Rhyme and Punishment

Hip-hop has always had a connection with the street and criminal activity more generally. This movie explores that connection, but through the lives of several rappers who have been at some point incarcerated. The interviews are insightful and sufficient to say, I am scared straight. The acts described rang from drug use to actual cannibalism. If you ever thought going to prison would be a good way to earn cred for your rap career then this movie may steer you away from that.

The stories are so shocking that little is need from the filmmakers to keep this an engaging piece. Not to say they don't do a great job, but the material is just so rich.

I recommend this one highly, REPRESENT.

First of all let me say that normally I avoid documentaries. I find myself disinterested for some reason, but THIS one was very engaging.

This doc breaks down the rappers experience of a rise to fame followed by a trip to the pen. The film makers do a great job of explaining every part of the processes and giving a detailed look at the system that makes you feel like you understand what they go through.

Surprisingly all of the rappers speak with some level of competence. They have valid points to make about how the system is designed only to sustain its self and the industrial complex that has been built up around our prison system.

The rappers are all recognizable big names and that really drives the point home. To see Project Pat, whom was one of my favorite parts of "Adventures in Hollyhood", talking about his prison experiences reminds you that these are real people and not just their image.

This is a really good doc that features a ton of rappers and their different stories with crime and prison. It's definitely good to watch to hear about the real side of violence in Hip Hop but I was surprised the prison reform issues brought up. Everyone should watch it just to learn more about prison injustice.

I went in to this film expecting some bios from rappers who had been to jail. But with the engaging interviews I got a lot more than I bargained for. The rappers interviewed talked about everything from prison life to serious social issues with the prison system. The prison system is a mess and this film really brought that home for me. The stories of corruption by law enforcement are unreal. And with so many diverse and wells spoken rappers talking about it I'm pretty surprised. I cam out of this film with way more that I though I would and I really enjoyed it.

Oh and Big Lurch's Story is WILD. I couldn't believe it.