in New York in 1986. The main character named Ace is a simple scavenger, but craving expensive cars and luxurious things (like his friends Mitch and Calvin). And thanks to one occasion, his ordinary life changes dramatically.
In the laundry, the protagonist gets to know Lulu. From her expensive apartment and jewelry, much about the situation of the girl becomes clear. Ace enters the world of drugs, where money is the guarantor of power in a criminal reality full of death.
Cast: Wood Harris, Meckhai Fyfer, Kevin Carroll and others.
"Gangster Wars"
2005 film directed by Damon Dash.
On the streets of Philadelphia there is neither brotherhood nor love. When a couple of criminal groups divide the area, there is no word "humanism", there is a word "survive". The war between the gangs is at its peak.
Brother betrays his brother, strong ties are broken, and puddles of blood flow down the streets of the city. None of the leaders - Bins, Dame, Loco - completely guesses that a much more cunning and clever figure has been manipulating them for a long time.
Cast: Beanie Siegel, Noreaga, Damon Dash and others.
"Voice of the streets"
A film featuring rappers filmed in 2015. The director of the picture was F. Gary Gray. The movie was nominated for an Academy Award and the Screen Actors Guild of the United States, and also won the MTV Channel Award.
The action takes place in 1987 in a suburb of Los Angeles. The main characters in the five guys are trying to quickly begin the path to glory. How will their life turn out in the end, and will the whole hip-hop world be at the feet of these guys?
Cast: O'Shea Jackson Jr., Corey Hawkins, Jason Mitchell and others.
Eighth Mile
A film with the famous rapper Eminem, shot back in 2002. The director of the picture is Curtis Hanson. The work was awarded the MTV Channel Award and the Academy Award for Best Song.
The action takes place in Detroit in 1995. The promising development policy of the city suffers a complete fiasco, which leads to chaos and confusion. Conflicts escalate into a real war between the white and the colored population.
The highway, in whose honor the film is named, was the border between the warring parties. Everything that happens on the streets of the city is reflected in the musical field. For those living in poor and dangerous neighborhoods, the only comfort for the soul is the existence of hip-hop.
Starring: rap artist Eminem, Kim Basinger, Brittany Murphy, Meckhai Fifer and others.
"Get rich or die"
A film directed by Jimi Sheridan, shot in 2005.
The picture tells the story of an orphan boy named Marcus, who makes money from the drug trade. However, at one point, he decides to change his life, starting a musical career.
"Get Rich or Die" is a rapper movie that almost everyone knows under the pseudonym 50 Cent. Also starring were Adewale Akinoye-Agbage, Joy Bryant, Omar Benson Miller and others.
"Vanity and movement"
A rapper film shot in 2005 by director and screenwriter Craig Brewer. The picture received an Oscar for the best song.
DJ - rapper and part-time pimp - is trying to record his debut album. The main character is helped by his friends. Assuming that this may be the first and last chance, he decides not to miss his opportunity. When Skinny Black, a hip-hop superstar, comes to the area, DJ tries to attract attention by pushing him with his "best" offer.
Cast: Terrence Howard, Anthony Anderson, Taraji P. Henson, DJ Qualls and others.
Notorius
Notorius is a rapper movie shot in 2009 by director George Tillman Jr.
The picture tells the story of life and death about the rapper under the pseudonym Notorious BIG, whose real name is Christopher Wallace. He was a Brooklyn musician who made a dizzying creative career and tragically left the living world early in the morning in 1997 in Los Angeles.
Starring in the film: Jamal Woolard, Derek Luke, Dennis L.A. White, Angela Bassett and others.
CB 4: Fourth in a row
A film about rappers, shot back in 1993 by director Tamra Davis.
The film is about the fictional rap group CB4, which is named after the prison block, where, according to the assumption, a genuine Cell Block 4 team was formed.
Three young performers dream of building a successful musical career. Albert, Euripides and Otis, in order to declare themselves, turn to Gasto's cone of a local night club, but the meeting ends unsuccessfully. Gasto goes to jail, but promises to take revenge on the guys. Meanwhile, young men become the most popular group on the charts.
Cast: Chris Rock, Allen Payne, Dizer Dee and others.
An interesting fact: in one of the episodes, stars such as Halle Berry, Ice-T, Ice Cube, Shaquille O'Neill, Eazy-E flash.
"2pac: The Legend"
A biopic about rapper Tupac Shakur, directed by Benny Boom in 2017.
The picture tells the story of a man who deserved the title of rap legend, but died at a very young age. The film shows the whole truth inside out: as a native of the ghetto, more than once involved in criminal showdowns and prosecuted, he was able to unleash a deadly war between labels and become a real voice of the street. In world rap culture, Tupac has become one of the most influential performers.
Cast: Demetrius Shipp Jr., Danai Gurira, Kat Graham, Hill Harper and others.
"BEEF: Russian Hip Hop"
A domestic film with rappers, shot in 2019 by director Roman Zhigan.
The painting shows the whole path of domestic hip-hop from underground to huge stadiums through the eyes of the most famous artists. In the film, viewers will look behind the scenes of Russian rap, where all quarrels, conflicts and clashes are exposed. The essence of the genre will be revealed in the picture, and an answer will be given to the question: how and why did the rap manage to capture the young generation and become the number one musical direction?
Starring such famous performers as Basta, Ja Kalib, Vakhtang Kalandadze, Timati, Feduk, Guf, Oksimiron and others.
"Friday"
This is another film about hip hop and rap culture, shot in 1985 by director Felix Gary Gray. The work was nominated for three awards of MTV: "Breakthrough of the Year", "Best Comedy Role" and "Best Screen Duet".
The picture is a household comedy. The events of the film take place on one of the Fridays in the Los Angeles area, namely in the South Central. The main characters - Craig and Smokey - are friends who like to sit in the evening on the doorstep at home, drink, smoke and reflect on life.
However, this Friday they have a problem: taking grass to sell, they could not restrain themselves and smoked it themselves. But nothing comes free, because by ten in the evening they need to get $ 200 for a drug dealer.
Starring in the film: Ice Cube, Chris Tucker, Nia Long and others.
"Bits, Rhymes and Life: A Tribe Called Quest's Travels"
The film was directed by Michael Rapaport in 2011.
This picture reveals the path to becoming A Tribe Called Quest. Also shows the relationship of the team from the inside. Actor Michael Rapaport, having played a major role, thus confessed his love to one of the most influential hip-hop teams.
Cast: Fife Dog, Ali Shahid Muhammad, Kew-Tip, Jarobi and others.