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Law and Disorder in Philadelphia
Law and Disorder in Philadelphia
This BBC series examines the state of the street violence and the drug trade in Philadelphia. For me, this piece is important because I work with young men mainly from Philadelphia already knee deep in the juvenile justice system. I want to warn you that the journalist, Louis Theroux, is more of a comedian and sensationalist than a sincere journalist. However, I do think that some valuable discussions take place in this documentary including: the exploitation of the youth by higher level drug dealers, police brutality, the role of drug dealers as community figureheads, the impact of the drug trade in these neighborhoods, the lack of cooperation and understanding between police and citizens and the issue of ‘No Snitchin.” Philadelphia is one of America’s incredible cities with incredible people but it also has some significant problems that need to be addressed more effectively. What do you think can be done to make a difference? As always, watch, enjoy, learn, comment and share.
Related articles
- That Ain’t Gangster…That’s Mental – The Philly SEPTA Bus Shooting (amilcook.com)
- Tattooed Teardrops: The Tragedy of The Tattoo Fad in Hip-Hop (amilcook.com)
- A Critical Film on Hip-Hop – Beyond Beats and Rhymes (amilcook.com)
A Critical Film on Hip-Hop – Beyond Beats and Rhymes
The following film by Byron Hurt, Hip-Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes, is a new classic. This documentary was released in 2006 and analyzes the Hip-Hop world from a critical and loving perspective. Byron Hurt touches on issues ranging from hyper-masculinity, misogyny, violence to homophobia and corporate exploitation in Hip-Hop music in culture. He interviews some of the leading figures from both the Hip-Hop world and the intellectual world…from Jadakiss, Fat Joe, Busta Rhymes, Chuck D, Mos Def, Russell Simmons and Talib Kweli to Dr. Michael Eric Dyson, Dr. Jelani Cobb, Kevin Powell and Nelson George. He emphatically shows how Hip-Hop goes far beyond beats and rhymes! Enjoy the entire film and share!
Related articles
- History Of Hip Hop (donbelo.wordpress.com)
- A Hip-Hop Fan Hunts the Reason Behind the Rhyme (The Washington Post)
- U.S. hip-hop film sparks debate on masculinity (Reuters)
