Review: Freestyle 101: Hip Hop History

This documentary takes a deep dive into the history of freestyle hip hop. Did you know that "freestyle" was we know it today - coming up with a rhyme off the top of your head is not how it originally started? Some took it to mean a rap you just hadn't heard before. I didn't know that, but thankfully director Frank Meyer is hear to educate me.

I love hip hop, but I can't call myself an expert of it by any means, especially freestyle. To me that's always been poetry in motion. Something I greatly respect and know that I could never ever do. Watching these musicians talk about their process, how they got started, then seeing them spit their rhymes made for a great watch. At one point, someone mentions excelling in rap battles with his scientific word play, only to be thrown off when someone simply told him to "suck his dick" in a rhyme. It's funny how such a basic insult can throw someone off. 

I found the whole thing fascinating, especially when they got into the differences of freestyling vs making records and how you're not always great at both. The film chooses to follow two freestylers more than others, Open Mike Eagle and Iron Solomon. Their hustle is insane, but they're still out there doing it. Maybe if you're already very into Hip Hop's history, this won't be a lot of new information, but if you're someone like me who just enjoys listening to it, then it's a great doc.

Grade: B