Krush Groove (1985) User Reviews

Some of Rap's first major players

[vvanpo · 6/10 · 25 April 2003]

The storyline is a familiar about trying to make it big and how sometimes that means selling your soul to the devil but find redemption in the end etc. The difference here is many of rap music's early stars take a turn at acting. They do all right. I think that Blair Underwood inspired them to do a decent turn.

The main attraction now is the nostalgia of seeing Kurtis Blow, Run-DMC, The Fat Boys and New Edition perform. Also there are cameos from the young Beastie Boys and a skinny LL Cool J.

The Kings of Rap

[view_and_review · 7/10 · 20 June 2008]

I almost forgot how incredibly dope, fly, def, and funky fresh Run DMC were; especially DMC!!! DMC held it down! I remember DMC's rappin and how it had a hard edge to it, but his character had the same hard edge to him as well. Krush Groove is a magnificent tribute to rap and the pioneers of rap. Krush Groove featured maybe half of the known rappers from that era. Run DMC didn't invent rap but they sure took it to another level. Rap is nowhere today without Run DMC. They elevated it to the stratoshpere. I remember dying to have a pair of Adidas because of them.

The movie itself is more or less a 95 minute concert with some acting in it. Blair Underwood was probably the only real actor in the entire movie. Being that this was his first movie, lucky for him it didn't kill his career. As poor as the acting was, I loved this movie. I totally understand that my affinity towards this movie is directly linked to my growing up in the 80's and listening to the very artists in the film. Each artists' appearance was an instant trip down memory lane. We're talking The Fat Boys, Kurtis Blow, The Beastie Boys, New Edition, Sheila E., Full Force, and even Donnie Simpson before he hosted BET.

I could go on forever about the movie and even though the movie was low budget, poorly edited, complimented with sub par acting, it is the memories that are evoked that makes me like it. Put this movie on my list of old school niche favorites with Beat Street, Breakin', and The Last Dragon.

Good film for old school Hip-Hop heads.

[myklook-1 · 5/10 · 23 February 2002]

This film isn't an award winner but it is a must see for all Hip Hop historians. Loosely based on the life of producer Russel Simmons this film takes us back to the early days of Hip-Hop when rap was just starting to break into the mainstream. Blair Underwood plays Russel and everyone else (Run DMC, Fat Boys, Sheila E, New Edition, Beastie Boys, L.L. Cool J, etc..) play themselves. I think, if anything, this film gives fans an idea of what it was like for young rappers, producers and other musicians from NYC in the early eighties. I think the film could have been better if it was a little grittier and honest, but if it was than Rap and Hip-Hop may not have blown up the way it did into mainstream culture.

If you like old school rap this movie is for you

[matte723 · 12 September 1999]

This is a movie about the struggles of early rap groups trying to make it big in the 80's when rap was not a popular music genre. This is not the most dramatic of movies by any stretch of the imagination, but if you like old school rap acts like RUN-DMC, The Beastie Boys, The Fat Boys, and LL Cool J you will find this movie entertaining. However if you are not familiar with the 80's rap scene you may not be very impressed with this movie. I though it would be a really stupid movie at first, but once I watched it I was impressed.

Rise And Fall

[boblipton · 6/10 · 18 October 2020]

Blair Underwood borrows from the loan sharks to fund his rap music recording company. He surfs the wave of the movement, but success brings its own problems.

It's one of those movies made in the 1980s that offers a survey of the hot music of the moment, tied to a standard plot of the rise and fall of a mini-mogul. It's a standard story, and it's hard to mess up, and director Michael Schultz does a good job. It's not my music, but there's some good variety within the styles, ranging from club to beatbox, and some good acts from the period.

80's cult classic

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 6 December 2016]

Russell Walker (Blair Underwood) runs Krush Groove Records with acts like Run-D.M.C. led by his brother, Dr. Jeckyll & Mr. Hyde, and Kurtis Blow. He runs into money trouble when his small label cannot cope and the acts run off to join rival Galaxy Records. Russell pursues Sheila E. romantically. The nominal leads for the movie are The Fat Boys. It also features Beastie Boys, New Edition, and a young LL Cool J.

This is suppose to be the story about the founding of Def Jam Recordings and Russell Simmons. The plot is a bit messy. It also relies on these real rap acts doing the acting. That part is a mixed bag. The Fat Boys are pretty charismatic as their fun selves. This is not really compelling as a story but great for its nostalgia factor.

phat beats, so-so filmmaking

[Quinoa1984 · 6/10 · 12 November 2014]

It's impossible, or close to it, to try and talk about Krush Groove the way that a usual movie review would go about it. I can't really speak much to the quality of the direction as it's by a hack (the director Michael Schultz has such illustrious credits to him like Car Wash, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band and Rock 'n' Roll Mom), and while the cinematographer is a man with some name recognition for buffs, Ernest Dickerson, of many of Spike Lee's best films, it too isn't anything to write at length in detailed form (save maybe for one interior bedroom scene at Sheila E's place in the middle of the night that's kind of moody). And the plot, oh, don't go there too fast.

If I had to try and sum up the story it would have to just come down to this: it's got two stories, one more dramatic and one more comic, more or less (emphasis on that really), and one is about the start of the careers of rappers RUN DMC, Kurtis Blow and Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde via Russell Simmons and Def Jam Records, plus Sheila E, and the other is about, yup, The Fat Boys, the rappers who are up to no good at the Sbarro's All-You-Can-Eat buffet.

But if I were to tell someone about this movie, or more to the point tell them if Krush Groove is worth they're time on Netflix or to seek out on DVD, then telling about the story would be third or fourth, if at all, on my list of things to talk about. It's got a story about as complicated as that of Burlesque, only with slightly better (just slightly, like by a nose-hair's length) dialog.

No, no, good reader, see this because it's got mother-busting RUN DMC, Kurtis Blow, (most of all for some guilty-pleasure fans) The Fat Boys, and a slew of other memorable and not-so-memorable old-school rap acts out of the mid 1980's NYC rap scene. It's a time and place that seems so ancient now even as it was still part of the post-modern era that we're in now. It's got some lay-overs from the 70's- a disco club that the rappers go to after a gig, for example, and some of the music seems to carry over from it in the beats- but its really its own thing.

For me it's nothing short of amazing that aside from the talent that is actually on display, how effective Run and DMC and everyone else were at the time of crafting they're raps to be about things, if only sometimes about having fun, is that it's a rap age that had an innocence to it. This isn't to say Kurtis Blow or other rappers like Grandmaster Flash didn't rap about real s**t going on in the streets, but the tone was different, less of the "Bitches and money" crappola that's sunken rap into the shitter for so long.

To see the rappers in this movie, from the main acts to the "smaller" ones (um, LL Cool J and The Beastie Boys for brief appearances), are to see acts that can stupify with the ease with which they lay their tricky rock-and-rhymes. Not all of the acts blow one out of the water- Sheila E's first song (not the Hollyrock, the other one) is weak, and New Edition, well, let's not go their shall we into aluminum-foil suit-ville.

But the ones that do make the movie a lot of fun, as nostalgia and just as straight musical entertainment that flows well. And when it means to be a comedy, as silly as it can be with those joyful idiot Fat Boys, it's very funny (the buffet I mentioned before had me cracking up laughing, and I knew it was intentional comedy thankfully). It's when it's a drama that it's a little shakier since not all of the actors, even the real ones like Blair Underwood playing the Simmons surrogate, have much experience. They do alright, but it's a storyline that is so cookie cutter it's biggest shock is how fast it goes through the motions.

Krush Groove, sadly, didn't become bigger than E.T. like the original bet was between Ben Affleck and Matt Damon in Kevin Smith's Dogma. But in its own right, for some, maybe it had (or could have?) just as much a special place on the video shelf. It works best as a slice of a time period, with some dated clothes and still funky and wicked beats and Rick Rubin (!) and cool rhymes done by people who know what they're doing. Sometimes with a music movie I just want to be able to go as soon as the movie ends to check out as much of the music as possible. You can rest assured, and hopefully this is the big recommendation, a Fat Boys CD will be coming express mail by the end of this week.

Only one reason to watch.

[hemisphere65-1 · 4/10 · 18 July 2021]

It's great to see the early performances by some rap legends, but the movie itself is garbage. The story is trite, as predicted, and the acting is criminally bad.

Awesome performances, but fast forward through the rest.

Keeping it Real

[mailsean · 9/10 · 13 August 2008]

A lot of good review comments, so I'll just add. This movie could well be classed a historical in some respects, and is actually shown in some colleges as part of curriculum. It is based on the true and personal story of Run DMC, The Fat Boys, Kurtis Blow, Sheila E, and others breaking out rap music for the first time to the mainstream audiences against convention and against those who would view rap as non-music and a fad. It showcases the music as a true underground phenomena; fun, creative, positive, and energetic; embraced by urban youth eager to rebel. Poor, fat, whatever, just being yourself for a change was enough for you to make a go of it and be successful. There are 12 musical productions in the film and some showstopper performances by Sheila E (coached by Prince for this film) especially. This movie was based on real events and the roles played by the people themselves who lived them. In that sense it may not have a Hollywood calibre cast and complicated plot, but that wasn't the point of this film. This film was meant to showcase the struggles of a music, the struggles of artists in an emerging genre, and show people where it was at in 1985. It did just that, capturing the heart and soul of hip-hop, where it all is rooted, free from excessive profanity, free from guns and gangsterism; just go out and have fun, stand tall, express yourself, forget the nay-sayers, and throw down the creativity. And the rest is history.

Great mid-80's hip hop in a so-so flick

[rdoyle29 · 7/10 · 26 May 2023]

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.

krush groove

[mossgrymk · 5/10 · 28 June 2021]

Not being a fan of rap, hip hop or mediocre films I pulled the plug after 30 min.

Krush Groovin

[gangstahippie · 9/10 · 19 April 2009]

I watched the 1985 film Krush Groove yesterday, I must say I really enjoyed it.Now here's the thing about this movie.If you do not like rap, you will probably not enjoy this movie.If you hate very old-school rap(any rap song that came out before 1988), you probably will not like this movie.However, if you like the genre of music, you will probably enjoy this film.I really like this kind of rap.I also like old gangsta rap from the late 80's to late 90's.I also like other types of music such as rock, metal etc.Therefore, I liked Krush Groove.The plot of the film involves a man who is trying to start his own record label, his brother's a member of rap group Run DMC.He starts it after a loan, and it does work, however there is another big record producer who is stealing his artists.He also owes money to the man who originally gave it to him.Meanwhile, a rap group called "The Disco Three"(The Fat Boys), are trying to make it big in the rap game.The movie features music from artists such as Shiela E, Run DMC, The Beastie Boys, Fat Boys, LL Cool J etc.If you like old-school hip hop/rap, then Krush Groove is the movie you should see.

Classic scenes but terrible acting and storyline

[pknair · 4/10 · 8 March 2002]

This movie is worth renting for a few scenes, like seeing LL Cool J burst in and performing "Can't Live Without My Radio" during the Krush Groove auditions. Unfortunately, the storyline is weak, and the acting is terrible. However, if you're a true old school fan, be prepared for some classic scenes featuring the likes of Sheila E., RUN DMC, the Beastie Boys, The Fat Boys, LL, and so on.

the most underrated rock n roll movie of the 1980s

[JimF29 · 30 April 2000]

Krush Groove is the most underrated rock n roll movie of the 1980s. Is it the Best music film of the 80s? No that title belongs to Purple Rain. Actually Krush Groove attempts to redo Rain's successful formula, using talented musicians generally playing themselves in a fictitious story with some realistic elements. It actually came out a year or so too early, with rap and hip hop still generally a black phenomenon despite Blondie's #1 pop `Rapture'. (Debbie Harry makes an appearance here portraying a club singer.) The one `Actor' not playing himself was Blair Underwood who played the character Russell Walker (While the REAL Russell Simmons played a stage hand named Crocket)

The story deals with a number of rap artists Run DMC, Kurtis Blow and the Fat boys in their efforts to make it big as hip hop stars. It deals with the good and bad of having a hit record on a small independent record label, competition between two brothers over the heart of a young female singer (Sheila E.), the consequences of borrowing money from a loan shark, the opportunity to sign with a major label and a talent contest looking for new hip hop talent. The contest includes an appearance from New Edition, an all too brief appearance from future superstars The Beastie Boys and an in studio audition from LL Cool J. The film was rated `R' generally for some mild violence and usage of the `F' word. (Six instances where two would automatically mean an `R' rating) It didn't do too hot at the box office. I had stated that the film came out a year or so too early. The reason I stated this was that in 1986, one year following this film's release, Run DMC's cover of Aerosmith's Walk This Way got heavy airplay on white radio, even going to number1 on album rock radio in Aerosmith's homebase of Boston MA. This success opened the door for The Beastie Boys, The Fat Boys, LL Cool J, Will Smith (known at that time as The Fresh Prince) and a large number of other hip hop and rap artists to score BIG on the Pop singles and pop album charts.

Cheesy, blatant self-promotion

[cpu-4 · 4/10 · 29 August 2017]

I'm a big fan of oldskool hiphop, so while not expecting awesome film making, I figured there might be enough in this flick to still keep my interest. However, even though I really wanted to like it, I just couldn't get past all the cheese, poor acting and script. It is basically one big piece of cheesy, blatant self promotion. I still found the Fat Boys mildly entertaining in some scenes, but couldn't stand most of Run DMC and Sheila E.

I can see this movie working for little kids, as a kind of Disneyfied rap flick, but wouldn't recommend it to anyone over the age of 12.

Hip Hop Classic

[DunnDeeDaGreat · 10/10 · 28 October 2001]

Krush Groove is one of the best rap musicals ever made. The film starring Sheila E.,Run-DMC ,The Fat Boys & Kurtis Blow has great musical numbers and a good storyline.It's one of the first movies I can recall seeing in a theater and I own the vhs tape. Look for cameo's by LL Cool J & New Edition in this classic flick.

If "original" rap is great, where are the rave reviews?

[rdhoran · 4/10 · 22 August 2020]

It's now the year 2020. If this genre is so great, and this is such a good showing by those that built it, then you might wonder why this is only the 19th review in 35 years.

It's because it's lame. The storyline is uncompelling, centering around mildly interesting characters that do next to nothing. I got about 25 minutes into this joke of a movie that happened to be running on cable and then just shut it off.

Reunited

[dutchbeats · 10/10 · 3 January 2009]

I put off seeing this back in the day since it was kind of corny and I was into the 'real' hip-hip of the times. I am so glad I finally had the chance to see it though...Rap, Hip-Hop, whatever you want to call it, this is a great piece for the culture in general and probably an awful amount of fun for those that were there to make it. Definitely Def!

P.S. - Recommended accompanied viewing is the 1986 Dutch rap documentary called Big Fun in the Big Town which can be seen on Google video for free. This shows interviews with Russell Simmons, Run DMC and LL Cool J, offering further insight into the story behind Krush Groove(there's other great stuff in there as well but I won't give it away).

Cheesy and uneven mix in the plotting but great way to see so many new artists of the period

[bob the moo · 21 April 2012]

Russell Walker is riding the wave of the hip-hop wave, with the new single from his group Run-DMC getting lots of heat on the street; problem is he just needs a little money to get more prints made to profit on it. With nowhere else to go he turns to a local loan shark to get the money, however it coincides with tensions with his brother Run. Meanwhile, on the outside looking in, the Disco 3 look for a way to get signed.

This film was recommended to me by a fellow user and old-school fan on this site and I made an effort to seek it out despite having never heard of it. The film is essentially a way of getting hot new artists into a film and doubling benefiting by giving them exposure and also getting money from people wanting to see them in a film. It is perhaps of little surprise then that the plotting isn't quite all it could have been. Based very loosely on the early days of Def Jam, this mostly fictionalised film can't decide quite what it wants to be. On one hand we the drama with Walker, in debt, in conflict with his brother Run over matters business and personal while also up to his neck in the sort of debts that get legs broken. These sections are handled seriously and contain swearing and a tough tone. By contrast we also have sections with the Fat Boys (partially here as the Disco 3) where the tone is much, much lighter as they mug around and play up the comedic side of their personas. These two aspects sit really uneasily beside one another – alone neither is great (although neither is bad) but together they just seem a very odd contrast and give the feeling of the film really not being sure what to do in terms of tone and story. Sometimes it works but too often it is a little cheesy and uneven and it makes it hard to enjoy as a story-driven film.

On the plus side, sitting between these two aspects is the music – lots of music. Shelia E, Kurtis Blow, Run-DMC, New Edition, the Fat Boys, Beastie Boys and a really impacting introduction for LL Cool J – all of them are given time to do a little bit within the context of the plot. LL makes the biggest splash with Radio, but Shelia E is great throughout and the other artists all please and satisfy. While the film may not have been very steady in terms of plot, with the music it totally knows what it wants to do. As actors I was pleasantly surprised to find that the majority of the cast were comfortable in front of the camera. The cast is led by Blair Underwood making his acting debut and he is pretty good with the more serious parts of the film. Run is also very natural and strong in the film. Shelia E is great on stage and great with the lighter stuff, but when the love interest stuff starts the material is weak and she seems stiff – in real contrast to her being on stage, making it stand out more. The Fat Boys are pretty funny throughout and really it was only Kurtis Blow that sounded like he was reading his lines off 20 foot high placards.

Overall then this is not a great film in terms of tone and plot but it does enough to avoid being a bad film in the way many similar ones have been. It seems to help that, although cashing in on the genre to a certain extent; it is being done from the inside rather than an outsider seeking to exploit others' success. The music is what it is all about though, and fans of this genre and period will get a lot of stuff to love here – ultimately this is who the film is aimed at and the target audience won't be disappointed.

Awesome

[zetes · 8/10 · 27 February 2011]

Hip-hop musical about the semi-fictionalized early days of Def Jam Recordings. Blair Underwood stars as Russell Walker (Simmons in real life), but all of the musical acts are portrayed by the actual people. This includes Run DMC, Sheila E., the Fat Boys, and Kurtis Blow, who make up the bulk of the plot (which is actually not too bad for what amounts to a series of musical performances). New Edition, LL Cool J and The Beastie Boys, as well as a few other forgotten artists, also appear briefly. Of course these acts were all on Def Jam, so the movie is little more than a commercial for these musicians, but who cares? The music is freaking awesome, and there's a ton of it. It's corny as Hell, but it left an enormous smile on my face. Just try to watch it without overdosing on giddiness during the Fat Boys' "All You Can Eat" number. You can't! It's impossible!

My favorite movie

[famlee007 · 10/10 · 17 June 2004]

Krush Groove is the best movie about the Hip Hop culture. It shows it's roots, and how the top Hip Hop Empire got it's start. If you love Hip Hop, and like Brown Sugar you really need to see & own this movie if you haven't already. If you don't like this movie, you don't truly love hip hop, you're just having an affair. This classic shows all of the elements of Hip Hop with New Edition (the original group) Kurtis Blow (who the fugees sampled), The Fat Boys, RUN-DMC, LL Cool J who's still going strong, The Beastie Boys, & Sheila E who worked with Prince, even Rick Ruben who's in the latest Jay Z video was involved. Go get this movie! For real you need it! You won't be sorry!

For fans of '80s rap only

[app354 · 17 October 2002]

"Krush Groove" features some great performances by Run DMC (including their classic "King of Rock"), the Fat Boys, Kurtis Blow, the Beastie Boys, New Edition, and a very young LL Cool J. Unfortunately, without any real plot or characterization, that's all the film really has. If you like hip-hop circa 1985, "Krush Groove" is worth watching; it you don't, then skip it.

Hip hop history

[mykemrc · 10/10 · 19 February 2021]

I saw this movie in the winter of 85, it was a game changer. A little Canadian white kid from the suburbs heard the future. If you are interested in the early yrs of hip hop and the artists that may not have started things, but brought hip hop to the mainstream, this is yoir flick.

When rap was good

[vchimpanzee · 19 April 2005]

Russell Walker co-owns a struggling record company which has a big hit--'King of Rock' by Run-DMC. The record is selling so well the company cannot produce enough copies, and they don't have the money for more until the records sell--which they won't until the company has something to ship. The banks don't want to lend to this company because rap is something new and strange. So Russell has to deal with less than savory characters. Meanwhile, the guys in Run-DMC take advantage of the opportunity to make themselves famous, getting involved with a major record producer.

Russell is also in charge of a talent show which includes a number of famous rappers and musicians. However, even though the credits say the Russell character is based on the real Russell Simmons, who was a producer of the movie, at the end of the credits we are told the characters are fictional. So even though a number of well-known rappers perform in this movie, using the same name as in real life, and even though those who belong to groups are in groups with the same name as their real-life counterparts, these are not the real stories of the performers. It would have been too much of a coincidence, though, for so many famous performers to have met in this way when they were unknown.

I am a 44-year-old white man who likes easygoing music such as Mantovani, Lawrence Welk, Sinatra, Perry Como and Glenn Miller. Still, The Fat Boys were the first rap group I ever heard (if you don't count Blondie), and they performed without instruments, using their voices for percussion. I enjoyed hearing them do this and wish they had done it more in the movie (they actually had 'real' instruments backing them up which, unfortunately, weren't 'real' like so much of 80s music). But I liked it when one of the guys did this in biology class and got them kicked out, and when they tried doing it for the bouncer where the talent show was being held. And one of the movie's best moments came when the guys saw a sign at Sbarro's which said 'All You Can Eat' for $3.99. The Fat Boys, who were The Disco 3 at first, were a lot of fun.

Other than The Fat Boys, I liked LL Cool J the best. But the musical performances in this movie were first-rate, whether they were really my taste or not, and this was the reason to watch--not acting or writing. Sheila E. especially came across well on stage. She was very confident and quite talented at singing, rapping, dancing, playing drums, playing the guitar (now I really liked this, since it was jazz-style rather than rock). As for her acting--well, we can't be good at everything.

Blair Underwood is considered a respected actor these days, and I just went through the sad experience of seeing his last appearance on 'LAX', where he and Heather Locklear were so wonderful together. But I couldn't see his potential here.

This movie was pretty good, and highly recommended in my opinion for fans of old-school rap.