Wild Style 30th Anniversary

Wild Style is not a documentary, despite what it may look like from packaging or even camerawork. It's a pretty slow-moving story of a man who writes on walls and his girlfriend's alleged infidelity with another man who writes on walls. While this love triangle is being played out, there is a journalist woman who wants to find out about a new sub-culture that is happening in the Bronx. There is also a musical event being planned in the amphitheatre in the park to showcase the local musical talent.If you were reading the synopsis to this film anywhere, it would probably read something like that. But Wild Style isn't about the story. It's not about the acting, the direction or even the camerawork or sound recording (although the soundtrack is important).It is a film that has shaped a generation, purely with the members of the cast and the records used in the soundtrack. Wild Style is a historical document. It perfectly captures a time and place - the Bronx, New York 1982 - and most of the figures that made that time and place so special. The plot is merely a device with which to string along a series of scenes of rappers, DJs, B-boys and spraycan artists. Some of these people were the roots of the hip hop movement. To see the impact that this film has had, look at how many times the soundtrack has been sampled - not only the dialogue (Tommy Tee, Beastie Boys, Cypress Hill, DJ Premier) but the backing loops. 'Tracks' such as Down By Law have become standards - no, classics - in battle cyphers and old school hip hop nights all over the world.It's basically a visual dictionary of Old School hip hop royalty -* GrandMaster Flash in what looks suspiciously like his bedroom cutting up the Headhunters' "God Made Me Funky" and then Bob James' "Take Me To The Mardi Gras" (although on the UK video re-release it has been replaced on the soundtrack with a Chris Stein co-produced track from the OST).* The Rock Steady Crew intercut with Flash, walking up the hill in the park with a roll of lino on their shoulders.* Fab 5 Freddy as the svengali of the film, leading others into the realms of the hip hop landscape (and hustling other members of the cast for money with card tricks).* The Cold Crush Brothers and the Fantastic (Romantic) MCs in the basketball court.* Double Trouble on the stoop ("Here's a little story that must be told...").* 'Lee' Quinones and Lady Pink doing their thang on the walls of NYC - Lee's 'hands' piece being done at the same time as the RSC break and GM Flash cuts.But enough of my salivating. This film is a slice of history for hip hop fans as much as footage of the 1966 World Cup Final is for British football fans. It should really be watched along with two other essential old school hip hop films - Beat Street (1984) and Beat This - A Hip Hop History (a BBC-TV film, 1985). Watching all three of those in one is an absolute education for anyone out there who has even a passing interest in hip hop (or even just rap) music. As a film, OK, it's limited and trite. The plot is pretty much non-existent and the acting is pretty variable. But no-one should watch it for that. Its whole reason d'etre is to provide an overview of a time and a place, when hip hop was innocent and a way of life, instead of a calculated business venture.Beat Street was a bigger budget version of Wild Style, even down to the big name guest stars, the graffiti-artist-being-thwarted theme and the big show at the end of the film. It's easier to watch, but doesn't have that raw, cinema-verite style that Wild Style has.Some trivia on the film. Chris Stein from Blondie co-produced he backing soundtracks that the MCs rap over. The records that the DJs use were pressed in very VERY limited quantities, and were not the result of crate digging. They were made for the film... According to popular legend, the opening scene of the (graffiti) bombing of the train was the only scene that Charlie Ahearne - director - could get the money together to do 'properly' (ie legally). If the rumours are to believed, the rest of the film was done 'on the run' - without permission.If you like hip hop, are interested in it or even if you have never really thought about it, then watch Wild Style. It sums up a place and time and a FEELING quite unlike anything else. Now hip hop is the world's biggest selling music, watch this film to see where it came from. It'll probably make you reach for the nearest tracksuit, Kangol and lino and have you down the park in a fit of nostalgia.

Classic film. New York history.

Before Beat Street, Krush Groove and Breakin there was Wild Style, THE first Hip Hop movie. The film was made by Charlie Ahearn and Fab 5 Freddy and captures the early days of rap music and culture.The story loosely follows a graffiti artist named Zoro who runs around the subway yards in the Bronx at night tagging the trains.That’s really secondary however. The real stars are the music, the art, the mood, and the times Wild Style captures.Right at the start there’s all kinds of real New York graffiti featured both on walls, on subways, and in books. The stuff looks amazing. There’s also a stark contrast between all the color the graffiti brought to the neighborhood compared to the empty buildings and lots and general destruction that had hit the Bronx by this time.Then there’s the music. Even the background music is banging, which was made just for the film by Grandmaster Caz and Chris Stein of Blondie. Some of the artists featured are Busy Bee Starski, Rodney Cee, the Cold Crush Brothers, the Fantastic Freaks, Double Trouble, and Grandmaster Flash. They’re captured in the club, on the stoop, and in one of the most iconic scenes on the basketball court. This was before all the flash and glamor and money hit the rap scene. If you want to hear rap in its most rawest and organic form this is it. Plus there’s pop-locking, break dancing and more.C

I was a sophomore in High School in New York City when Wild Style came out and watching it takes me back to a time when hip hop was just so much better than the noise being created today. At age 15 we were allowed to go to venues such as the Roxy and Harlem world and we grew up seeing the pioneers before they went big time. As a former DJ my genre of hip ho is strictly OLD SCHOOL rap and it was a time when the vocals were simpler and easier to digest compared to the like of little wayne etc. Movies like Wild Style and Beat Street will never grow old for me because every time I watch it, it brings back those magical days.As a person who grew up in Hollis, Queens and East Harlem, I can say with confidence that everything about the movie was accurate. Thank You Amazon for adding my favorite vintage hip hop movie which takes first place followed by Beat Street, and then Krush Groove. I sometimes feel sorry for the youth of today because as they age, they will not have much to look back on when it comes to music.

As an artist, would-be counselor and avid intellectual, WILD STYLE is a great piece to study, appreciate and learn from, as far as understanding what was important to the Youth Culture of the early 1980s. I, myself, was born in 1982, and have vague recollections of young, pre-teens and teenagers spinning on their backs and heads on flattened cardboard boxes. The music, the art and the slice of life depicted, here, was true of that decade's young people in urban New York City boroughs. We hear the sounds of the ensemble Fantastic Five, see footage of Grandmaster Flash, spinning on the turn table, watch in awe as great young graffiti legends like Lady Pink bomb and spray paint imagery on subways and walls. I particularly enjoy the fiery break dance sequences, featuring Crazy Legs and other great breakers.If you are looking to relive all of those great moments from the early 1980s, truly appreciate that salad years of graffiti and urban art and go back to a better place and time, this film is for you.

I have been a fan of Rap/Hip hop since the late 70's and had never seen this film. Recently I acquired a copy and the circle is complete. Don't buy this film thinking that its a massive block buster cos its not. What you get is a badly acted, poor story line movie, that would have been better as a documentary as that is really what it is. I know Fab 5 Freddy wanted to boost the awareness of the Rap culture including the street art and dancin and that is what he achieved but a documentary would have worked better in my opinion.Rant aside, this is a gem, its full of very young pioneers of rap, grafitti and street dance that are true artists. this is a must for anyone studying urban music history its a cracker and I have watched it a number of times and still cannot wait until the last 13 mins as that is when you really get a feel for how it really was back in the early 80's. Its good and it is quite unique and a must for any music memorabilia collector.I was lucky enough to get the DVD with the extras and they are worth watching as it gives you a greater understanding of the idea behind the movie and some of the content.I gave 4 stars to this movie, not because it is not worthy of 5 but I think it would have been better as a documentary.

I love this film as i am a hip hop head! The break dancing and rapping is colossal. Real hip hop culture in its purest form.

Awesome piece of rap history - dont miss it if you are a fan

great old skool hip hop film i love it even the key actors speaking back on film 25 yrs later. yea brilliant. love it.

what can i say. the BEST hiphop film EVER made :o). any fan of breakdance & street art should buy this