Breakin'

Since taking this course I have learned hip hop is not just a type of music, but it is something that is real. Hip hop is a way of life, a culture. I watched the film Letter to the President. This film showed that all these claims were absolutely true. The film Breakin’ confused me a bit. In the film hip hop was shown as a way of life for two of the characters, but not all the characters. However, the two that it was a way of life for were people who were totally hip hop. My point is the characters did not seem like real people. It could have been the terrible acting that was not helping their case of proving that hip hop is real. In this film hip hop takes the form of street dancing. There is also a young woman highly interested in becoming a street dancer. The previous events are totally real and support the comment that hip hop is real and a life style. Kelly the female interested in hip hop is actually studying to become a Broadway dancer when she begins her love affair with hip hop. Kelly has an agent that is helping her achieve her Broadway dreams. Her agent attends a street event to watch Kelly and her street friends in a dance off. This could be real but it is doubtful that a real agent would go to a street dance off. Within the next day or so the agent has a get together at his house with a bunch of rich people. He invites Kelly and her friends to attend the party and they do. This is where I think the movie is not true to “real hip hop.” I do not think 1) that an agent would invite street people to this kind of party in that time era. 2) I do not think that the street people attend the party before hell froze over. I do think that this scene is a little of the foreshadowing of the future of hip hop. By the group going to the party is symbolizes the commercialization of hip hop. That the street beat which was so popular among people in urban areas would become a phenomenon that would appeal to all genders and races. This could the beginning of what some call the death of hip hop because of the commercialization. I liked the film though it was a little out dated. Maybe there will be a remake with current hip hop stars.

http://www.fast-rewind.com/break/findex.htm
http://www.undergroundhiphop.com/video/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wik/Hip-hop