25 Best Hip-Hop Films and Documentaries on Netflix
Can't make it out to the movies to catch the newest flicks? Not feeling like going to that big shindig? No worries, I got your back like scoliosis.
Or, more accurately, Netflix Instant has your back. Granted, seminal classics like Beat Street and Style Wars are only available via DVD. But Netflix Instant has an impressive selection of films every rap head should see.
When picking out the movies for this piece, I widened the field to include documentaries about hip-hop culture and the things hip-hop heads care about. All you need is 89 minutes and your cousin's Netflix login.
These are the 23 best hip-hop films and documentaries streaming on Netflix right now.
Year: 1998
Director: Michael Martin
Starring: Master P, Gretchen Palmer, Anthony Johnson
Genre:Action Comedy
You know this movie. It's the one you spot at the gas station and keep moving. You see it at Red Box and think "Eh, maybe next time." Maybe you've watched the trailer and never gave it any serious thought. You're probably right. We're not talking Oscar bait here. But you should see it for the train wreck effect. Watching Master P and C-Murder attempt to act is therapeutic comic relief.More »
Year: 1998
Director: Hype Williams
Starring: Nas, DMX, Anthony Bodden, Taral Hicks
Genre: Crime
Turn on the lights. Untie my dog. I'll confess: I actually own a DVD of Belly. And I don't want to be the only man in America with a DVD of Belly on his bookshelf. No matter what film critics say, I think you should see it. Sure, you're not about to mistake Nas and DMX for Denzel Washington and Samuel L Jackson (come to think of it, Belly would be a completely different movie with those guys headlining the cast). But if you like these artists, you'll love Belly. They play exaggerated versions of their rap personas--X as the eccentric character and Nas as the intelligent thug.More »
Year: 2010
Director: Ice Cube
Starring: Ice Cube, Snoop Dogg, Al Davis, Chuck D
Genre: Documentary
Ice Cube turns the camera on himself in a documentary that explores the intersection of football and gangsta rap. Straight Outta L.A. zooms in on the Raiders' move to South Central LA in the 1980s. Cube recalls how the sound and image of N.W.A. defined sports culture in those days.More »
Year: 2011
Director: La Monte Edwards
Starring: Dwayne DL Clark, La Monte Edwards, Jason Rivera
Genre: Crime
King of Paper Chasin' is one of the most ridiculous movie titles I've ever heard. I'm glad I didn't judge this one by its title because it's actually a fascinating film. It will reward you, if you give it a chance. The plot--a tale of a drug dealer who tries to leave the game to pursue a rap career--is compelling. Even more surprising is the fact that it's a low-budget film with big budget thinking.More »
Year: 2006
Director: Don Sikorski
Starring: Yasiin Bey, ric Adams, Dasun Allah, Lloyd Banks
Genre: Documentary
Is the FBI secretly spying on hip-hop artists? Do task agencies keep huge dossiers on rappers and music industry executives? Do police departments have secret Hip-Hop Police units? Don Sikorski's Rap Sheet investigates.More »
Year: 1996
Director: Paris Barclay
Starring: Shawn Wayans, Marlon Wayans, Vivica A. Fox
Genre: Comedy
The full title is Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood. It's the Scary Movie of gritty hood flicks of the 1990s, such as Boyz n the Hood and Menace II Society. Quotable lines for days.More »
Year: 2012
Director: Don Sikorski
Genre: Documentary
BMF (Black Mafia Family) is a familiar acronym in rap circles. Rick Ross referenced BMF kingpin Demetrius "Big Meech" Flenory on his smash single "B.M.F." So what's BMF and what happened to the organization? This 80-minute documentary chronicles the rise and fall of BMF, with accounts by the agents who brought down the empire.More »
Year: 2008
Director: Stacy Peralta
Starring: Jim Brown, Tony Muhammad, Forest Whitaker
Genre: Documentary
You hear rap songs about Crips and Bloods all the time. But nothing beats the stories of real-life Crips and Bloods who lived through devastating gang violence. Narrated by Forest Whitaker, Crips and Bloods details the emergence of gangs, their deadly rivalries and their growth beyond the borders of South Los Angeles. What makes this worth watching is the hope for resolve at the end.More »
Year: 2010
Director: Steve James
Genre: Documentary
Allen Iverson was an NBA star whose hip-hop pedigree clashed with the NBA's corporate-clean image. Steve James' documentary zeroes in on the bowling alley brawl that nearly derailed his NBA career, the Hollywood-esque conspiracy theorists and the racial tension it brewed. Oh, and did you know about the S.W.I.S. rap song recorded to galvanize support for Iverson?More »
Year: 2010
Director: Marc Levin
Starring: Leroy "Nicky" Barnes, Don Ferrarone, Thema Grant
Genre: Documentary
The subject of Mr. Untouchable has been referenced by several rappers. The 2007 Marc Levin documentary is the story of Harlem's Leroy "Nicky" Barnes, a real-life junkie-turned-hustler-turned-multimillionaire. With music by Hi-Tek, Mr Untouchable pulls you deeper into the heroin era of the 1970s and spits you out wiser.More »
Or, more accurately, Netflix Instant has your back. Granted, seminal classics like Beat Street and Style Wars are only available via DVD. But Netflix Instant has an impressive selection of films every rap head should see.
When picking out the movies for this piece, I widened the field to include documentaries about hip-hop culture and the things hip-hop heads care about. All you need is 89 minutes and your cousin's Netflix login.
These are the 23 best hip-hop films and documentaries streaming on Netflix right now.
25. I Got the Hook Up
Year: 1998
Director: Michael Martin
Starring: Master P, Gretchen Palmer, Anthony Johnson
Genre:Action Comedy
You know this movie. It's the one you spot at the gas station and keep moving. You see it at Red Box and think "Eh, maybe next time." Maybe you've watched the trailer and never gave it any serious thought. You're probably right. We're not talking Oscar bait here. But you should see it for the train wreck effect. Watching Master P and C-Murder attempt to act is therapeutic comic relief.More »
24. Belly
Year: 1998
Director: Hype Williams
Starring: Nas, DMX, Anthony Bodden, Taral Hicks
Genre: Crime
Turn on the lights. Untie my dog. I'll confess: I actually own a DVD of Belly. And I don't want to be the only man in America with a DVD of Belly on his bookshelf. No matter what film critics say, I think you should see it. Sure, you're not about to mistake Nas and DMX for Denzel Washington and Samuel L Jackson (come to think of it, Belly would be a completely different movie with those guys headlining the cast). But if you like these artists, you'll love Belly. They play exaggerated versions of their rap personas--X as the eccentric character and Nas as the intelligent thug.More »
23. 30 for 30: Straight Outta L.A.
Year: 2010
Director: Ice Cube
Starring: Ice Cube, Snoop Dogg, Al Davis, Chuck D
Genre: Documentary
Ice Cube turns the camera on himself in a documentary that explores the intersection of football and gangsta rap. Straight Outta L.A. zooms in on the Raiders' move to South Central LA in the 1980s. Cube recalls how the sound and image of N.W.A. defined sports culture in those days.More »
22. King of Paper Chasin'
Year: 2011
Director: La Monte Edwards
Starring: Dwayne DL Clark, La Monte Edwards, Jason Rivera
Genre: Crime
King of Paper Chasin' is one of the most ridiculous movie titles I've ever heard. I'm glad I didn't judge this one by its title because it's actually a fascinating film. It will reward you, if you give it a chance. The plot--a tale of a drug dealer who tries to leave the game to pursue a rap career--is compelling. Even more surprising is the fact that it's a low-budget film with big budget thinking.More »
21. Rap Sheet: Hip-Hop and the Cops
Year: 2006
Director: Don Sikorski
Starring: Yasiin Bey, ric Adams, Dasun Allah, Lloyd Banks
Genre: Documentary
Is the FBI secretly spying on hip-hop artists? Do task agencies keep huge dossiers on rappers and music industry executives? Do police departments have secret Hip-Hop Police units? Don Sikorski's Rap Sheet investigates.More »
20. Don't Be a Menace
Year: 1996
Director: Paris Barclay
Starring: Shawn Wayans, Marlon Wayans, Vivica A. Fox
Genre: Comedy
The full title is Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood. It's the Scary Movie of gritty hood flicks of the 1990s, such as Boyz n the Hood and Menace II Society. Quotable lines for days.More »
19. BMF: The Rise and Fall of a Hip-Hop Drug Empire
Year: 2012
Director: Don Sikorski
Genre: Documentary
BMF (Black Mafia Family) is a familiar acronym in rap circles. Rick Ross referenced BMF kingpin Demetrius "Big Meech" Flenory on his smash single "B.M.F." So what's BMF and what happened to the organization? This 80-minute documentary chronicles the rise and fall of BMF, with accounts by the agents who brought down the empire.More »
18. Crips and Bloods: Made in America
Year: 2008
Director: Stacy Peralta
Starring: Jim Brown, Tony Muhammad, Forest Whitaker
Genre: Documentary
You hear rap songs about Crips and Bloods all the time. But nothing beats the stories of real-life Crips and Bloods who lived through devastating gang violence. Narrated by Forest Whitaker, Crips and Bloods details the emergence of gangs, their deadly rivalries and their growth beyond the borders of South Los Angeles. What makes this worth watching is the hope for resolve at the end.More »
17. No Crossover: The Trial of Allen Iverson
Year: 2010
Director: Steve James
Genre: Documentary
Allen Iverson was an NBA star whose hip-hop pedigree clashed with the NBA's corporate-clean image. Steve James' documentary zeroes in on the bowling alley brawl that nearly derailed his NBA career, the Hollywood-esque conspiracy theorists and the racial tension it brewed. Oh, and did you know about the S.W.I.S. rap song recorded to galvanize support for Iverson?More »
16. Mr. Untouchable
Year: 2010
Director: Marc Levin
Starring: Leroy "Nicky" Barnes, Don Ferrarone, Thema Grant
Genre: Documentary
The subject of Mr. Untouchable has been referenced by several rappers. The 2007 Marc Levin documentary is the story of Harlem's Leroy "Nicky" Barnes, a real-life junkie-turned-hustler-turned-multimillionaire. With music by Hi-Tek, Mr Untouchable pulls you deeper into the heroin era of the 1970s and spits you out wiser.More »
Source...