A Hip Hop Story

Traveling through four continents and six countries, The Furious Force of Rhymes is a fascinating look at Hip-Hop as trans-national protest music. Over the course of the eighty-four-minute voyage, the viewer encounters characters as diverse as Israeli Jews, marginalized French Arabs, East German skinhead punks and West African feminists, all of whom share a common musical language. Originating from the ghettos of New York, Rap has found adherents in every country in the world. Recognizing themselves in the oppression of U.S. Blacks, people everywhere have adapted the American street music to their own causes. From the Bronx to Africa, this is their story.

Three dance crews – one Latin American, one European and one Canadian – prepare to battle at the International Beat the World competition in Detroit. Along the way, they struggle with gambling debt, bad break-ups and their own egos. In the final showdown to become world champions they find that their lifelong hopes, dreams and even lives, are at stake.

Testimonials of various Greek hip-hop artists presented through the eyes of a fictional, newly formed hip-hop band

The documentary series tells of the journey made by Saïd M’Roumbaba (aka Soprano), son of Comorian immigrants born in Marseille’s Northern neighborhoods and now one of France’s most popular artists. It reveals a key element of this success: a friendship “for life” with the three other craftsmen of this saga: Mateo, Mej and Djamali.

Two decades after the album’s critically acclaimed release, hip-hop artist Nas teamed up with the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., to stage a symphonic rendition of “Illmatic,” one of the most revered albums in hip-hop history. Nas: Live From the Kennedy Center captures the energy and nostalgia of this collaborative performance.