Best hip hop documentaries
by anton_berner | created - 8 months ago | updated - 8 months ago | Public- Instant Watch Options
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1. Wild Style (1982)
R | 82 min | Drama, Music
South Bronx graffiti artist Zoro is commissioned to paint a backdrop for a hip-hop concert.
Director: Charlie Ahearn | Stars: Lee Quiñones, Lady Pink, Fab 5 Freddy, Patti Astor
Votes: 2,950
2. Stretch and Bobbito: Radio That Changed Lives (2015)
Not Rated | 99 min | Documentary, Music
A retrospective look at the "Best Hip Hop Radio Show of All-Time".
Director: Bobbito Garcia | Stars: A-Plus, Anthony Alonso, Stretch Armstrong, B-Real
Votes: 1,006
3. All the Streets Are Silent: The Convergence of Hip Hop and Skateboarding (1987-1997) (2021)
89 min | Documentary
In the late '80s and early '90s, two vibrant subcultures, skateboarding and hip hop, collided in downtown New York.
Director: Jeremy Elkin | Stars: Eli Morgan Gesner, Jeff Pang, Fab 5 Freddy, Gino Iannucci
Votes: 249
4. Big Fun in the Big Town (1986 TV Movie)
40 min | Documentary, Music
In 1986 a dutch television network, VPRO, aired this raw documentary about New York and its young and fresh HipHop scene. Interviewer Marcel Vanthilt went to the big apple to meet the pioneers of hip hop.
Director: Bram van Splunteren | Stars: Bill Adler, Dennis Bell, Vito Bruno, Schoolly D
Votes: 84
5. The Defiant Ones (2017)
TV-MA | 60 min | Documentary, Biography, Crime
"The Defiant Ones" examines the partnership between Jimmy Iovine and Dr. Dre - one the son of a Brooklyn longshoreman, the other straight out of Compton - and their leading roles in a chain of transformative events in contemporary culture.
Stars: Stevie Nicks, Bono, Dr. Dre, Tom Petty
Votes: 15,681
6. Hip-Hop Evolution (2016– )
TV-MA | 90 min | Documentary, Music
MC and journalist Shad Kabango meets with Hip-Hop's biggest stars to retrace how Hip-Hop became the world's most popular music, but realizes that Hip-Hop's true legacy is something much more profound.
Stars: Shad, LL Cool J, Big Daddy Kane, Cheo Hodari Coker
Votes: 6,452
7. Nas: Time Is Illmatic (2014)
TV-14 | 74 min | Documentary, Biography, History
The story behind Nas's groundbreaking debut album 'Illmatic, ' and the early life of one of the most talented rappers of all time. Featuring Pharrell Williams, Alicia Keys, Q-Tip, and Busta Rhymes.
Director: One9 | Stars: Nas, Cornel West, Pharrell Williams, Swizz Beatz
Votes: 3,338 | Gross: $0.11M
8. Style Wars (1983 TV Movie)
Not Rated | 69 min | Documentary, Music
A documentary that exposes the rich growing subculture of hip-hop that was developing in New York City in the late '70s and early '80s, specifically focusing on graffiti art and breakdancing.
Director: Tony Silver | Stars: Demon, Kase 2, Eric Haze, D. 5
Votes: 3,300
9. The Up in Smoke Tour (2000 Video)
Not Rated | 119 min | Documentary, Music
This is it! Your front row seat to the greatest hip hop experience ever captured on film. This is the ultimate back stage pass for your total pleasure. "Up In Smoke" is it and now you've got it all. Fire it up.
Director: Philip G. Atwell | Stars: Ice Cube, Eminem, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg
Votes: 2,113
10. Biggie: I Got a Story to Tell (2021)
R | 97 min | Documentary, Biography, Music
This documentary features rare footage filmed by Christopher Wallace's best friend, Damion "D-Roc" Butler, and interviews with his closest friends and family, revealing a side of Biggie Smalls that the world never knew.
Director: Emmett Malloy | Stars: The Notorious B.I.G., Damion Butler, Sean 'Diddy' Combs, Voletta Wallace
Votes: 5,558
11. Jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy (2022)
TV-MA | 30 min | Documentary, Music
Follows the life of Kanye West, in an intimate portrait as he builds his way from singer to businessman and becomes a global brand.
Stars: Ye, Naeem Ghefari, Kid Cudi, Justin Bieber
Votes: 11,107
12. Dave Chappelle's Block Party (2005)
R | 103 min | Documentary, Comedy, Music
A mix of Dave Chappelle's sketch comedy and musical interludes, inspired in part by the 1973 documentary Wattstax.
Director: Michel Gondry | Stars: Dave Chappelle, Yasiin Bey, Lauryn Hill, Erykah Badu
Votes: 9,627 | Gross: $11.72M
13. Just for Kicks (2005)
Not Rated | 82 min | Documentary
An in-depth examination of the culture and fashion of the sneaker, from its creation as athletic wear to its place as a cornerstone in hip-hop fashion.
Directors: Thibaut de Longeville, Lisa Leone | Stars: Bill Adler, Damon Dash, Doze, Missy Elliott
Votes: 473
14. Our Vinyl Weighs a Ton: This Is Stones Throw Records (2013)
94 min | Documentary, Biography, Music
Our Vinyl Weighs a Ton is a feature-length documentary about avant-garde Los Angeles-based record label Stones Throw Records. The film weaves together rare concert footage, never-before-see... See full summary »
Director: Jeff Broadway | Stars: Peanut Butter Wolf, Talib Kweli, A-Trak, Marvin Jones III
Votes: 863
15. Uprising: Hip Hop and the LA Riots (2012)
65 min | Documentary
Revisits the riots in gripping detail and draws from a diverse collection of voices - the rappers, rioters, victims, police officers, journalists and everyday citizens of South Central Los Angeles.
Director: Mark Ford | Stars: Alex Alonso, Bart Bartholomew, Charlie Beck, Todd Boyd
Votes: 153
16. Rapture (2018– )
Documentary, Music
Featuring an impressive collection of artists who have found worldwide success, this documentary series showcases hip-hop's impact on global culture.
Stars: Joseph Simmons III, Logic, A Boogie wit da Hoodie, Lin-Manuel Miranda
Votes: 596
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