Blair Underwood and Rick Rubin (playing himself) operate the titular fledgling hip hop label which is about to release a brand new Run-DMC (also playing themselves) album. The album is a success and they have a huge number of orders, but they don't have the cash to press the albums. When Underwood's dad (played by Russell Simmons's dad) refuses to help, Underwood turns to a loan shark.
All seems good, but when Run finds out that Underwood turned down an offer from a big label without telling him, Run-DMC jump ship since they have no contract with Underwood. Kurtis Blow (also playing himself) takes off too. Now Underwood doesn't seem to be able to come up with the cash to pay off the loan.
Also ... the Fat Boys (playing themselves) are teenage wannabes called "The Disco Three" struggling for success, which they only find by accepting their true identities as really fat rappers.
Sheila E. Is also in the film for nominal plot reasons ... really to see if some of the "Purple Rain" success will rub off on this movie.
This is the extremely fictionalized Def Jam origin story, with Blair Underwood playing Russell Simmons (who turns up as a club owner) and Rick Rubin playing Rick Rubin. As movies go, it's mildly entertaining but pretty rough with a sketchy plot and very few passable performances.
That's okay though since it's a pretty invaluable mid-80s hip hop document. Although Sheila E. Is a bit of a puzzling inclusion (she's not bad by any means, just not very NY hip hop), besides Run-DMC, Kurtis Blow and the Fat Boys, you get a brief snippet of very young LL Cool J and even younger Beastie Boys (also New Edition if that's your thing).
In a true bit of wild 1985 culture mish-mash, Rick Rubin wears a Hüsker Dü shirt throughout the big hip hop finale.
All seems good, but when Run finds out that Underwood turned down an offer from a big label without telling him, Run-DMC jump ship since they have no contract with Underwood. Kurtis Blow (also playing himself) takes off too. Now Underwood doesn't seem to be able to come up with the cash to pay off the loan.
Also ... the Fat Boys (playing themselves) are teenage wannabes called "The Disco Three" struggling for success, which they only find by accepting their true identities as really fat rappers.
Sheila E. Is also in the film for nominal plot reasons ... really to see if some of the "Purple Rain" success will rub off on this movie.
This is the extremely fictionalized Def Jam origin story, with Blair Underwood playing Russell Simmons (who turns up as a club owner) and Rick Rubin playing Rick Rubin. As movies go, it's mildly entertaining but pretty rough with a sketchy plot and very few passable performances.
That's okay though since it's a pretty invaluable mid-80s hip hop document. Although Sheila E. Is a bit of a puzzling inclusion (she's not bad by any means, just not very NY hip hop), besides Run-DMC, Kurtis Blow and the Fat Boys, you get a brief snippet of very young LL Cool J and even younger Beastie Boys (also New Edition if that's your thing).
In a true bit of wild 1985 culture mish-mash, Rick Rubin wears a Hüsker Dü shirt throughout the big hip hop finale.