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copyright ©1999-2001
DigsMagazine.com.
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flick pick
| Fear
of a Black Hat 1993
Directed + written by: Rusty
Cundieff
Starring: Mark Christopher Lawrence, Larry B. Scott, Rusty
Cundieff, Kasi Lemmons
Language: English
Look for it at the video store under:
comedy
Watch it when you’re in the mood
for something:
true?!? |
The
critic says:
 / 5 the rating
system explained
Fun factor:
/ 5 |
Plot synopsis
Nina Blackburn is a graduate
student in sociology who’s doing her doctoral dissertation on rap
music, and at the center of her work is a documentary she’s creating
on rap group NWH (Niggaz with Hats). Fronted by loquacious Ice Cold and
backed by his two friends, the bitter Tasty Taste and easygoing Tone
Def, NWH are rising stars in the rap music world. As Blackburn asks the
boys of NWH the usual questions regarding the ubiquitousness of racism,
violence and misogyny in rap music, Ice, Tasty and Tone spin all manner
of bizarre justifications in their own defense, aware all the time of
how important it is for them to maintain that image of raw, dangerous,
100% authentic gangsta edge – even while they’re attempting to
expand their audience reach, giving into commercialism so that they can
start raking in the big bucks. Not surprisingly, as their fame increases
and the money starts flowing in, the raging egos of Ice Cold and Tasty
Taste begin to threaten the group’s future.
Review Let
me admit right now: I don’t know diddly about rap music. So I fully
expected to be completely bored by this rap version of Spinal
Tap – it seemed entirely likely that, given my complete
ignorance regarding the entire musical genre, the jokes would simply
swoosh right over my head. Amazingly enough, I actually laughed … a
lot in fact. And though there’s no doubt that this mockumentary’s
even funnier if you happen to know a little something about the music
and its history – the humor in seeing Tasty Taste on stage wearing a
huge trophy around his neck had to be explained to me by my boyfriend
– Fear of a Black Hat appeals on a broader level as well,
especially to anyone who’s ever watched their favorite little local
band suddenly hit it big, then struggle with balancing their integrity
with mainstream success. If you can see the inherent absurdity of an
artist insisting that his song titled "Kill Whitey" bears no
racist message, if the notion of a supposedly-controversial, old-school
rap song called "My Peanuts" makes you chuckle, if the mere
mention of a fictional prominent black filmmaker named "Jike
Springleton" strikes you as remotely amusing, you’ll find plenty
to enjoy about Rusty Cundieff’s fresh, funny, rather wonderfully un-p.c.
little film.
—reviewed by Y. Sun
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