I love all kinds of music. I love all kinds of movies. I love rap music, therefore, you can probably guess that I also love rap movies. (And you’d be right!)
I’ve discussed a few on this website, like when I pitted the Notorious B.I.G. biopic against the 2Pac biopic, or like when I did that hip-hop adjacent article where I talked about some of Method Man’s greatest contributions to movies and TV shows. But now, I want to do my most challenging article yet, because I’m picking what I think are the best rap movies from every decade, starting with the ‘80s.
Because hip-hop turned 50 not too long ago, which is definitely a cause for celebration. I would start from the 1970s when hip-hop first began, the earliest rap/hip-hop movie is considered to be 1983’s Wild Style. So, would that be my pick for the best rap/hip-hop movie of the 1980s? Well…
The 1980s: Krush Groove (1985)
No. Wild Style would not be my pick. It does have plenty of rap music in it, but it’s primarily a movie about bombing, a.k.a graffiti art. There’s also breakdancing in it, and honestly, if you were to ask me what hip-hop actually looks like, I’d probably point you in the direction of this movie because it consists of what I consider to be the four elements of hip-hop: bombing, breaking, DJing, and MCing (a.k.a rapping).
So, I think it’s a great early hip-hop movie, but I wouldn’t consider it a “rap” movie. Nor would I consider Style Wars, which came out in the same year. Also, while I’m all for films like Beat Street, and of course Breakin’, and Breakin’ 2: Electric Boogaloo, since I love dance movies (Like Step Up. Man, I miss that series), I also wouldn’t consider them “rap” movies, as they’re more breakdancing flicks.
I’d also love to consider the martial arts flick, The Last Dragon, but that’s more of a movie that’s been embraced by the hip-hop community (kind of like Scarface) rather than a hip-hop movie itself.
No, if I could pick only one rap movie from the 1980s, it would have to be Krush Groove, which is basically a fictional account of how Def Jam records came to fruition. Blair Underwood plays Russell Walker, who is a fictional version of Russell Simmons, and he’s trying to get his label off the ground with Rick Rubin. The group Run-D.M.C. is all the rage at the time, but Walker doesn’t have the money to get the records out. (Light) drama ensues.
Krush Groove is purely about rap music. You have some of the biggest acts at the time, like The Fat Boys, Kurtis Blow, and The Beastie Boys, and all of their music is played prominently throughout. The plot also centers around the industry, and it’s the most direct rap movie of the ‘80s, which is why it takes this spot.
The 1990s: CB4 (1993)
Ah, the ‘90s. That’s my decade. As a ‘90s kid, I remember the decade being absolutely flooded with what used to be called “urban,” or “hood” movies. Friday, Menace II Society, Boyz n the Hood, Juice, New Jack City, the list goes on and on.
Most of these movies featured rappers like Tupac Shakur, Ice Cube, or Ice T, and we were finally getting to see their acting chops. Some, like Ice Cube, may be more known for his contributions to movies than his music these days. But, does a film count as a “rap” movie just because it stars a famous rapper in it?
I mean, I’d say it doesn’t (though I’m going to break my own rule for the 2000’s), but I guess one could make that argument.
However, I’m going to stick with what I said for the ‘80s, and that’s that a rap movie actually has to be about rap music. So, when it comes to that qualification, there are only two movies that I could truly consider for the ‘90s, with those being CB4, and Fear of a Black Hat.
What’s funny is that both films are rap mocumentaries that are taking the piss out of the genre. They’re also both riffing off of N.W.A., and gangsta rap, and both are utterly hilarious.
So, with that said, it’s actually tough for me to pick one for the ‘90s, since Fear of a Black Hat is, in some regards, even funnier than CB4. But, I think it’s the star power that wins me over for the latter, as it has Chris Rock, Phil Hartman (R.I.P.), Charlie Murphy (R.I.P. again!), and Chris Elliott in one of my favorite roles of his. Both movies are cult classics, but if I HAD to pick one, then it’d be CB4. But again, it’s close.
The 2000s: 8 Mile (2002)
Okay, so after rap pretty much became a parody of itself in the 1990s, we got a few more serious rap movies in the 2000s. Being that Hustle & Flow is one of the best music movies of all time, I was really tempted to put that movie as the best rap flick of the 2000s, but that’s more of a drama than an actual rap movie.
Notorious, while not the best biopic in the world, was definitely what you could consider a rap movie, and the actor who played Biggie (Jamal Woolard) was so good that they got him to reprise the role in the 2Pac biopic, All Eyez on Me. But, would I call that the best rap movie of the 2000s? Naw.
Malibu’s Most Wanted might seem out of left field, but it harkens back to the rap comedies of the ‘90s, though nowhere near as good, so naw to that one as well. ATL? Well, that’s more of a coming of age movie, so naw a third time.
Really, I don’t know why I’m beating around the bush because the best rap movie of the 2000s is obviously 8 Mile, starring Eminem. Like, what else could it be? Pretty much a dramatization of Eminem when he was coming up, 8 Mile is all about battle rapping, which was huge back in the early 2000s. It’s funny to think that the film’s main legacy is probably the song, “Lose Yourself,” but hell, that’s a damn good song, so why not?
The 2010s: Straight Outta Compton (2015)
I’m going to be honest with you…the 2010s were absolutely wack when it came to rap movies. Even though I love The RZA, I found his Love Beats Rhymes to be subpar. Bodied is really good, but I already put a battle rap movie on this list with 8 Mile.
Dope is pretty interesting, and I love that it leans into ‘90s rap music, but I wouldn’t really consider that a rap movie. It’s more a coming of age flick. So, really the only choice I have is 2015’s Straight Outta Compton, and that’s honestly fine by me, since it’s an exceptional movie.
Telling the story of N.W.A. on the rise, and the troubles they went through as they popularized gangsta rap, it’s a little disappointing to me that the best rap movie of the 2010s is about a group from the 1980s (Is rap music already looking backward rather than forward?), but this is still a great rap movie, and my pick for the 2010s.
We’re not even halfway through the 2020’s yet, so I can’t pick anything for this decade (not that there’s really much to choose from), but what are your thoughts? Would you have picked differently? For more news on rap movies, be sure to swing by here often!