The Hip Hop Project

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  • Opened May 11, 2007 
  • 1 hr 25 min
  • PG-13 | strong language and some thematic material

  • Kazi, a formerly homeless teenager who inspired a group of New York City teens to transform their life stories into powerful works of art, using hip hop as a vehicle for self-development and personal discovery. Kazi challenges these young people to write music about real issues affecting their lives as they strive to overcome daunting obstacles to produce a collaborative album. Russell Simmons, hip hop mogul and long-time supporter of the project, partners with Bruce Willis to donate a recording studio to the Hip Hop Project. After four years of collaboration, the group produces a powerful and thought-provoking CD filled with moving personal narratives and sharp social commentary. Full synopsis

  • Cast: Chris "Kharma Kazi" Rolle, Christopher "Cannon" Mapp, Russell Simmons, Diana "Princess" Lemon, Robin "Kheperah" Kearse
  • Director: Matt Ruskin
  • Genres: Documentary

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Critic Reviews

80
The New York Times
| Jeannette Catsoulis

Giving "inspirational" a good name, Matt Ruskin's vibrant and soulful documentary The Hip Hop Project sets its universal message to an inner-city beat. Read full review

75
TV Guide
| Maitland McDonagh

The story is compelling enough that even glib phrases like "healing through hip-hop" can't drag it down. Read full review

75
Chicago Tribune
| Michael Phillips

The film works best when it pays specific attention to how hard it is to write a rhyme worth hearing. Read full review

75
San Francisco Chronicle
|

Art makes the difference for the few kids who make it, and it also makes the difference for the films that stand out from the pack. The Hip Hop Project, a documentary by Matt Ruskin, is one of them. Read full review

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Christopher "Cannon" Mapp in "The Hip Hop Project."