The Ultimate Ode to Hip-Hop Themed films.
60+ Films & documentaries depicting the life & times of hip-hop culture embodying DJing, break dancing, graffiti art, and the EMCEE. Respect, study, & learn grasshopper.
List activity
122 views
• 0 this weekCreate a new list
List your movie, TV & celebrity picks.
103 titles
- DirectorStan LathanStarsRae Dawn ChongGuy DavisJon ChardietAn aspiring DJ from the South Bronx and his best friend, a promoter, try to get into show business by exposing people to hip-hop music and the local culture.
- DirectorCharlie AhearnStarsLee QuiñonesLady PinkFab 5 FreddySouth Bronx graffiti artist Zoro is commissioned to paint a backdrop for a hip-hop concert.
- DirectorMichael SchultzStarsSheila E.Joseph SimmonsDarryl McDanielsThe story of a man who has started a new hip-hop/rap label called Krush Groove.
- DirectorEdo BertoglioStarsJean Michel BasquiatJohn LurieRichard WeigandAfter being released from the hospital, the artist Jean Michel Basquiat wanders around Manhattan trying to sell art to make money and find a place to stay.
- DirectorCurtis HansonStarsEminemBrittany MurphyKim BasingerFollows a young rapper in the Detroit area, struggling with every aspect of his life; he wants to make it big but his friends and foes make this odyssey of rap harder than it may seem.
- DirectorIce-TAndy BaybuttStarsIce-TDr. DreChuck DA documentary on rap music and its rise to global prominence.
- DirectorMichael RapaportStarsQ-TipPhife DawgAli Shaheed MuhammadMichael Rapaport documents the inner workings and behind the scenes drama that follows this innovative and influential band to this day.
- DirectorCraig BrewerStarsTerrence HowardLudacrisAnthony AndersonWith help from his friends, a Memphis pimp in a mid-life crisis attempts to become a successful hip-hop emcee.
- DirectorMichel GondryStarsDave ChappelleYasiin BeyLauryn HillA mix of Dave Chappelle's sketch comedy and musical interludes, inspired in part by the 1973 documentary Wattstax.
- DirectorJoel SilbergStarsLucinda DickeyAdolfo QuinonesMichael ChambersA struggling young jazz dancer meets up with two break-dancers. Together they become the sensation of the street crowds.
- DirectorJim SheridanStars50 CentJoy BryantAdewale Akinnuoye-AgbajeA tale of an inner city drug dealer who turns away from a life of crime to pursue his passion of rap music.
- DirectorSpike JonzeStarsBeastie BoysMike DAdam HorovitzHere's a little story they're about to tell... Michael Diamond and Adam Horovitz share the story of the band, Beastie Boys, and 40 years of friendship in a live documentary experience directed by friend and collaborator, Spike Jonze.
- StarsJoseph SimmonsDarryl McDanielsJam Master JayInnovators & originators, Run DMC's influence on the music of the new millenium goes every bit as deep of Elvis or the Beatles. The successes of Run DMC resounded through rap, rock, R&B, and eventually international pop of every kind. They changed an industry by speaking directly to the youth. Along the way, Run was ordained a minister, DMC transformed his life, and Jay launched his own record label.
- DirectorMario Van PeeblesStarsMario Van PeeblesMandela Van PeeblesMarie WardSalt-N-Pepa will tell the story of nursing students Cheryl "Salt" James and Sandra "Pepa" Denton, who fell into the world of rap and hip hop, after recording for a friend's school project.
- DirectorMichael LarnellStarsChanté AdamsNia LongMahershala AliIn the late 80s/ early 1990s, the most feared battle MC in Queens, New York, was a fierce teenage girl with the weight of the world on her shoulders. At the age of 14, Lolita "Roxanne Shanté" Gooden was well on her way to becoming a hip-hop legend as she hustled to provide for her family while defending herself from the dangers of the streets of the Queensbridge Projects in NYC.
- DirectorOne9StarsNasCornel WestPharrell WilliamsThe story behind Nas's groundbreaking debut album 'Illmatic, ' and the early life of one of the most talented rappers of all time. Featuring Pharrell Williams, Alicia Keys, Q-Tip, and Busta Rhymes.
- CreatorRZAAlex TseStarsAshton SandersShameik MooreSiddiq SaundersonThe show tracks the Wu Tang Clan's formation, a vision of Bobby Diggs, who strives to unite a dozen young Black men who are torn between music and crime but eventually rise to become the unlikeliest of American success stories.
- CreatorStephen Adly GuirgisBaz LuhrmannStarsJustice SmithShameik MooreHerizen F. GuardiolaA ragtag group of teenagers run wild in the streets of the Bronx in the late 1970s.
- StarsShadLL Cool JBig Daddy KaneMC and journalist Shad Kabango meets with Hip-Hop's biggest stars to retrace how Hip-Hop became the world's most popular music, but realizes that Hip-Hop's true legacy is something much more profound.
- StarsCappadonnaGhostface KillahThe GZALimited docuseries looks back on the group's career. It was music and shared lyrical genius that allowed them to form the most recognized musical movement in the world, all while walking the tightrope that links business with brotherhood.
- StarsBig U. HenleyBimmyDeb AntneyThe power brokers who operate from the shadows of hip hop.
- DirectorF. Gary GrayStarsO'Shea Jackson Jr.Corey HawkinsJason MitchellThe rap group NWA emerges from the mean streets of Compton in Los Angeles, California, in the mid-1980s and revolutionizes Hip Hop culture with their music and tales about life in the hood.
- StarsStevie NicksBonoDr. Dre"The Defiant Ones" examines the partnership between Jimmy Iovine and Dr. Dre - one the son of a Brooklyn longshoreman, the other straight out of Compton - and their leading roles in a chain of transformative events in contemporary culture.
- StarsJody David ArmourAlvin GrayCarter HarrisA six-part documentary that chronicles the rise and fall of one of the most iconic Hip-Hop recording labels "Death Row Records" in the 1990s and during the Golden Age of Hip-Hop.
- DirectorGeorge Tillman Jr.StarsJamal WoolardAnthony MackieDerek LukeThe life and death story of The Notorious B.I.G. (a.k.a. Christopher Wallace), who came straight out of Brooklyn to take the world of rap music by storm.
- DirectorBenny BoomStarsDemetrius Shipp Jr.Danai GuriraKat GrahamTells the true and untold story of prolific rapper, actor, poet and activist Tupac Shakur.
- DirectorBrian OakesStarsJam Master JayDJ HurricaneRahman DukesRun DMC's Jam Master Jay was shot and killed in a Jamaica, Queens recording studio in 2002. Despite six witnesses present at the murder, no one has ever been convicted.
- DirectorNick BroomfieldStarsThe Notorious B.I.G.Tupac ShakurNick BroomfieldDocumentary on the deaths of Tupac Shakur and Biggie Smalls and the East Coast/West Coast, hip-hop/rap rivalry that culminated in late 1996 and early 1997.
- DirectorPeter SpirerStarsVing Rhames50 CentKevin AndersonA documentary on the evolution of MC battles from verbal one-upmanship to street warfare.
- DirectorTamra DavisStarsChris RockAllen PayneDeezer DA guy makes a documentary of the rap band CB4 by following them. CB4 got popular by stealing Gusto's name, background and image. He wants them dead.
- DirectorReginald HudlinStarsChristopher ReidRobin HarrisChristopher MartinKid decides to go to his friend Play's house party, but neither of them can predict what's in store for them on what could be the wildest night of their lives.
- StarsAngie MartinezKeyon WilliamsCharlamagne Tha GodFeaturing never-before-told tales from the biggest names in hip hop, hosted by the foremost radio personality in hip hop, Angie Martinez.
- DirectorBrian RobbinsStarsCraig MackDr. DreAfrika BambaataaA documentary about the culture of hip-hop. Through interviews with some of hip-hops biggest names, the film makers attempt to find out why it has become so popular.
- DirectorRobert Patton-SpruillStarsChuck DJonathan DavisFlavor FlavRobert Patton-Spruill's WELCOME TO THE TERRORDOME chronicles Public Enemy's legacy, their history and what icons of the music world say about their influence.
- DirectorPeter SpirerStarsB-RealKurtis BlowDa BratA study in the world of hip-hop, done mostly with interviews, in order to see why it is as popular as it is today and what the future holds.
- DirectorTony SilverStarsDemonKase 2Eric HazeA documentary that exposes the rich growing subculture of hip-hop that was developing in New York City in the late '70s and early '80s, specifically focusing on graffiti art and breakdancing.
- DirectorDoug PrayStarsThe AlliesA-TrakCrazeThe story of the hip-hop DJ from the birth of hip-hop to the invention of scratching and "beat-juggling" vinyl, to the more recent "turntablism" movement. Underdogs and virtuosos who have radically changed the way we hear and create music.
- DirectorKevin FitzgeraldStarsChali 2naMuhammad AliPlanet AsiaA documentary about freestyling--the improvised, on-the-spot rhymes that demonstrate the skills of hip-hop MCs.
- DirectorChris FioreStarsJay-ZDMXMethod ManIf you ever wanted to know what really goes on backstage, this is the definitive inside look - uncut and uncensored. Complete with on-stage performances you'll see an intimate view of what life is like at one of the biggest Rap Concert tours of all time. It shows life on the road, in hotels and off stage in a way you've never seen before.
- DirectorBobbito GarciaStarsA-PlusAnthony AlonsoStretch ArmstrongA retrospective look at the "Best Hip Hop Radio Show of All-Time".
- DirectorAva DuVernayStars2MexChali 2naCut ChemistA feature-length documentary that chronicles "The Good Life" emcees, the alternative music movement they developed, and their worldwide influence on the art form.
- DirectorSacha JenkinsStarsDamon DashAlexander DominguezDaymond JohnFresh Dressed chronicles the history of Hip-Hop <> Urban fashion and its rise from southern cotton plantations to the gangs of 1970s in the South Bronx, to corporate America, and everywhere in-between. Supported by rich archival materials and in depth interviews with individuals crucial to the evolution of a way of life--and the outsiders who studied and admired them--Fresh Dressed goes to the core of where style was born on the black and brown side of town.
- DirectorBenson LeeStarsStephane FiossanangayeMr. FreezeLuis MateoJumping continents and crossing cultures, "Planet B-Boy" looks at the history of breakdancing and its vibrant resurgence in urban cultures around the world.
- DirectorDon SikorskiStarsEric AdamsDasun AllahLloyd BanksA documentary on the secret dossiers that police, FBI, and task agencies have compiled on hip-hop performers and industry executives.
- DirectorDan ForrerStarsGene SimmonsQuestloveRoosevelt GrierA documentary that reveals how a forgotten record by the Incredible Bongo Band helped cement the foundation of hip hop when DJ Herc extended its percussion by playing them back to back, creating an anthem on the streets of the Bronx.
- DirectorDaniel KaufmanStarsSean 'Diddy' CombsLil' KimMaseA behind-the-scenes look at the prolific label's legacy and offer an in-depth look at the two-night anniversary extravaganza, that took place last May at Brooklyn's Barclays Center, in honor of the late rap great, The Notorious B.I.G.
- DirectorJeff BroadwayStarsPeanut Butter WolfTalib KweliA-TrakOur Vinyl Weighs a Ton is a feature-length documentary about avant-garde Los Angeles-based record label Stones Throw Records. The film weaves together rare concert footage, never-before-see archival material, inner-circle home video and photographs and in-depth interviews with the artists who put Stones Throw Records on the map. Our Vinyl Weighs a Ton gives an exclusive look into the label's left-of-center artists, history, culture, and global following. The film features exclusive interviews with Kanye West, Snoop Dogg, Common, Questlove, Talib Kweli, Mike D (The Beastie Boys), Tyler the Creator, and many more.
- DirectorEstevan OriolStarsEstevan OriolMister CartoonSnoop DoggPhotographer Estevan Oriol and artist Mister Cartoon turned their Chicano roots into gritty art, impacting street culture, hip hop and beyond.
- DirectorNabil ElderkinStarsCrazy LegsWill.i.amBouncing Cats is the inspiring story of one man's attempt to create a better life for the children of Uganda using the unlikely tool of hip-hop with a focus on b-boy culture and breakdance.
- DirectorRick RubinStarsDarryl McDanielsDaniel SimmonsJam Master JayLegendary hip-hop group Run-D.M.C. stars in this cross between a blaxploitation film and a spaghetti western. They must find and punish the evil drug lord-record company executive who murdered their friend. Along the way, they encounter racist bikers, blonde bimbos, and the Beastie Boys!
- StarsJoseph Simmons IIILogicA Boogie wit da HoodieFeaturing an impressive collection of artists who have found worldwide success, this documentary series showcases hip-hop's impact on global culture.
- DirectorPatrick PaulsonMichael John WarrenStarsJay-ZRick RubinMissy ElliottFilmed during his "Black Album" era, Jay-Z looks back on his career as one of rap music's most successful emcees and entrepreneurs.
- DirectorEmmett MalloyStarsThe Notorious B.I.G.Damion ButlerSean 'Diddy' CombsThis documentary features rare footage filmed by Christopher Wallace's best friend, Damion "D-Roc" Butler, and interviews with his closest friends and family, revealing a side of Biggie Smalls that the world never knew.
- DirectorLauren LazinStarsTupac ShakurRappin' 4-TayConrad BainHome movies, photographs, and recited poetry illustrate the life of Tupac Shakur, one of the most beloved, revolutionary, and volatile hip-hop M.Cs. of all time.
- DirectorIsraelStarsAfrika BambaataaYasiin BeyCrazy LegsFrom the Boogie Down Bronx and beyond, the history of the B-Boy.
- DirectorAdam Bhala LoughStarsBirdmanCortez BryantReginae CarterAn in-depth look at the artist Dwayne LIL' WAYNE Carter Jr, proclaimed by many as the "greatest rapper alive" With comprehensive and personal interviews with Lil' Wayne, this film will also feature insight from those that know him best. The world will finally get to know the history surrounding one of the most prolific artists of this generation.
- DirectorAdam Bhala LoughStarsMark WebberJade Scott YorkerJaclyn DeSantisA tribute to graffiti art and the city where it all began. Blest, a 19-year-old graffiti writer, has just graduated from high school. With no ambition toward mainstream goals of work and family, he spends his time bombing the city with graffiti messages until he and his crew become the most wanted bombers by the corrupt NYPD Vandal Squad. He even attracts major media and gallery attention for his tags. Also part of Blest's crew are Buk 50 and his younger brother Lune, whose arrest and beating by the NYPD causes the crew to wage a full-on graffiti war against the city. As they fight with their spray cans and their tags, Blest meets a political activist, Alexandra. Soon after, Blest's relationship with Buk 50 and the crew fragments as Blest ponders his position in life.
- DirectorTed DemmeStarsEd LoverDoctor DréBadja DjolaThe two worst barbers in Harlem become cops while a real estate developer forces people out of Harlem.
- DirectorJoseph KahnStarsCalum WorthyJackie LongRory UpholdA progressive graduate student finds success and sparks outrage when his interest in battle rap as a thesis subject becomes a competitive obsession.
- DirectorErnest R. DickersonStarsOmar EppsTupac ShakurJermaine HopkinsFour inner-city teenagers get caught up in the pursuit of power and happiness, which they refer to as "the juice".
- DirectorRick FamuyiwaStarsTaye DiggsSanaa LathanYasiin BeyFriends since childhood, a magazine editor and a hip-hop record executive stumble into romantic territory.
- DirectorBenjamin FranzenKembrew McLeodStarsD.J. AbilitiesAesop RockSteve AlbiniA documentary that examines the creative and commercial value of musical sampling.
- DirectorNeil DrummingStarsDorian MissickSuzy Jane HuntGbenga AkinnagbeMembers of a once-promising hip-hop group, now in their late 30's, struggle with regret, disappointment, and change on Election Night 2008.
- DirectorYoussef DelaraMichael D. OlmosStarsGina RodriguezJenni RiveraLou Diamond PhillipsA promising hip-hop rhymer from Los Angeles finds herself in a gray area when a record producer offers her a compromising shot at stardom.
- DirectorRusty CundieffStarsLarry B. ScottMark Christopher LawrenceRusty CundieffA mockumentary chronicling the rise and fall of NWH, a not particularly talented--or particularly bright but always controversial--hip-hop group.
- DirectorChris RobinsonStarsKhalil EverageEvan J. SimpsonAshley JacksonA reclusive teenage musical prodigy forms an unlikely friendship with a down-on-his-luck high school security guard. United by their mutual love of hiphop, they confront the demons of their past and try to break into Chicago's music scene.
- DirectorNasStarsRalph McDanielsNas50 CentThe untold story of the world's longest running video show, Video Music Box. Host Ralph McDaniels' vast footage archive reveals the show's importance to numerous big-name musicians, as well as to the kids that grew up watching.
- DirectorNick BroomfieldFilmmaker Nick Broomfield returns to the unsolved murders of Biggie Smalls and Tupac Shakur, and to the figure at the center of it all, Suge Knight.
- DirectorAntoine FuquaStarsSuge KnightAntoine FuquaDocumentary of the life and exploits of gangsta rap producer Suge Knight.
- Stars6ix9ineGiancarlo EspositoThis three-part documentary series profiles hip-hop artist Tekashi 6ix9ine's epic rise to notoriety. Director Karam Gill examines the culture of manufactured celebrity through 6ix9ine's mastery of social media.
- DirectorIan EdelmanStarsHarrison HolzerKyleJordan RockWhen an aspiring rapper goes viral for all the wrong reasons, he thinks his career is over. But when his best friend gets them into a wild NYC after party, he gets one more chance to make the impossible happen.
- DirectorRZAStarsJohn David WashingtonLorraine ToussaintCommonAzealia Banks, Jill Scott, Lucien Laviscount, and Common lead this inspiring, music-filled story of a struggling rapper looking to find her own voice.
- DirectorRobyn BlileyStarsJeezyRick RossFat JoeThis quest for Rhyme City Supremacy is uncensored, unpredictable and unmerciful verbal warfare of the most intense degree. Comedian T.K. Kirkland from G-Unit blazes the mic while Jadakiss, MC Lyte, and Freeway judge this one-time only hip-hop battle. Featuring real battles, real street footage and live performances by award winning platinum artists like Rick Ross and Young Jeezy, Hip Hop Life showcases the rhyme skills and tight tracks of the hottest performers in the underground world of hip-hop. Other highlights include interviews with renowned rapper Fat Joe and more.
- DirectorSyd GaronEric HenryStarsDJ Q-BertD-StylesFlareA crew of heroes, cleverly disguised as a team of oral hygenists, is determined to save the lost arts of Hip Hop (B-boying, Graffiti, MCing, and of course, Skratching) from total extinction. The lost arts are being oppressed throughout inner-space by lord Ook and his evil minions the Chinheads. The dental commander and his team, armed with the ancient relic known as the Wave Twister (the only weapon powerful enough to defeat the enemies), travel to the far ends of inner-space for a final confrontation with the sinister army of oppressors.
- DirectorDan LamoureuxStarsYtcrackerBeefyUltraklystronHip-Hop and Geek Culture collide. This documentary follows the top names in this new genre as they struggle to overcome the common obstacles that prevent musicians of all genres from fulfilling their dreams.
- DirectorJanice CookeStarsRhyon Nicole BrownCurtis HamiltonKedrick BrownThe story of R&B artist Michel'le, who rose to fame in the late 1980s when she signed on to Eazy-E's Ruthless Records.
- StarsQueen LatifahYeMC LyteEach episode of this new documentary series focuses on a groundbreaking song pivotal to the evolution of American music and culture. Artists deconstruct their composition, revisit the impact the song had on them personally, and dissect the socio-economic and cultural conditions that inspired the landmark work and gave voice to a generation.
- CreatorDonald GloverStarsDonald GloverBrian Tyree HenryLaKeith StanfieldEarn and his cousin, Alfred, try to make their way in the world through Atlanta's rap scene. Along the way they come face-to-face with social and economic issues touching on race, relationships, poverty, status and parenthood.
- CreatorIssa RaeStarsAida OsmanKaMillionJonica BoothA female rap group from outside of Miami trying to make it in the music industry.
- DirectorWarren BeattyStarsWarren BeattyHalle BerryKimberly Deauna AdamsA suicidally disillusioned liberal politician puts a contract out on himself and takes the opportunity to be bluntly honest with his voters by affecting the rhythms and speech of hip-hop music and culture.
- StarsYeNaeem GhefariKid CudiFollows the life of Kanye West, in an intimate portrait as he builds his way from singer to businessman and becomes a global brand.
- CreatorDave BurdJeff SchafferStarsDave BurdAndrew SantinoGataA neurotic, mid-20s suburbanite is convinced that he's destined to be one of the greatest rappers of all time. Now he's only got to prove it to everyone else.
- DirectorSanaa LathanStarsJamila GrayNoa Dior RuckerSanaa LathanStory centers on 16-year-old Bri, who wants to be one of the greatest rappers of all time. Facing controversies and with an eviction notice staring down her family, Bri doesn't just want to make it, she has to make it.
- DirectorDave CaplanStarsErykah BaduPeter BelafskyBig Boy30 years after losing his voice in a horrific car accident, rap legend The DOC considers dangerous experimental surgery that could restore his voice at long last, as he recounts his life story.
- DirectorKaram GillStarsDrakeIce CubeIce-TThe untold story of how hip-hop's most commercial and iconic sub-genre came to be.
- DirectorAva DuVernayStarsChuck DMissy ElliottEveA documentary exploring the issues and art of women hip hop artists, from the 1980s through 2010.
- CreatorKyle LongStarsJosh DuhamelBokeem WoodbineWavyy JonezA scripted true crime series based on the murder investigations of Tupac Shakur and Biggie Smalls.
- StarsMike TysonGloria CoxSnoop DoggA documentary series which follows the life and legacy of Tupac Shakur and his mother, the Black Panther activist Afeni Shakur.
- DirectorOmar AcostaStars2 ChainzStretch ArmstrongTuma BasaMixtapes have an out-sized role in the emergence of hip hop around the world. Before radio play, the internet, and social media, there were mixtapes. No matter where you lived, you could pop a cassette into a tape deck, and be transported to a party halfway around the world. DJs were taste makers, trendsetters and creators of the sound that became the biggest musical genre on the planet. A meteoric rise for an art form not yet 50 years old. The importance of mixtapes goes well beyond the tapes themselves. Mixtapes were a form of currency. A signifier that you were In-The-Know and had your ear to the streets. A skeleton key to the underground. The culture was too strong to be stopped, and the artists were too talented to be ignored - so they turned the sub-culture into the mainstream, and made hip hop what it is today.
- StarsQueen LatifahSaweetieMC LyteRecreates the role that the unstoppable women of hip-hop have played across the 50 years of this groundbreaking genre, putting them where they belong: at the heart of the present day.
- DirectorSacha JenkinsStarsNick CannonDapper DanTara DavisBiz Markie's Collage of Celebrity celebrity interviews, rare film, reenactments, and playful animation who left his mark in history of hip-hop.
- DirectorJoel SilbergStarsMario Van PeeblesEriq La SalleMelvin PlowdenAn ex-con and break-dancer helps save a neighborhood from a greedy developer while trying to win a rap contest.
- DirectorChad HartiganStarsMarkees ChristmasCraig RobinsonCarla JuriThe romantic and coming-of-age misadventures of a 13-year-old American living in Germany.
- DirectorMarc LevinStarsDanny HochDash MihokMark WebberIn Flip's path towards "keeping it real" by becoming hip-hop star, harsh realities surface to shake up his world.
- DirectorMarc LevinStarsSaul WilliamsSonja SohnBonz MaloneGrand Jury Prize, 1998 Sundance Film Festival. A talented youth (Saul Williams) copes with urban crime and despair by competing in poetry slams. Sonja Sohn of "The Wire" costars.
- DirectorAdam LeonStarsTy HicksonTashiana WashingtonJoshua RiveraWhen their latest work is buffed by a rival crew, two determined graffiti writers embark on an elaborate plan to bomb the ultimate location: the New York Mets' Home Run Apple.
- 20211h 29m7.1 (249)60MetascoreDirectorJeremy ElkinStarsEli Morgan GesnerJeff PangFab 5 FreddyIn the late '80s and early '90s, two vibrant subcultures, skateboarding and hip hop, collided in downtown New York.
- DirectorTom ColabraroStarsChi AliBuckwildTrugoy the DoveIn the greatest era of hip hop, a 10 year old prodigal son named Chi-Ali was chosen to become the greatest artist hip hop has ever seen. As fame, money and pressure took over, he found himself turning to the streets and left with a decision that would forever change his life, and alter the history of hip hop.