Originally released in 2006, this is the official ALC documentary: The Chemistry Files (The Uncut Version, DVD). Produced, edited, and slapped together by the man himself. Put together from old footage and edited entirely on an Apple G4 laptop with iMovie, this never-before-seen documentary captures the life of the ALC in a rugged yet personal, rough-around-the-edges fashion. "I have absolutely NO knowledge of film making, editing, or anything associated with movies, but one day I was messing around on the laptop and I realized that editing footage was a lot like beat making! So, on the spot, I said fuckit, I'm gonna make a DVD, right here, in my living room, on my laptop, out of all this footage I got laying around. And I sat up for one week straight, got into creative mode, and went berserk! Shit was fun." Of course we'd all rather that Al spends those hours doing what he does best, making those classic productions. But we're quite glad he took a week out and put together this truly motivating DVD. Originally edited, shortened to 25 minutes and used for the re-release of Alchemist's debut album 1st Infantry, this is the full 1 hour unedited and uncut version, exactly as he intended it. "I felt like the edited version didn't tell the story well. So I wanted fans to see it the right way." Go inside the smoke-filled laboratories and studios and watch as Alchemist and The Mobb create their signature sound. Sit in on mix sessions. Watch as, for the first time ever, ALC puts together a beat live on camera. Witness magic as Alchemist and Mobb Deep zone out and the making of the classic, "Hold You Down," miraculously captured on camera, is revealed for the first time. Then watch as the song metamorphasizes from a spontaneous vibe in a little home studio to a live concert in front of 30,000 fans. The Chemistry Files: The Uncut Version...
Inspired by ALC's announcement that 1st Infantry coming (back) 2025!
You think you know Too Short. Yeah, he’s a player that was born to mack and he tells those freaky tales so well. But really you have no idea. Unlike any other file on the legendary MC, Life Is . . . The Life and Times of Todd Shaw, executive produced by Short’s childhood partna and fellow artist D’Wayne Wiggins (of Tony Toni Tone.) The 90 minute file is a provocative, revealing documentary that goes behind the dirty raps of hip-hop pioneer Too Short, chronicling in vivid detail his legendary rise to prominence and exposing some nasty trials and tribulations he faced along the way. Consider it a rare glimpse into the wild Cadillac ride of areal rap legend who — like today’s top sensation 50 Cent — built his buzz from the ground up as a genuine street phenomenon. Only he did it nearly 20 years ago. Life Is… features never before seen performances along with candidly revealing and often very funny interviews with Short Dog himself, fellow artists like Chuck D, E-40, Money B of Digital Underground, and the Luniz, industry insiders like Sway and journalists Davey D and Danyel Smith. From his independent days of trunk hustlin' in the streets of Oakland to signing with Jive Records, see firsthand how Too Short's fame evolved. With over twenty years of success in the rap game, Todd Shaw, a.k.a Too Short, has laid down the blueprint for longevity in a business known for its revolving doors. Watch the full Life Is... documentary below, and Happy Born Day to Short Dog!
West Perrine, Florida is an impoverished pocket of Southwest Miami-Dade County, where over 73 percent of its residents are African American, and more than a third of them are unemployed. Violent crimes occur on a daily basis in this neighborhood of less than two square miles, where much of its adult male population winds up dead or in prison before their 30th birthday. But among the blight, there is hope. Standing at 6’3, weighing 270lbs and with a mohawk crest crowning his head, Dhafir “Dada 5000” Harris is a statuesque and imposing figure -- a fist waving warrior who gained notoriety through bare knuckled battles as part of the crew of Mixed Martial Arts sensation Kimbo Slice, a childhood friend. Using his mothers yard as a venue, Dada built a ring and quickly cemented himself as the Don King of illegal fights. No doctors, no ambulance. Just two men in a 12’ x 12’ ring battling in a savage bare-knuckle fight to the finish, all in search of a little glory but more importantly of some cash to feed their families as they literally try to fight their way out of poverty and out of the hood. The documentary Dawg Fight was released in 2015, where I believe it briefly appeared on Netflix. If you haven't seen it, it's a solid indie documentary, check it out below...
Muhammad Ali, arguably the most famous professional boxer in the 20th Century and the only fighter to win the heavyweight championship three times, was born Cassius Clay in 1942 in Louisville, Kentucky, to Cassius Marcellus Clay, Sr. and Odessa Grady Clay. At the age of 12 Clay began training as a boxer. During his teen years he won several Golden Gloves titles and other amateur titles. At the age of 18 he won a gold medal in the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, Italy and then turned professional. In one of the most famous boxing matches of the century, Clay in 1965 stunned the world by beating apparently invincible world heavyweight champion Sonny Liston in six rounds. After defeating Liston, Clay announced his conversion to Islam and joining of the Nation of Islam (NOI) under the leadership of Elijah Muhammad. Clay also announced he changed his name to Muhammad Ali. As a member of the NOI, Ali was mentored early on by the organization’s most charismatic leader, Malcolm X. In 1967, at the height of the Vietnam War, Ali received his induction notice. Instead of dodging the draft, Ali announced publicly that he refused induction. Government officials shortly thereafter tried, convicted, and sentenced the boxing champion to five years in prison for draft evasion, but he remained free pending appeals. However, United States boxing officials stripped him of his boxing title and suspended his license. During his suspension, Ali became an activist, touring the country, speaking to civil rights organizations and antiwar groups. In 1970, boxing officials reinstated Ali’s boxing privileges. That same year he won a heavyweight title in a match in New York City, New York. In 1971 he lost a title fight to Joe Frazier in New York City but later that year the United States Supreme Court reversed his conviction for draft evasion. In an epic rematch in New York City on January 28, 1974, Ali defeated Frazier who by this time had lost the title to George Foreman. Later that year Ali defeated Foreman when the two met in Kinshasa, Zaire in a fight popularly known as “The Rumble in the Jungle,” to regain the title. Cont'd below...
Ali and Frazier met a third time in Quezon City, Philippines on October 1, 1975 in a bout that many consider the “Fight of the Century.” Known as “The Thrilla in Manila,” the two boxers met in 100 degree temperatures. Ali won when a technical knockout (TKO) when Frazier’s trainer refused to allow his fighter to answer the bell for the 15th Round. After the fight Ali declared Frazier “the greatest fighter of all times next to me.” In early 1978 Ali lost his title to Leon Spinks, but regained it in a rematch with Spinks later that same year, becoming the first boxer to win the championship three times. Ali retired with the title but returned to the ring in 1980 to face the new champion, Larry Holmes. Ali was unsuccessful and retired permanently in 1981. Ali retired from professional boxing with an overall professional record of 56-5. Over the course of his 61 fights, Muhammad Ali introduced boxing to audiences around the world. In the early 1980s Muhammad Ali was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. Nevertheless in 1985 he participated in the negotiations for the release of kidnapped Americans in Lebanon. During his lifetime, Ali has also received numerous honors and awards for his humanitarian work. The Olympic committee selected him to light the Olympic flame for the 1996 games in Atlanta, Georgia. During that event he received a replacement gold medal for the one he received in 1960 that he tossed in the Ohio River in disgust over a racial incident. In 2005 he also received the Presidential Medal of Freedom at the White House. That same year, for his work in the civil rights movement, the former boxer was awarded the prestigious Otto Hahn freedom medal by the German Society for the United Nations. - BlackPast. Ali passed away in 2016 as one of the greatest athletes and most charismatic personalities EVER, may he Rest In Peace...
A graceful and nimble rapper who delivered his often clever, tongue-twisting rhymes at a torrential pace, Big Pun was the first solo Latino rapper to go platinum. Born Christopher Rios on November 10, 1971, Big Pun grew up in the South Bronx's Puerto Rican community. He endured a rough childhood in an unstable home, and moved out when he was 15, by which point he had become interested in rapping and breakdancing. In 1989, under the name Big Moon Dog, he and several friends formed a street-corner rap group called the Full a Clips Crew. He later changed his name to Big Punisher, after the Marvel Comics superhero, and caught his big break when he met and impressed fellow Bronx rapper Fat Joe in 1995. He guested on a couple of Fat Joe tracks, "Fire Water" (which also featured Raekwon) and "Watch Out," and following an appearance on Funkmaster Flex's The Mix Tape, Vol. 1, quickly made a name for himself in the underground. He guested prominently on the Beatnuts' "Off the Books" in 1997, and also worked with B Real and Flesh-N-Bone. Pun scored an underground hit of his own with "I'm Not a Player" in 1997, and also contributed "You Ain't a Killer" to the Soul in the Hole basketball documentary. Helped by Fat Joe, Big Pun secured a deal with Loud Records. Pun's solo debut, Capital Punishment, was released in 1998 and debuted at number five on the Billboard 200 thanks to "Still Not a Player," a club-ready remix of "I'm Not a Player" that proved massively popular. Earning credibility in the hardcore rap world as well, Capital Punishment went on to sell over two million copies. The following year, Pun teamed up with his mentor, Fat Joe, and several up-and-coming MCs to form the Terror Squad, which released a self-titled debut album. Tragically, Pun suffered a fatal heart attack on February 7, 2000. He was only 28 years old, and left behind a wife and three children. His completed second album, Yeeeah Baby, was released two months later to positive reviews and entered the Billboard 200 at number three. 2001's Endangered Species was a compilation mixing hits, guest appearances, and unreleased material; it, too, was a Top Ten seller. Big Pun's life was the subject of the 2002 documentary film Still Not a Player. - AllMusic. The illustration above by Tony Caves. Happy Born Day, Big Pun (R.I.P.)!!!
Christopher “Notorious B.I.G.” Wallace was one of the most talented, influential rappers of all time, with pristine abilities on the mic, a glowing sense of humor, and a fly sense of fashion. And since his life was cut so short after his murder in 1997 at 24 years old, there have been multiple films, books, and posthumous records, all focused on attempting to either preserve his musical legacy or to make sense of his senseless death. I Got A Story To Tell, released this month on Netflix, does neither of those things. Instead, it tells an origin story as Big’s lifelong friend Damion “D-Roc” Butler for the first time reveals reams of personal footage shot in hotel rooms and backstage at shows, showing a vulnerable side of the rap legend rarely witnessed outside of his inner circle. Director Emmett Malloy dives deep into the people and places that created Christopher Wallace: from his visits to his mother’s family in Jamaica, to the lesser known loved ones in the several-block radius that formed his Brooklyn stomping grounds. Along with Sean “Diddy” Combs, Butler, and Biggie’s mother Voletta Wallace, the film includes his Jamaican uncle and grandmother, jazz musician and neighbor Donald Harrison, and other childhood friends. And instead of dwelling on the (still infuriating) murder, the film focuses on just how fragile his success was in the first place: on how many times he could have lost his chance at stardom altogether, and how he overcame it. “His story doesn't have to be a tragic ending,” says Puffy in the film. - GQ. You can watch the trailer for the documentary below...
Today marks 24 years since the death of The Notorious B.I.G. Biggie has now been dead for as long as he was alive, yet he left behind a musical legacy as one of the greatest MCs of all-time! In the archives are numerous tribute mixes, albums, reviews, interviews, promotional items, press kits and a ton more from The Notorious B.I.G. and Bad Boy Records... I highly recommend clicking through and remembering our fallen legend. Me... I remember the day he passed. I was a freshman at Hofstra University at the time. I was hanging out in my room when I got the call... I ran to a friend's room on the floor, knocked oncce and busted through, interrupting him with the news. He was as big a fan as I was, and it rocked us! I was traveling back and forth to Queens on the weekends, and I remember getting an advanced copy of Life After Death from Numbers Records in Ridgewood ... it was everything! It's hard to imagine that with such a limited catalog, you can still look to Life After Death and see the many styles and looks he gave us at his raw talent on that 2LP. It's all there, whether you love it or not. It also makes me smile thinking back that my first copies of Ready To Die on cassette and CD (before I got the vinyl) were both stolen... one from an uneven trade that I'd never returned and the other from a house party. I had to have that album by any means necessary! The music has stayed with me, as have the memories, which inspired the art below... R.I.P.
Hip Hop Uncovered reveals the untold story of how America’s streets helped shape hip hop culture from an expression of survival and defiance into music’s most dominant genre. The documentary series takes a deep dive into the paradox of America’s criminalization of the genre and its fascination with the street culture that created it and still exists within it. From Big U, Deb Antney, Bimmy, Trick Trick, Haitan Jack and more, there are plenty of people that push the culture forward behind the scenes, and Hip Hop Uncovered finally gives us their stories, too. In some cases, this may be the first time you are seeing or hearing them on camera. There are also appearances from Snoop, Royce, Killer Mike, Steve Lobel, Glasses Malone, Xzibit, Ice-T, Mike Tyson, T.I., DMC, Dr. Dre and many more. Unfortunately, I can only offer the trailer below, but I'm just puttin' you on, so follow this series on FX/Hulu, it's worth your time. Docu-series is directed by Rashidi Natara Harper.
The Wonder Year is a film by Kenneth Price. It follows a year in the life of CEO, NAACP ambassador, Duke University professor, husband, father, son and Grammy Award winning producer 9th Wonder. The film shows one of soul music's most dynamic figures from his childhood home to late nights in the studio and everywhere in between. The hour 80 minute documentary also features appearances from Drake, DJ Premier, DJ Green Lantern, J. Cole, Murs, Phonte, Young Guru, The Alchemist, and more. It was originally released in 2011, with physical copies of the DVD available to purchase HERE. Much respect to 9th Wonder who is celebrating his Born Day today! Enjoy the documentary below...
The Bay Area radio program The Wake Up Show on KMEL, hosted by Sway and Tech, held hip-hop court when they invited Saafir and Casual up to the station to settle their differences in a freestyle, free-for-all battle. Casual, backed by the Hieroglyphics crew, and Saafir, surrounded by his posse the Hobo Junction, agreed to participate in the event that originally began in a local Bay Area nightclub earlier that month. Riddled with numerous personal attacks, and at times becoming so intense that some participants had to be restrained from fighting, the heated battle kept listeners glued to their radios for nearly an hour. After all was said and done, listeners who called in appeared to be divided down the middle as to who the winner was, but all agreed that the lyrical artillery was potent on both sides. - The Source, 1995. Casual recently uploaded a short film detailing the battle in its proper context, and offering interviews with those involved. The Battle of the Bay took place in mid-November, 1994. but with no clear winner announced, you'll have to decide for yourself! There are some highlights from the battle included in the article above + full lyrics on Genius. Props to Shomari Smith for producing this short film. Who do you got? Check it out below...
You can also listen to the full audio via RandomRapRadio below...
Live from the 41st side of 12th Street, the photographer known as RISE, aka Dark Brother, takes us on a journey into Queensbridge through three decades of hip hop history to reveal a layered portrait of a man and his neighborhood both past and present. The documentary is filmed and edited by Alexander Richter, an extremely talented brother in his own right, 100%. You'll see a ton of behind the scenes - never seen before - images from many of your favorite artists from Queens, and specifically out of Queensbridge. Enjoy this unique mini-documentary highlighting an unsung hero that helped document our culture. And, of course, I gotta wish everyone a Happy New Year!
"There have been many impressive collectives in the history of hip-hop, but none can compare to the impact, the illness, the innovation and the size of the mighty Wu-Tang Clan. The Staten Island-based lifeforce boasted nine members, all of whom could melt a mic at the drop of a dime: the RZA, the GZA, Ol' Dirty Bastard, Inspectah Deck, U-God, Raekwon The Chef, Ghostface Killah, Masta Killa and Method Man. At the epicenter of the group was producer/MC RZA, who in 1992 was fresh off a soured record deal with Tommy Boy Records. Eldest Clan member GZA was also on the rebound in '92, after releasing a full-length (as the Genius) on Cold Chillin' that he claims wasn't properly promoted. GZA, RZA and Ol' Dirty Bastard had been in a Brooklyn/Staten trio called All In Together back in the late '80s, and were well aware of each other's abilities. RZA had turned to producing his own music, and had a swarm of MCs coming through his Staten Island studio. "I had done different demos and worked with everyone in the Clan before 36 Chambers," he recalls. "My apartment was always the spot to come and rhyme." With a plan in place to form an MC army, RZA brought seven MCs (all but Masta Killa) together for a soon-to-be monumental self-released single in 1992, "Protect Ya Neck." After it jumped off, labels came calling and the Wu-Tang landed on Loud. Although their incredible debut wasn't an instant smash, it slowly built to an undeniable roar." Cont'd below...
"The album helped bring NYC hip-hop back to the forefront, momentarily stealing the spot away from Dre's left coast revolution. Boasting multiple singles, like "C.R.E.A.M." and "Can It All Be So Simple," 36 Chambers comprised a never-ending array of verbal styles and Kung Fu motifs. Says Raekwon, "It was like being in the Superfriends. You don't have the same power as the next n!gga, but you're all amazingly strong. That's what we was." RZA's tracks were also a revolution of their own, frequently pitting penitentiary-steel beats against mournful piano samples and itchy-fingered bass lines. "When we finished that album I thought it was the illest hip-hop record ever made," RZA beams. "I played that record as much as a person who had bought it." - Brian Coleman (More below).
Postcard + RZA and GZA chop through Wu-Tang's first classics below...
Til Infinity is a full-length documentary celebrating the twenty-year anniversary of the critically acclaimed Souls of Mischief album 93 Til Infinity. With over 50 interviews with notable MC's, producers, and DJ's Til Infinity offers a retrospective and in-depth look at the famed Hieroglyphics crews landmark 1993 debut album. Oakland, California filmmaker Shomari Smith interviewed the entire Hieroglyphics collective while traveling across the country to capture intimate dialog with hip hop notables. Much respect to A-Plus, Phesto, Opio, and Tajai of the mighty Souls of Mischief crew! 93 Til Infinity is one of the most nostalgic songs to come from the 90s, and the Hiero collective have remained some of the most important/most consistent touring and recording artists. Their style grabbed our attention and made cats like me from the East pay very close attention. Watch below!
Southside Queens' Onyx originally consisted of Fredro Starr, Sticky Fingaz, Sonny Seeza (Suave'), Big D.S and producer ChySkillz. Onyx was one of Hip Hop's biggest groups, spearheaded by the legendary DJ - Jam Master Jay of RUN DMC. Onyx defied the odds in 1993 and took an aggressive sound, style and movement to become platinum-plus. This documentary, The Untold Story of Onyx, was written and created by James "Kraze" Billings and highlights their career in music, television as well as in film. If you've seen the documentaries on Audio Two, Stezo, Blahzay Blahzay, Biz Markie and others, then you know what to expect. Fredro Starr and Sticky Fingaz are still representin' the Onyx brand as a group and in their solo efforts. Dig into the archives for some of those releases...
Amazon Music celebrates the 25th anniversary of Ol’ Dirty Bastard’s landmark debut solo album with "Unique: 'Return to The 36 Chambers:25 Years Later". Released March 28th, 1995 this documentary traces Ol Dirty Bastard’s rise from unsigned hype to household name, exploring key moments in the rapper’s life and the music that defined his debut solo record - from ‘Shimmy Shimmy Ya’ to ‘Brooklyn Zoo.’ Unique features freestyles and never-before-seen footage of the artist born Russell Jones, whose iconic and zany rhyming style catapulted him into the mainstream. The documentary also features interviews from Wu members Raekwon, RZA, and appearances from ODB’s widow, Icelene Jones, Barson Unique Jones (also known as the Young Dirty Bastard), Bobbito Garcia, and more, like Dante Ross, who has some great insight on the album and hip-hop history as a whole: i.e. ODB pissing on LL Cool J's plaque at Chung King studios, which is a story that won't make this documentary but is incredible, lol. A key takeaway is RZA sharing that Shimmy Shimmy Ya "was basically done in my bedroom that in daytime it was a studio, at nighttime I would roll this mat on the floor and me and my family would sleep on the floor. So it’s ironic. It was the last poverty recording.” Amazing! Celebrate the life of Ol' Dirty Bastard and watch the documentary below.
R.I.P. Russell Tyrone Jones aka Ol' Dirty Bastard.
Audio Two consists of brothers Milk Dee and Gizmo. Milk Dee is widely known for his pitched, off-beat rhyme style, and his infatuation with milk. In his video for "I Don't Care," he is seen riding around Brooklyn in a milk truck drinking milk, which helped promote his image. In 1987, Audio Two dropped their classic single "Top Billin" which helped change the Hip Hop landscape. "Top Billin" has been sampled over 300 times! Audio Two and their sister, MC Lyte, were signed to the First Priority Records label, of which their father was president. Now, it appears there is a documentary in the works telling The Untold Story of Audio Two. It's just a teaser at this point, but check out the video below - directed and produced by James Kraze Billings for King of Content Productions.
The Documentary is the debut studio album by West Coast rapper, The Game. It was released on January 18, 2005, by Aftermath Entertainment, G-Unit Records and Interscope Records. The record serves as his major-label debut, preceded by his independently-released debut Untold Story in 2004. In 2001, while The Game was in hospital recovering from a shooting, he decided to pursue a career in music. He released the mixtape, You Know What It Is Vol. 1 in 2002, which was later discovered by legendary producer Dr. Dre and led to him signing The Game to his label, Aftermath. The Documentary includes production from high-profile producers such as Dr. Dre, Kanye West, Scott Storch, and Timbaland, among others, as well as guest appearances from 50 Cent, Eminem, Nate Dogg, Faith Evans, and more. This would be The Game's only album on Aftermath and G-Unit Records, as he left the label later in 2005 after a feud began between him and fellow G-Unit label-mate 50 Cent. Along with his debut LP, The Game released The Documentary DVD, which served to show you The Game up close, in/out the studio. The LP was released on 01/18/05. Updated below...
You can also stream The Documentary album below...
During the late 1980s, at the height of New York's brutal crack cocaine epidemic, one man terrorized the city's most notorious gangsters. Armed with a bulletproof vest and an arsenal of weapons, he robbed, killed and extorted Brooklyn's biggest hustlers. A cold-blooded crook, he was the 'hood's version of Billy the Kid, bragging that - one day - he would get rich or die trying... His name was Kelvin Martin. Most knew him simply as "50 Cent", as told on the this 2005 documentary entitled, The Original 50 Cent by Froi Cuesta and Tony Turner. The documentary is hosted by veteran journalist, Bonz Malone, and there are cameos from DJ Scratch, Eric B, 50 Cent and more. If the documentary gets pulled by YouTube, please give me a headsup, so I can update this AGAIN.
The Scarface 4 Life documentary was released Feb 18, 2005 by the Big Apple Distributors studio. Rikers Island in New York City is home to a fearful penitentiary with a lengthy – and often troubled – history. Filmmaker Troy Reed chose Rikers as the location for his documentary, entitled Scarface 4 Life, in an attempt to convey some of the disturbing events that have taken place on the island. Drawing on some fearsome events that were triggered in the late-1980s and early-1990s, Reed highlights police corruption, inmate slayings, and plenty more besides in this powerful portrait of a bleak institution. This is still an incredible, must-watch documentary. Please watch it below, but be advised that this a graphic documentary, and should not be viewed if you have a weak stomach.
In the summer of 2003, the Entertainers Basketball Classic (EBC) in Harlem New York took the nation by storm, and put the world of street ball on notice. Bringing the biggest stars of Hip Hop, sports and politics together in one place. Highlighted by Hip Hop rivals Jay Z and Fat Joe, along with their star studded teams, EBC was set to have the most anticipated championship in street ball history. Thousands filled the street of Harlem, and with standing room at Rucker park the lights went out, and never came back on. The largest blackout in U.S History crippled Manhattan and EBC Championship game. The Blackout sorts though the gossip, rumors and urban legends as it turns the lights back on at Rucker park and retells the story of the biggest street ball game that never was. In unrelated news, Happy Born Day to me! Another year in the books, I'm glad I made it this far.
