Style Wars 2.0
In the twenty years that have passed between the original hip-hop classic doc,
and the 2002 DVD re-release, much has changed in the hip-hop mecca. From the progressive criminalization of vandals and graffiti artists to the collapse of the Twin Towers, graffiti bombing and the stealth techniques they must employ have been pushed further underground. Not underground in terms of the subway, but moreso on freight trains, billboards and other forms of citywide public property. Getting caught writing has become a Class-B felony in New York State and other places in the country. Graffiti has evolved from its own original medium of spraypaint and markers to something called post-grafitti - a medium as eclectic as the worldwide legion of writers who do it.
Style Wars' writers haven't acquiesced, they are shown in the film showcasing their expanded works.
MARE's collection includes sculptures and canvas, his take on the culture is analytical and curatorial. DURO retains his foundation in the b-boy core, expressing his passion in how the wildstyle lettering is built on the movement and energy of b-boy moves. SKEME has joined the ranks of the U.S. Military and his mother is back with the same style of comic relief she brought to the first film. Their light-hearted bi-lateral opinions hold sway to a few more funny moments. ZEPHYR and REVOLT return to where the ledge they showed off their burners last time to note that the empty and bleak space has been industrialized. Each SW writer brings a different facet in version 2.0. It's clear to see they aren't jaded, their unbridled connection to what gave them life is far from death.
The abstract, interplanetary RAMMELLZEE has a segment focusing on his geometric wildstyle sculptures he's designed over the years. Rocking a half-Predator, half-Zulu looking mask, he discusses the evolution of graffiti and trainbombing while explaining the signifiers of his creations. Using skateboards as the metaphor for subway trains and tweaked out wildstyle letters as the pieces, he vehemently notes the importance of a yesteryear culture, and its impact in the now. MIN ONE reflects on hard times, getting locked up and coming out of it as a father and CAP humbly speaks on his lack of a positive creative stance in the past. There are also some extra scenes cut from the original and a few videos from some current underground icons wrapped up in this 2-Disc set that is a great companion piece to the dusty old VHS tape many have in their personal libraries.
and the 2002 DVD re-release, much has changed in the hip-hop mecca. From the progressive criminalization of vandals and graffiti artists to the collapse of the Twin Towers, graffiti bombing and the stealth techniques they must employ have been pushed further underground. Not underground in terms of the subway, but moreso on freight trains, billboards and other forms of citywide public property. Getting caught writing has become a Class-B felony in New York State and other places in the country. Graffiti has evolved from its own original medium of spraypaint and markers to something called post-grafitti - a medium as eclectic as the worldwide legion of writers who do it.
Style Wars' writers haven't acquiesced, they are shown in the film showcasing their expanded works.
MARE's collection includes sculptures and canvas, his take on the culture is analytical and curatorial. DURO retains his foundation in the b-boy core, expressing his passion in how the wildstyle lettering is built on the movement and energy of b-boy moves. SKEME has joined the ranks of the U.S. Military and his mother is back with the same style of comic relief she brought to the first film. Their light-hearted bi-lateral opinions hold sway to a few more funny moments. ZEPHYR and REVOLT return to where the ledge they showed off their burners last time to note that the empty and bleak space has been industrialized. Each SW writer brings a different facet in version 2.0. It's clear to see they aren't jaded, their unbridled connection to what gave them life is far from death.
The abstract, interplanetary RAMMELLZEE has a segment focusing on his geometric wildstyle sculptures he's designed over the years. Rocking a half-Predator, half-Zulu looking mask, he discusses the evolution of graffiti and trainbombing while explaining the signifiers of his creations. Using skateboards as the metaphor for subway trains and tweaked out wildstyle letters as the pieces, he vehemently notes the importance of a yesteryear culture, and its impact in the now. MIN ONE reflects on hard times, getting locked up and coming out of it as a father and CAP humbly speaks on his lack of a positive creative stance in the past. There are also some extra scenes cut from the original and a few videos from some current underground icons wrapped up in this 2-Disc set that is a great companion piece to the dusty old VHS tape many have in their personal libraries.
Film and Music Reviews & More
Aesop Rock
Labor Days
Def Jux
2001
Stanley Kubrick had no clue about 2001!
9/11, the fall of music television, the rise of digital music . . all things considered, the 21st century set itself off like a flare bomb.
Somewhere in the last quarter of that year, I discovered Aesop Rock’s Daylight EP.
Only hearing the New York MC on CM Famalam and a weak spot on a Sage Francis mixtape, my scope was limited.
Daylight led to Labor Days, the official album. The URB promo sticker made promise: Aesop was emerging from the much-maligned undaground. 9 to 5ers Anthem stood out most
When the clock strikes nine
I'll be waking with the best of the routine caffeine team players
For the cycle of it
Under a dusted angel harp string Big Brother is watching my odometer
Like buzzard to fallen elk, talking stealth
Astute social observations of class, character and respect and pictorial presentations of life in a not-so-right America is what Aesop applies to the canvas of this album. Storytelling of the Slick Rick, Kool G Rap and Biggie caliber is shown on the fifth cut, No Regrets.
A tale of an artist spanning 80 years, broken into three verses. A tale spitten so vivid, a music video would ruin.
Behind the boards is Blockhead, the record's main beatmaker who taps into lush orchestral soundscapes while using minimalist drum machines and fluid arrangements to complement Aesop Rock’s sometimes abstract and Dadaist delivery. I remember friends saying he was lyrical, and while some were digging it, some couldn’t get it. The best rappers have always had mixed appeal or just not enough at all. The most redeeming aspect of this album is its replay value. After 5 years of run, there is always something new to experience. If it isn’t a phrase that dangles out of a piece of word salad or a pop culture reference, it could just be the horns or the careful placement of the samples.
Copyright 2006. A JB Production.