This past weekend, Jenn Duerr from DADA invited me over to chill at her place with Kevin Epps, director of Straight Outta Hunter's Point, Todd Hickey, director of Street Legends, and Lila Maes from the Center of Hip Hop Education. Sitting around on sofas, sippin' on some coffee, we talked a little bit about their films and the art of hip hop.
Recess: So Kevin, what's Straight Outta Hunter's Point all about?
Kevin Epps: It's about a predominantly all African-American community, and how this community came about during the war efforts. The blacks migrated there to help during the war and built a thriving community. After the war was over, the shipbuilding industry collapsed and left the black community there isolated with all these social-economic conditions--crime, poverty, drugs all seeped in and created a kind of unique situation, and there was all this energy and people. Even the hip hop, it was very much a part of the community.
Then there was a lot of alleged gang-related homicides within the hip hop community... real gangsta-like. That created this real, fuckin' like... it created a real war with murders--gang-related murders--and then there is music with this reflection and relevance to what they're livin'. Peeps are like "that's too harsh," but the reality of it is that's what they're living and that's what they're rapping about. It's intertwined into my life, cuz that's my story. Grew up there all of my life.
So do you flow yourself?
KE: Ha. I try to flow. I can't flow. Once you see Freestyle: The Art of Rhymes, if you're not a flow-er, you'll understand why it's good sometimes to not even try it... unless you just doing it just to fuckin' kick it with your boys. [In the film], you'll see the ultimate level of flows that will just shred you. It'll leave you speechless.
So Todd, you and Kevin know each other from way back?
Sweet, Sundance. So how has the Center for Hip Hop Education been involved?
TH: Basically at this point the Center and the film festival are one in the same. But the Center will provide us with the opportunity to do things outside of the festival. But at this point in time, the HHFF is the only existing project at the Center. We hope to do a lot in the future.
So what's Street Legends about?
TH: It's a tour documentary of the Living Legends, a hip hop group from the Bay Area. They were the original backpacker band, selling their CDs out of their backpack. We went on tour with them for three weeks.
Just following them around and filming everything, I bet there was a lot of editing.
TH: Nah, not really. There isn't much "you can't use that." I mean, there is a bit, but it's not what the fans would think. It's more personal egos, you know. "I don't look good in that," or "that shot wasn't flattering." Nothing like "oh, the public can't see that." They're pretty honest guys. We just wanted to give people the opportunity to see them doing their thing. It's important because it's people like them that inspired us to put our films out. Pure independence outside of any corporate structure. And not just outside because you can't be on the inside. But outside because you choose to be on the outside.
Lila, what is your involvement with the HHFF?
Lila Maes: I help organize and produce and promote. A little bit of everything. We all balance things and help wherever it's needed. If something needs to get done, somebody steps up. Right now we are kind of juggling responsibilities.
What are the future plans for the film festival? You guys going to go international?
LM: We would love to go international. Especially once you see the films you'll understand why. But basically, they need to be seen.
And there is definitely a global audience for hip hop. That's been shown in the past.
LM: And we need to educate each other and de-educate what's been formed around hip hop and allow people to see the light.
TH: There's definitely a global community that is interested in social change too, and that's the common thread. More so than hip hop really, it's the common thread of progressive and social change basically. It's all about social responsibility.
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