When CB4 lampoons the rap industry (and its image in white society), this movie really rolls. When it goes back to the 'plot' of the film (involving some jailed gangster and his revenge on CB4), you might have to fight to stay awake. Thankfully, the first hour of the movie is content to be a satire, and takes many well-aimed shots at 'gangsta rap' and the stereotypes it perpetrates. However, as soon as CB4 begin to wonder what they've become, you might want to hit the ol' fast-forward button. (Melodrama and cliched plot are murder for satires.) Chris Rock is funny as always, and the rest of the cast is surprisingly solid.
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Cragan13 February 1999
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deloudelouvain13 April 2022After watching CB4 I'm wondering how much royalties they had to pay because a lot of those gangsta tunes sounded very familiar. The music was actually the best thing about this movie, along with some good comical scenes. I laughed four or five times, good laughs, but overal that's not enough for a comedy. Parodizing the west coast rap gangstas was funny, the real artists appearing in a couple scenes was also nice to see, but it was the soundtrack that enjoyed the most. The story itself isn't that great, the acting is okay but not from everybody. CB4 is good to watch once but saying it's the greatest rapumentary of all time, to quote another reviewer, is highly exaggerated.
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scobbah27 June 2004I've heard various stories about CB4, so finally I had the conclusion that I just have to see this piece. CB4 covers all my funny prejudices about the gangsterrap culture, and starts out with a small crew who wants to end up like rap stars - it's all about the beat and the attitude! Chris Rock just plays his role like a mad man, so good and so real! I just laughed the whole time this piece rolled in the VCR, and these scenes who are shooting parody of the gangsterculture just takes home the first prize award - it's too much of the good stuff! It has a good point after all, and when the ending credits roll I felt that this was a true piece of acting - funny and creative as it does not follow any other film formula I've yet seen so far. 7/10!
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Sargebri16 February 2003This is one of my favorite movies of all time. I love the fact that they pretty much play on the myth that most rappers are essentially middle class kids who've never even smelled the ghetto but try to pass themselves off as true "gangstas". Chris Rock and the rest of the cast make this one of the funniest movies of all time as well as a great commentary on the music business. Also, Allen Payne shows that he has a great flair for comedy as he plays Rip and Candy Alexander shines as Cissy. She pretty much has fun playing the stereotypical groupie that everyone has written about from rockers to rappers. This film really is a classic.
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Rickardmovie25 February 2022I grew up with hip hop. And I don't mean that as some sort of white guy who got introduced to the culture through Eminem. I was 10 years old when I got into graffiti and thereby the whole hip-hop culture. This was mid 90s. Tupac and Biggie still had another year on this Earth. I, however, was more about the traditional ideas of hip hop as a movement against drugs, violence and racism. I was into Grandmaster Flash, Kurtis Blow, Run DMC, Sugar Hill Gang, Beastie Boys, Afrika Bambaataa and stuff like that. So, having spent the late 90s watching all the "gangster movies" like Boyz & The Hood, A Menace To Society, Dead Presidents, Colors, Blood In Blood Out, etc. Etc. I hade an honest and profound love for the genre and I had the necessary references for this movie. So, let's cut to the chase.
If you are into those movies and do have a love for hip hop then this movie is a blast and an absolute must, in the same way as the Wayans brothers classic "Don't be a menace to society while..." But if you have no love for NWA and know nothing about the culture then most likely you won't know the necessary references to really enjoy this.
I laughed my mass off the first time I saw it. I have not rewatched it since perhaps early 2000. But my rating is based on the experience I had back then. Hell, I liked CB4 so much that I even started a new graffiti crew called WL4 just because I found it so cool to have a letter in an acronym. Where their's is Cell Block 4, ours was "Writing on Line 4" as we were graffiti writers and the line that we ruled was number 4.
Enjoy! -
Prismark101 July 2015What Spinal Tap did to heavy rock, CB4 does to rap in the 1990s and it was about time.
Chris Rock is Albert, a decent guy who along with his friends want to hit the big time as rappers. They try every gimmick to break into showbiz. Albert inadvertently gets mixed up with a local hoodlum, Gusto getting arrested and decides to adopt his hard core gangster identity, MC Gusto and the group becomes CB4. They eventually raise the ire of conservative politicians but the record buying public love them but Gusto breaks out of prison and wants to get even.
The film succeeds because it makes pointed and prescient digs at gangsta rap and some of the songs they parody are actually very good and reflective of the music of the early 1990s.
The story is not the strongest, the satire always not sharp or even hits the target but the Rock and the rest of the cast seem to be enjoying the ride and real rappers turn up as to be in on the joke. -
kevin_robbins29 July 2023CB4 (1993) is a childhood favorite that's in the DVD collection and I recently watched for the first time in a long time on Tubi. The storyline follows a group of friends that are trying to find their way in the rap world and find their lane in gangster rap. Their history and lifestyle doesn't fit their lyrics, but that doesn't stop them from hitting their grove and having success. However, they don't expect success to expose their flaws and challenge their friendships...but it does.
This movie is directed by Tamra Davis (Half Baked) and stars Chris Rock (Boomerang), Allen Payne (New Jack City), Chris Elliot (Groundhog Day), Charlie Murphy (Norbit), Khandi Alexander (Scandal), Theresa Randle (Bad Boys), Isaac Hayes (Escape from New York) and Rachel True (The Craft).
This is an elite hip hop comedy parody and I adored how they tied in the real life hip hop artists from the era and the perceived lifestyle. The acting in this is top notch and this is one of Chris Rock's all time greatest performances. Charlie Murphy, Phil Hartman (Jingle all the Way) and Khandi Alexander deliver tremendous supporting performances. The writing is clever with fun scenarios, great dialogue, one liners and wild circumstances. The ladies in this are gorgeous, especially Alexander, and Wackee Dee was a hilarious character (played by Stoney Jackson, Trespass). The evolution of the friendship is well depicted and the ending is rewarding.
Overall, this is a classic that's an absolute must see. I would score this a 7/10 and strongly recommend it. -
"CB4" is worth seeing if you are a fan of rap music, Chris Rock, or lowball cultural humor. It has some extremely funny scenes, some great satirical rap songs, and a really stupid plot line.
Unfortunately, "CB4" could have been a lot more than it is. It doesn't come close to the humor or intelligence of the similarly-themed "This is Spinal Tap". The idea of making a spoof "rapumentary" is a good one, with a lot of humor potential, and the central casting of "CB4" (particularly Chris Rock and Allen Payne) is adequate. However, the movie is ruined by a particularly lame (and completely unnecessary) plot-line involving a real gangster trying to kill the self-styled "gangster rap" band members who have stolen his name and history.
Had "CB4" contained itself to a satirical "rapumentary" about a band of middle-class black guys posing as "gangster rappers", it might have been a truly excellent film on par with "This is Spinal Tap". Its lame plot reduces it to a sub-par comedy which is much less than the sum of its parts, some of which are truly inspired (The scene with Euripides working as a gay phone sex operator, "Straight Outta Locash" and "Sweat of my Balls" are particulary funny). -
This is by far one of Chris Rock's best works to date, and it's his first starring role! This movie has tons of talent, a tight plot (okay - you need a good ability to suspend your disbelief), and a palpable message.
It quickly became something of an underground classic as the early 90s launched the careers of many gangster rap artists. This movie does a great job of parodying the rise and fall of a gangster rap group.
It's got a unique urban flavor and is loaded with perhaps more race-driven humor than others may think necessary (many many MANY racial stereotypes are exploited in this movie, such as a local restaurant called "Big Ass Biscuit" where the young rappers frequented). However, it's done in a very tongue-in-cheek manner and the overall effect is hilarious, not heinous.
The addition to the cast of Chris Elliot playing the role of "A. White", the rapumentary's director, is brilliant. Elliot is great at playing a white fanboy who lands the job of working for his new favorite rap group, and he fumbles through the movie as only Chris Elliot can.
Phil Hartman is equally funny as Virgil Robinson, a local politician who tries to use CB4's profanity as his new platform for re-election (meanwhile, his son is addicted to CB4's music and image). The interaction between Virgil and his son in this manner represents how many parents viewed rap music as their children began to listen to it.
This movie is laden with parodies too numerous to list. The soundtrack is also quite good (if you like rap music at all) and includes the song "Sweat of my Balls" - a song featured in the movie (also hysterical, complete with a stage show of large testicles being dropped from the ceiling onto the crowd).
If you aren't easily offended, this movie is VERY entertaining. If you are able to look beyond the veneer of racial overtones and profanity, it also has a few points to make about the origins of "fake" gangster rap groups and their image.
Look for underrated performances by Tyrone Granderson Jones as "40 Dog", Richard Gant as "Baa Baa Ack" and Charles Q. Murphy as "Gusto".
I CAN'T WAIT for this to be released on DVD - if it ever will be... -
FlashCallahan20 February 2014Albert Brown and his buddies Rip and Otis are aspiring rappers who have tried every gimmick to break into the music business.
Eventually, Albert and the boys decide to go into gangster rap, with Albert assuming the identity of M.C. Gusto, who is really a local crime lord who is serving time in prison.
Eventually, Gusto finds out about the boys scheme and seeks revenge as well as a share of the profits......
When this film was released back in the day, I was just turning sixteen, and music and movies were a huge part of my life. Hip Hop and Gangster Rap were just really becoming big in the UK, thanks to NWA, Cypress Hill, and Ice Cube, saw I saw this movie a lot differently than I did over twenty years ago.
Seeing it now, there are flashes of genius, and Rock has never been better, but some of the sight gags really, really detract you away from the story and the narrative.
The music is still wonderful, and although the makers are poking fun at some of the artists who claim to be from South Central or wherever is cool at the time, but really middle class citizens with comfortable upbringings, it never forgets the fundamental reason that Gangster Rap is so successful.
Its funny, Murphy proves that only one sibling should work, but it's not as genius as I remember. -
madeazy4 August 1999whether you hate rap music or you don't this is one of the funniest movies about rap music. CB4 pokes fun at west coast gangsta rap that was popular in the early 90's- this had to be one of Chris Rock's funniest roles ever!!! The songs are really funny and all the characters in this movie make it what it is- from Chris Elliot to Phil Hartman.
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mechavsmonsters8 December 2020CB4 is on Amazon Prime so we took the chance to watch it and see how it still holds up after almost 27 years. I remember seeing this in the movie theater back when is came out in 1993 era. This film really had people laughing back then cause it was one of the first type of swish style comedies knocking the now at the time.
Basically it's using the group NWA as a motive to ride this. The film still has some good laughs after all these years. Chris Rock was young and full of energy in this. Still one of his best films and a end of a era of raw comedy where people weren't offended over every little thing like today. Stars also Charlie Murphy who has always been the comedic shadow of his brother, but always gt some good talent in him. If you grew up in the time where the late 80's early 90's where gangster rap took it like a storm then you have to enjoy this. They really found points to knock other areas of music of that time to.
The script is really good and you get your laughs, but sometimes you also can't laugh at something that isn't as fresh also. It's a good film to watch once in a blue moon if you remember the era. I haven't seen the film in 23 years and it brought back a lot of memories of the era. Some in the group didn't even know what to expect cause they never seen it while others have. It's a good fun film if your not offended by every little thing, and this film has tons of offensive things, and that was the point. In all you'll never see something like this again. These are the rare years of comedy that really knew how to take it extreme and have no apology over it.
The visuals and editing is your standard Hollywood level. There is no flaws here and was shot on film which is another thing you won't see in todays comedies. The film eneded up with a rated 6 which is a good number in our book and how it got voted after viewing. it's not the perfect film, but it's also not meant to be serious in any way either.
Good for a time when you need some good laughs. -
lastliberal5 April 2007There was a moment at the beginning of this film where we got to see 30 seconds of Halle Berry. That is the only thing that made my investment of time worthwhile. After that it was all down hill.
I guess this was supposed to be a mocumentary similar to This is Spinal tap. That would be cool except you have to listen to motherfu**er every other second and also subject yourself to a constant barrage of mysogenic, homophobic trash.
In addition to Halle, it also featured Khandi Alexander (CSI) and Teresa Randle (Girl 6), but to see them you had to suffer through Chris Elliott and Phil Hartman - hardly worth the effort.
Did I mention you have to listen to motherfu**er every other second? -
nailed-32 January 2000This movie is a classic. I had wanted to see it when I was younger, but of course I wasn't allowed to. I saw this a few months ago and it was even better now. This is one of Chris Rock's best performances, he nails the role of a rapper perfectly (not to mention his costume...). The movie was one of the first to feature parody raps and they are great, considering this film was Pre-Insane Clown Posse and the like. "Sweat from my balls" still makes me laugh every time I hear it.
Some might say this does not transfer to the new rap school, but It definitely does. If you were once a fan of oldschool rap or are still a fan of rap, this movie is definitely worth checking out. -
Dunta92917 July 2001This Movie Is The Most.....
Craziest and Stupidest films I have seen. But there's more...
The Movie is funny and entertaining and a good rap genre musical.
The movie has: Sex Scene. Language. and Parody Violent Content.
SPOILER: The funeral scene in a church where the man gave the dead man two black eyes because of some money he owed him.
Now I give that a *** out of **** -
This is really funny movie. It's well made in every way. Comedy must be one of the most difficult "art" forms, alongside with horror. It's very well written, the timing is good, actors are good. Full of good ideas. And it's not only funny, it's also kind of sad, humane and beautiful. It's made with love.
This movie makes you want to forget all the BIG, Tupac and Suge Knight sh*t. The people in this movie have beef also, but it seems more like they are playing: They are not serious psychopaths like some. But anyway, after the rap world has experienced very seriously what playing with guns does in real life, it's a little confusing feeling to notice that you're laughing to these guys who are popping' their machine guns. But if you can take it as humor and all that, it's good movie. After all, these guys didn't kill anybody.
But in the end, under the "irony" and humor, there is some small but serious messages and lessons to learn if somebody wants to. -
DunnDeeDaGreat16 March 2002CB4 is clearly Chris Rock's funniest film. The film is a right on target of hip hop culture. The film has many scenes including one in a restaurant called Big Ass Biscut and and the funeral scene. Look for Eddie Murphy's brother Charlie in a funny role as Gusto.
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bobert3416 July 2002I am writing this review upon seeing the move, CB4, for the third time. Even after watching this film twice, I still managed to laugh my way through 99% of the jokes. This movie showcases Chris Rock's unique and funny blend of black comedy which was still relatively unknown in his immediate post-SNL period of his career. The jokes are fast and fresh, and come one after another and still manage to get chuckles out of the audience. CB4 follows such films as Spinal Tap, in using the mockumentary style. CB4 provides a documentary for a rap group headed by Albert, Chris Rock. Rock's already established views on black culture fit in very well in his role as a middle class black man pretending to be a gangsta rapper. The supporting cast of Allen Payne and Deezer D as Euripides and Otis respectively, provide great personas for Rock to joke off of. The movie climaxes in a typical Chris Rock humorous way and leaves the audience feeling satisfied and happy. The movie is also enhanced by some killer cameos in the beginning by such rapping stars as, Shaq(during his ill-fated rapping days), Ice-T, Ice-Cube, and some other famous rappers. In a nutshell: I am only waiting for this film to be released on DVD so I can watch it over and over again.
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fibreoptic28 November 2004I'm no fan of Chris Rock. I pretty much find him totally unfunny but CB4 is an exception. Chris Rock is hilarious in this as a black middle-class wannabe rapper pretending to be a gangster rapper in order to make it big in the rap scene. CB4 tries to be a rap version of 'This Is Spinal Tap' and succeeds. Nice cameo's by Ice T, Ice Cube and a few other celebs playing themselves. My favourite scene is when Albert, Rip and Otis are Jammin' to Run DMC in the car. That was awesome! Another great scene is this one after the Run DMC jam where we see the guys doing several rap acts on open mic night. "The Bagheads, The Bagheads, The Bagheads" LOL!!! CB4 is an awesome comedy mixed with a bit of spoof. Highly recommended. 10/10
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fonklord7 February 2005I'm flabbergasted as to why this film has such a poor rating. It is hilarious, even if you do not have an interest in hip hop. If you do then it is probably one of the funniest films you will ever have the pleasure to see. Featuring all sorts of cameos inc. Ice T, Ice Cube, Chuck D, and Isaac Hayes in a truly surreal cameo (you'll have to wait till the end of the credit...), some top quality music from classic rap jams to hilarious spoofs of NWA's 'Straight Outta Compton', and the awesome 'Sweat on My Balls.' the film deals with all sorts of stereotypes from the rap game, sending them all up, but never totally criticising one particular method of getting over. I've seen this film hundreds of times and it never bores me. Watch it and you'll soon have your own favourite bits of dialogue.
'Pimp those MF hoes'! -
d-melino11 June 1999This film is an amusing highly quotable, high energy attack on the hypocrisy of rap music. It is a mock documentary in the style of Spinal Tap and uses the format extremely well.
Although the characters often descend into caricatures, the energetic performances from Chris Rock, Allen Payne and a great spot from Willard E Pugh as Don King baiting record label boss, Trustuss Jones, see this film through.
Great Soundtrack and comic songs such as Sweat On My Balls and Straight Outta Locash are excellent. I would recommend this film to anybody with an hour and a half to spare. -
bob the moo9 November 2004Cell Block 4 (or CB4 as they are known) are the hottest new gangsta rap crew and have had a documentary commissioned on their violent past. However the camera crew are with MC Gusto (aka Albert Brown) when he is shot at by someone whom Albert confesses is the real Gusto. Stuck in traffic, Albert tells the camera the truth behind CB4's middle-class background and how he and his friends formed the marketing image of gangsta's ho's and guns. However with so much faking behind them, how will the group react when Gusto gets out of jail and threatens to make their play become reality.
Even though rap music has moved into the mainstream to a great extent than it had in 1993, and many of the clichés lampooned in this film have changed slightly (from grimy to bling to the style of Fonzworth Bentley etc) this film still manages to be funny and on the nose enough times to be worth seeing. The plot doesn't really matter because the aim is to spoof the rap scene and it does this pretty well; of course the threads around Gusto and Virgil are pretty loose as a result and this took away from the film but it does other things better. The humour is pretty broad so don't expect anything as clever as Spinal Tap here, but it produced enough laughs in me from the basic rather crude stuff while also hitting hip hop quite a few times nice and hard!
Hip hop was an easy target then and it is an easier target now since it is influencing western culture more than ever to its own detriment it must be said. The gags are funny but could have been a lot sharper since it only apes the industry but never really seems comfortable to rip it down or make it look as totally silly as it sometimes can in reality. Fans of the genre will like the film because it does this it spoofs but never in a malicious or harmful way, if anything it is more affectionate. The cast are pretty good even if the lack of any real names (at the time) meant that it had a rather low rent feel to it. Rock is pretty funny but never allowed to be as funny as he could have been due to the very general and basic material likewise Payne and D are both OK but only as good as the material allows. Elliott is weedy and rather annoying, while the always welcome presence of Hartman is wasted as the film sort of just doesn't know what to do with his side of the film. Murphy is OK although I found the resemblance to his brother to be a bit distracting. The support cast throws up a few well-known faces from stardom as well as people like Randle etc but really the material is too basic for any of them to shine.
Fans of the music scene will enjoy it because it pokes good natured fun at the clichés within the genre but the casual viewer will find these to be easy targets without the sharpness they deserve and without a good narrative to really make it that engaging. An enjoyable film but hardly an insightful one although it has enough basic laughs to it to make it worth watching. -
gondee1 July 2001This movie is one of my favorite satirical comedies right up there with Airplane...that's right, up there with the big 'A'. The group member's names are perfect (Dead Mike and Stabmaster Arson particularly). The satirical rap songs in the movie are so well-written (parodies of old-school hits) that it's easy to finish watching this movie and find yourself humming the songs. Of course, this movie has its share of sex jokes (Rip as a phone sex operator and Chris Rock sleeping with the big-haired groupie are a hoot) and lewd language (warning: f-word some 78 times).
Go into the movie with a eye towards lambasting the rap industry and you should get some good laughs. Remember this was made still EARLY in Chris Rock's career, the humor in this is not as fine-tuned as some of his newer stuff. I've heard Chris Rock thinks of this movie as his "one bad movie", but if you know even a little about the rap industry, you'll love it. 7.5 outta 10. -
LATENITE25 October 2001Even for a SNL-actor related movie, this is pretty bad... I found myself only laughing out loud a few times (and not even hard laughter; more like chuckling). This movie fails at comedy AND general entertainment. I guess if you saw the group N.W.A. as a bunch of poseur rappers this could be hilarious (but then why did Ice Cube and Eazy-E have cameos in this???) because that is how this movie plays out most of the time. The stage performances by CB4 are the highlight of this film. Second to that would be Chris Elliot, who had a very small yet somewhat amusing role. Chris Rock was not nearly as funny as he is as a stand-up comic. If you want to see a much better parody of rap see Fear of a Black Hat, which was much more amusing. Whatever you do, don't see this. Please.