For episode 5 of their I.C. NYC documentary series, Dallas and Rafi document one of New York City’s indigenous species in it’s native habitat.

Previously: Internets Celebrities – I.C. NYC Episode 4 (Mofongo)

Meek Mill talks about Philly and what it was like growing up in his city.

Previously: Part 1

Kanye West and Jay-Z record WTT in Australia which will drop digitally on Aug 1st.

The Internets Celebrities head to Corona, Queens to eat Mofongo, investigate Mofongo’s origins and say the word Mofongo many, many times.

Mofongo >

Previously: Internets Celebrities – I.C. NYC Episode 3 (A Fair Slice)

Previously: Kidz In The Hall’s Here Now (Episode 5)

Second and final part to Cee-Lo’s documentary with ABSOLUT.

Previously: Cee-Lo Distilled Pt. 1 (Video)

I finally got a chance to check out the Tribe doc last night and I have to say that is one fine piece of film making they’ve put together. By now you’ve probably read a dozen reviews so there’s no need for me to reiterate how good of a documentary it is, but as you can imagine, it’s so much more to anybody who was there for the People’s Instinctive Travels-Midnight Marauders run. There are moments that literally gave me chills, like the scene where Q-Tip shows how he chopped up the “Can I Kick It” sample which then segways into some rare footage of a 1990 performance of the song in Union Square. Or when that “Excursions” baseline comes on as they’re talking about the mind state they were in when they sat down to make “Low End Theory”. Or this clip above, of Jarobi breaking down when expressing how he felt when Phife’s health took a turn for the worst. It’s nice to have a proper documentary about one of the greatest groups of all time, and it’s fascinating to hear all of the back ground shit we hadn’t previously been privy too, but it’s those little moments that take you back or help you understand how tight these guys really were at one point that makes this a must see.

You can catch Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of a Tribe Called Quest in select theaters this Friday.

Spotted: Complex

Here’s a nice little documentary on MPC wizard araabMuzik. Features some day in the life footage with the producer and a very ill light installation performance at the end.

Synopsis:

In December of 2010 Burn Energy Drink (A Coca-Cola Brand) put out a call for treatment submissions for a series of web films they were commissioning. Having recently worked with the young producer/MPC (Music Production Center) savant Araabmuzik, Director Alec Sutherland was inspired to create an installation that could be a real time, visual articulation of Araab’s actions on the MPC. The treatment for this idea was submitted and selected by Burn.

With a modest amount of money, Alec and his crew set forth to build a light setup that would converse instantly with Araab’s MPC. After a week of troubleshooting an array of computer software, DMX controllers, Midi converters, dimmer pads, electrical latency, power conversions, finally a pad on the MPC was pushed simultaneously lighting a single LED strip. 16 LED lights were custom wired and fabricated.

The shoot lasted two-days: the first spent documenting Araab in everyday situations accompanied by audio excerpts from a candid interview. The second was spent at Broadway Stages in Greenpoint Brooklyn, building the light setup and finally, recording Araab’s performance.

What you see of the performance is about three and half minutes of excerpts, taken from a nine minute set. Each set was shot on 4 cameras to enable a live, real time edit of Araab’s performance. The 16 lights are triggered exclusively by Araab’s actions on the MPC, the result being a precise visual translation of the music he’s creating.

This film has been completed for months but we were unable to release it do to Burn’s brand repositioning. Recently, they gave us a choice: release the film now on your own, or wait until August when Burn/Coca-Cola will put their corporate weight behind it. We have decided to release it now because we would like people to see it as something other than an advertisement. Thank you and we hope you enjoy.

Previoulsy: araabMUZIK Re-Does “H.A.M.”

ABSOLUT’s full documentary on Cee Lo Green is available on Facebook.

Previously: Cee-Lo Distilled (Trailer)

Man, I’ve been meaning to buy Jamel Shabazz’s book Back In The Days for years now but it always slips my mind. I’m about to go to Amazon right now as a matter of fact…

Above you will find the trailer for Jamel Shabazz: Street Photographer, a new documentary on the famed photographer and his priceless documentation of New York City during the 1980′s, by Wild Style directory Charlie Ahearn. There will be a special screening of the film this Saturday in NYC if you’re in the aread. Info below.

Jamel Shabazz- Street Photographer 74 min 2011 by Charlie Ahearn
This is the story of Jamel Shabazz, whose twenty five year mission to create a portrait of the Hip Hop generation became a world wide phenomenon with his book “Back In The Days”. Charlie Ahearn, director of the classic movie Wild Style, follows Jamel’s journey from his Brooklyn youth, through army service and work as a corrections officer, to his decisive photographic interactions on the streets and subways of New York. Interviews with Hip Hop legends such as Fab 5 Freddy, DJ Bobbito Love and KRS One, as well as with Jamel’s numerous portrait subjects, reveal the stories behind the photographs. Jamel Shabazz Street Photographer celebrates a unique artist who reflects the African American community and modern life.

World premiere of feature documentary
followed by panel including Jamel Shabazz, Charlie Ahearn, Fab 5 Freddy
Exhibition of photographs by Jamel Shabazz and reception
Sun June 26 at 3:30

http://bam.org/view.aspx?pid=3283

BAM Rose Cinemas
30 Lafayette Avenue
Brooklyn, NY