
From neighborhood ciphers to the most notorious MC battles, "Freestyle: the Art of Rhyme" captures the electrifying energy of improvisational hip-hop--the rarely recorded art form of rhyming spontaneously. Like preachers and jazz solos, freestyles exist only in the moment, a modern-day incarnation of the African-American storytelling tradition. Shot over a period of more than seven years, it is already an underground cult film in the hip-hop world. The film systematically debunks the false image put out by record companies that hip-hop culture is violent or money-obsessed. Instead, it lets real hip-hop artists, known and unknown, weave their story out of a passionate mix of language, politics, and spirituality.
Cast

Muhammad Ali
Himself
Planet Asia
Himself
Bahamadia
Herself
Akim Funk Buddah
Himself
Eluard Burt
Himself
Myo Campbell
Himself

John Coltrane
Himself
Darkleaf
Himself

Yasiin Bey
Himself
Kirby Dominant
Himself

DJ Kool Herc
Unknown

Debi Mazar
Herself (archive footage)

The Notorious B.I.G.
Unknown

Tupac Shakur
Unknown

Boots Riley
Himself

Bobbito Garcia
Himself
Crew
Kevin Fitzgerald
Director
Paul Devlin
Editor
Rachel Raimist
Editor
Isaac Solotaroff
Editor
Todd Hickey
Cinematography
Daniel Kozman
Cinematography

Brad Abramson
Executive Producer
Ann Berger
Co-Executive Producer
Joey Anuff
Producer
Paul Devlin
Producer

Henry Alex Rubin
Producer

Youree Henley
Line Producer
Darkleaf
Music
Freestyle Fellowship
Music
DJ Organic
Music

Omid Walizadeh
Music
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