Subgenre Sampler
R&B/Hip-hop: 81 Films to Buy & Rent
- Hitsville: The Making of Motown (2019)
- Dir. Benjamin Turner, Gabe Turner
Feat. Diana Ross
- The story of Motown Records told through interviews with the label's visionary founder, Berry Gordy, and many of its superstar artists and creative…
- Matangi/Maya/M.I.A. (2018)
- Dir. Stephen Loveridge
- A uniquely textured portrait of innovative Sri Lankan–English pop star and activist Maya Arulpragasm, drawn from a cache of personal tapes shot…
- All Eyez on Me (2017)
- Dir. Benny Boom
Feat. Demetrius Shipp Jr.
- Sprawling biopic chronicling the life and legacy of prolific rapper, actor, poet and activist Tupac Shakur.
- Patti Cakes (Patti Cake$) (2017)
- Dir. Geremy Jasper
Feat. Danielle Macdonald, Bridget Everett
- Charming indie film telling the rags–to–riches story of an aspiring rapper from a downtrodden area of New Jersey who refuses to let…
- Born to Dance (2015)
- Dir. Tammy Davis
Feat. Parris Goebel, Stan Walker, Kherington Payne…
- Dance phenomenon Parris Goebel and Stan Walker stars in this coming of age tale told through the eyes of 'Tu', an ambitious young man from Auckland…
- Mavis! (2015)
- Dir. Jessica Edwards
- Rousing chronicle of the life and music of singer and civil rights activist Mavis Staples.
- Straight Outta Compton (2015)
- Dir. F. Gary Gray
Feat. O’Shea Jackson, Corey Hawkins, Jason Mitchell…
- Invigorating drama charts the rise of rap legends N.W.A. as they emerge from the mean streets of Compton in Los Angeles, and their profound impact…
- Get On Up (2014)
- Dir. Tate Taylor
Feat. Chadwick Boseman, Nelsan Ellis, Dan Aykroyd…
- Chadwick Boseman is mesmerizing in this formatted yet dynamic chronicle of pioneering music frontman James Brown's rise from extreme poverty to his…
- Mr. Dynamite: The Rise of James Brown (2014)
- Dir. Alex Gibney
- Alex Gibney's extensive portrait of the "Godfather of Soul" was made with cooperation of the Brown Estate and expertly contextualises a wealth of…
- Nas: Time is Illmatic (2014)
- Dir. One9
- Spirited doco that delves deep into the making of Nas' benchmark album, Illmatic, and the social conditions that influenced its creation.