Freestyle: The Art of Rhyme (2000)

"Freestyle: The Art of Rhyme" is a pulsating exploration of the raw, impromptu form of hip-hop that thrives in neighborhood gatherings and high-stakes MC battles. This kinetic documentary captures the electrifying essence of freestyling - a rarely chronicled art form that celebrates spontaneous rhymes akin to the jazz solos and sermons of yesteryears, embodying the vibrant African-American storytelling heritage. Filmed over an intense span of seven years, the film has already gained cult status in the underground hip-hop sphere. It systematically shatters the distorted image propagated by record labels that equate hip-hop with violence or materialism. Instead, it provides a platform for authentic hip-hop artists, both renowned and undiscovered, to spin their narratives from a dynamic cocktail of language, politics, and spirituality. "Freestyle: The Art of Rhyme" offers viewers not just a glimpse, but an immersive journey into the heart of real hip-hop, where creativity thrives in the absence of scripts and rhymes flow from the core of the moment.

Freestyle: The Art of Rhyme is a documentary movie featuring Darkleaf and directed by Kevin Fitzgerald.

Freestyle: The Art of Rhyme is currently streaming for free (ad-supported) on VUDU Free and it's also available on Criterion Channel.

It is also possible to buy Freestyle: The Art of Rhyme on Amazon Video.