Bling bling and thousands of booty shaking girls wearing nothing ruined everything that was pure and real about hip hop, but the re-release of the movie Wild Style brings everything into focus and perfectly captures the birth of hip hop. Wild Style was originally released in 1983 and is the story of a graffiti artist named Raymond, who while dealing with his feelings for his ex-girlfriend, struggles with how he can be a successful artist without being seen as a sellout. . The film also focuses on a journalist, who is clearly a Blondie wannabe, and her fascination with graffiti artists and the hip hop culture of the South Bronx, in New York City. Her curiosity takes her to train yards (in the 70s and 80s the subways in New York City were the personal canvas for many graffiti artists),, burgeoning hip hop clubs, and concerts that brings all the elements of hip hop together for an interesting foray into the birth of the hip hop culture.

     While Wild Style may not be Academy Award material, the film does take an absolute honest look into the world of hip hop at its birth. The movie stars real life graffiti artists, Lee Quinones and Sandra “Pink” Fabara, and hip hop pioneers and legends like Fab Five Freddy, The Cold Crush Brothers, The Fantastic Freaks, Grandmaster Flash, Chief Rocker Busy Bee, The Grand Wizard Theodore and break dancers from the Rock Steady Crew. Seeing all these stars in the film helps evoke memories. It actually makes the days of graffiti laden buildings attractive in a deep and exotic sort of way. The art at its truest sense has a gritty feel to it, with rebels bringing a whole new way of life into America’s fabric. This movie intricately weaves all the elements of hip hop, even the dangerous aspects, and brings forth a true representation of The Bronx culture as it evolved slowly into what it is today.

     While the quality of the film is slightly dated the imagery and prophetic rhyme styles of Busy Bee, the Cold Crush Brothers, and the Fantastic Freaks display another style of art at its most truest and spontaneous forms. Extras like a video, gallery of Quinones’ work are a nice touch, but one of the best parts of having a DVD is the added commentary track. The commentary by director Charlie Ahearn and Fab Five Freddy give viewers young and old a whole new reason to watch the film.

     Wild Style is more like a hip hop documentary that today’s so-called hip hop stars should pay real close attention to. True hip hop fans will learn from the knowledge and rhyme style featured in this film. With 80’s nostalgia at an all time high, Wild Style, the best and most real hip hop film of our generation, could be the answer to the mainstream world that has turned hip hop from a culture about the streets and the people to a big business that doesn’t remember its’ past. Watch Wild Style and remember when…

     Send your comments and or questions about this article to JMinners@ybfree.com.

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