Freestyle
By Ryan Bonnick

At a point in time in American history where Hip-Hop has taken the dreaded step into the commercially achieved, and artistically restrained realm of music known to most as "pop", " Freestyle - The Art of Rhyme " displays the spirit of rap music as the bold and edgy new art form that once existed. Kevin Fitzgerald's documentary showcases the talents of several rappers around the country, young and old, performing the spontaneous rhythmic delivery of rhymes - also known as 'freestyling''. While the precise definition of this term is debatable, the inspiration behind all forms of the art is crystal clear. It's basically a lyrically based platform, which equally combines an attitude of humility with conceit, and connects our basic inner consciousness, with the 'in your face' reality of day-to-day life, people, and situations.

This film captures the side of Hip-Hop that MTV ignores, Top 40 neglects, and Billboard Magazine still hasn't figured out how to relate to. Not only does it translate the spirit of the various circles of improvised rap sessions known as 'ciphers', but through some of the interview sessions with the rappers and fans, it also translates the ideas related to freestyling that never really get exposed. Some of the rappers talk about what it's like to experience the bliss of being in the zone, and some to the fans talk about witnessing it. Some members of the older generation (Umar Bin Hassan, Abiodun Oyewole - Last Poets) bring validity to the art form, claiming it to be as relevant in today's culture as poetry, Jazz, and the preaching of Baptist Ministers

The film also serves as a snapshot of where this form of Hip-Hop is today. As hard as it was for director/creator Fitzgerald to find the ciphers, it's equally as hard for young kids today to be exposed to, and seduced by the gritty and not-so glamorous side of the music that now dominates the music scene. Sadly, this film shows the disintegration of a once solid haven for kids across the country. If the alternative to freestyling is writing/collaborating with producers to make records that sell, the eventual demise of it is almost inevitable. As a spectator/beat box mentions in the film, " the goal of writing is to make money and mass produce records; the goal of freestyling is to throw something out and never do it again - that's what makes it free ".

The lack of several incredible performances is where the film falls short, however. Aside from some of the 'top dogs' throwing down lyrics (Supernatural, Black Thought, Juice, Mos Def), several of the anonymous heads in the film are not necessarily representative of the underground superstars that actually exist. Some of the rappers are just straight wack. Every rapper has a weak moment in his/her lifetime, but to have it captured on film is as painful to the viewer as it is to the spitter. Of course, one can say that the rappers shown are brilliant, rhyming of the top of the head, making sense, and being relevant - which is true. The fact still remains, however, that there are much better rappers, and rap circles out there than this film actually shows, and in this sense, it does a slight disservice to the image of the sacred, and heavily guarded freestyle rap community.

The production of the film was done in freestyle fashion itself. The process from the beginning was almost completely unplanned. A former DJ, Kevin Fitzgerald one day just began filming several of his friends as they were getting into the cipher with their fellow rappers. Several hours were captured on film, and eventually the concept of the film was born. Fitzgerald then went on a mission to cinematically describe the phenomenon through the actual lyrics of the rappers, and the picture that he paints through their words.

The film, in general, succeeds in telling a unique story of one of the most important aspects of American music in the past 20 years. It has several subplots mixed in between the ciphers and the storytelling. The rise and fall of an emcee through verbal combat (battle) is shown. Also the debate over the true definition of freestyle is explored. The film hits its peak with old footage of a freestyle session with Tupac and Biggie Smalls -- rapping together. But perhaps the greatest accomplishment of this film, is that it boldly gives a portrayal of the totally neglected and disregarded form of music, that has basically no chance of ever becoming a lucrative option to record executives. So in a sense, this film basically serves as commentary about the purity of music, and the soldiers that truly believe in it.