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Freestyle: The Art of Rhyme

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Freestyle The Art of Rhyme US release poster (low res).jpg | alt = U.S. release poster for "Freestyle: The Art of Rhyme" | caption = U.S. release poster | director = Kevin Fitzgerald | producer = Henry Alex Rubin | writer = | screenplay = | story = | based on = | narrator = | starring = | music = | cinematography = Todd Hickey | editing = Paul Devlin | studio = | distributor = Palm Pictures (USA theaters / DVD)
VH1 Television (USA TV)

| released =

  • April 14, 2000 (2000-04-14) (USA)


  • July 29, 2004 (2004-07-29) (USA)

| runtime = 60 mins / 90 mins (director's cut) | country = United States | language = | budget = | gross = $11,255 (USA) }}

Freestyle: The Art of Rhyme is a 2000 documentary film directed by Kevin Fitzgerald about the art of freestyle, improvisational hip-hop. Taking more than seven years to make, the documentary includes performances and commentary by artists such as Supernatural, Mos Def, The Roots, Notorious B.I.G., Jurassic 5, and Pharoahe Monch.

Content

Directed by Kevin Fitzgerald (also known as DJ Organic), the history of freestyle rap is explored in the film, with a mix of performance and commentary from a number of artists. Using archive footage, the film traces the origins of improvised hip-hop to sources including African-American preachers, Jamaican toasts, improvised jazz, and spoken-word poets such as The Last Poets.

Reception

Box office

Following its 7 July 2004 release, the film grossed $4,842 in its opening weekend, and made $12,600 domestically in two weeks.[1]

Critical reception

Freestyle: The Art of Rhyme was well-received, with an average score of 63 from 11 reviews on MetaCritic, and an average score of 89% from 18 reviews on Rotten Tomatoes.[2][3] A. O. Scott of the New York Times described it as "a heady, rousing education in an art form that is too often misunderstood", [4] and Fred Camper of the Chicago Reader called it "[a]n engaged and knowing look at the underground world of improvised rap, concentrating on artists less interested in commercial success and cutting records than in the 'spontaneous right now' of 'nonconceptual rhyme.'"[5]

Awards

The film performed well at festivals, receiving awards for both the soundtrack and the documentary overall.[6][7]

Year Festival Category Award Result Notes
2000 Woodstock Film Festival Best Documentary Jury Prize Won
Urbanworld Film Festival Won Tied with Scottsboro: An American Tragedy.
Los Angeles Independent Film Festival Best Soundtrack Audience Award Won
2002 Florida Film Festival Special Jury Award Won For documentary filmmaking.
2006 Karachi Film Festival Best Documentary Special mention "[F]or its innovative camerawork and editing technique."[8]

References

  1. ^ Freestyle: The Art of Rhyme at Box Office Mojo
  2. ^ "Freestyle: The Art of Rhyme". MetaCritic. Retrieved 24 May 2014.
  3. ^ "Freestyle: The Art of Rhyme (2000)". RottenTomatoes.com. Retrieved 24 May 2014.
  4. ^ Scott, A.O. (16 July 2004). "Freestyle (2000) FILM REVIEW; Tryin' to Seize the Joys Of Hip-Hop's M.C.'s". Retrieved 24 May 2014.
  5. ^ Camper, Fred. "Freestyle: The Art of Rhyme". Chicago Reader. Retrieved 24 May 2014.
  6. ^ "Freestyle: The Art of Rhyme (2000) - Awards". IMDB. Retrieved 24 May 2014.
  7. ^ "Woodstock Film Festival Scores Rave Reviews from Filmmakers and Audiences (press release)". Woodstock Film Festival. Retrieved 24 May 2014.
  8. ^ "6th KaraFilm Festival - Karachi International Film festival 2006". KaraFilm Society. Retrieved 24 May 2014.
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