“This Is the Life” doesn’t require you to know anything about poetry, the early 1990s, freestyling or hip-hop music for it supplies a lot of information about that period and genre.
A riveting documentary which explores the story of 50 young African-American artists who, in 1989, resisted immense peer pressure to become “gangster rappers,” it blends rare archival footage and in-depth interviews with fans, followers and fellow emcees.
Winner of the Audience Awards in Los Angeles, Toronto and Seattle, it chronicles the hip-hop scene that flourished in Los Angeles and features alternative hip hop’s biggest stars such as Cut Chemist, Abstract Rude and Medusa.
A lively, absorbing and often deeply moving account of the underground urban music which began as a weekly gathering at a small health food store in South Central LA, this feature length documentary showcases an unusual family of artists whose mission was to cultivate a progressive and artistic community.
Directed and produced by Ava Duvernay, “This Is the Life” lays out a fascinating story of those who had a lasting impact on the hip-hop genre that remains today and is currently out on DVD.
