Non-Stop Hip-Hop

If you like hip-hop but are not quite "down" enough to mix it "up" at an actual show, consider settling for a movie about hip-hop. Lucky for you, the Fifth Annual Hip-Hop Odyssey International Film Festival kicks off May 31 and continues through June 17. The festival assembles a deep posse of hip-hop talent and otherwise notable observers of hip-hop culture, including the likes of Ed Lover, Warren Mooney, and of course, "Former Gangster/Writer" AZie Faison, Jr., to drop a name. There will be panel discussions preceding the screenings of both short- and feature-length films addressing the cultural, political, commercial, religious, and technological state of hip-hop across America, but also in Turkey, Ghana, Morocco, Cuba, and the Republic of Texas. After the jump, some of the notable panels and films of the festival, held at ImaginAsian on East 59th Street.

Panels:

Friday, June 1
6 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
In Living Color: The Hip-Hop Actor's Studio
Inspired by cross-over stars like "Big Willy Style" Smith, DMX, and both Ices (T and Cube), hip-hop has broken into acting in a big way. Check out what some TV and Hollywood notables (including a few actors from HBO's The Wire) have to say about this phenomenon.

Friday, June 8
6 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Under the Influence: Hip-Hop's Cosa Nostra
A panel of authors, rappers, and media types gather to discuss why and how hip-hop has become so hopelessly intertwined with gangsters and guns and hos, and so forth. Exploring the narratives of Biggie, Tupac, Big L, and other luminaries, this discussion seeks to discredit the glamorization of violence.

Thursday, June 14
6 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Venus Rising: Women Shaping the Future of Hip-Hop Media
The fairer side of hip-hop is explored in depth by a panel of journalists and authors who share their insight on the ladies of the hip-hop universe. Seeking to debunk such myths as "bitches ain't shit" and "the world is filled with pimps and ho's," these ladies break one off against the patriarchy.

Films:

Saturday, June 2
1 p.m. - 2:45 p.m.
Bastards of the Party
Cle "Bone" Sloan's experience was forged in the crucible of Los Angeles's gang warfare and strife. The former Blood addresses "modern gang culture" with this feature-length documentary.

Friday, June 8
8 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Big Pun: The Legacy
Though the film is only 3 minutes long, the subject is over 3 "C-notes" of hip-hop fury. This competition feature on the inimitable Big Pun features hurried interviews with other hip-hop artists and live footage of between-meals performances from the massive boriqua.

Sunday, June 10
1 p.m. - 2:45 p.m.
Bridge Da Gap
Promising "edutainment" and "insightful interviews," this feature documentary can't help but bridge the gap between hip-hop's glamorous MTV image and the sorry state of black, urban America while simultaneously offering a history lesson in global hip-hop culture.

Tuesday, June 3
8 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Blaze: The Truth Through Hip Hop

Sunday, June 17
2 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Holy Hip-Hop
Sure you listen to a ton of Christian rock, but what about Christian hip-hop? Change just one letter from JC and you've got the most old-school MC imaginable. Dubbed "Holy Hip-Hop," this movement is responsible for the six black Republicans in this country, and it's represented in two separate feature documentaries.

Friday, June 8
8 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Guilty or Innocent of Using the N-Word
"The N-word" could be the single most-used word in hip-hop, but it's also the most contentious. This documentary drops N-bombs like they're going out of style in an attempt to address the issue of the word's meaning in contemporary culture.

These next three films find hip-hop steez in the darndest places, like Ghana, Turkey, and Japan.

Tuesday, June 3
8 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Hip Life: Hip-Hop in Ghana
"Hip Life: Hip Hop in Ghana" follows a group of "Hiplife" musicians as they "move across the political and musical landscape of urban Ghana."

Saturday, June 16
2:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Hiphopistan: Representing locality in a global city
"Hiphopistan" proves once in for all that Turkey has got more going for it than flaky pastries by tracing "the impact of Hip-Hop culture on Istanbul youth."

Friday, June 15
8 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Re-Mixed in Japan
Already known for their breakdancing and jumpkicks, this film addresses the onslaught of hip-hop that has attacked Japan like a giant, musical Godzilla.

Saturday, June 9
5 p.m. - 11 p.m.
Wu: The Story of the Wu-Tang Clan
This documentary traces the success of the Wu-Tang clan from their humble roots on Staten Island to the dizzying heights of superstardom. It features totally unintelligible interviews and rapping from Ol' Dirty Bastard, who apparently took time out of his busy schedule of being insane, doing crack, going to jail, and dying to appear in the film.

-- Isaac Kardon