Independent Lens . HIP-HOP: Beyond Beats and Rhymes . Learn More

The Film

God Bless the Child Productions
The Web home of HIP-HOP: Beyond Beats and Rhymes filmmaker Byron Hurt’s documentary production company includes links and information on past films.

PopMatters.com: B-Boys Will Be Boys: An Interview With Byron Hurt
In this PopMatters interview, Hurt talks about hip-hop, the community’s “moral anxiety” and industry pressure.

VIBE.com: Byron Hurt: On Manhood in Hip-Hop
Hurt talks to Vibe about the making of HIP-HOP: Beyond Beats and Rhymes.

RottenTomatoes.com: Sundance: Interview with “Beyond Beats and Rhymes” Director Byron Hurt
Hurt discusses getting into filmmaking in this interview at the Sundance Film Festival.

NU Magazine: First-Person: Byron Hurt
In this essay for Hurt’s alma mater, Northeastern University, the filmmaker talks about his career as a documentary filmmaker and how he had to “stop dreaming… and become one.”

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The People

Jelani Cobb
Read book excerpts, essays, fiction, reviews and other writing by Jelani Cobb.

Michael Eric Dyson
Visit the Web home for author and self-proclaimed “hip-hop intellectual” Dr. Michael Eric Dyson.

Sarah Jones
Find out more about the latest projects by actor, poet and playwright Sarah Jones.

Jackson Katz
The Web site for anti-sexist male activist Jackson Katz includes a list of ten things men can do to prevent gender violence.

An Interview with Kevin Powell on Hip-Hop, Race and Politics
Read an interview with author and activist Kevin Powell, who is featured in the film.

Rev. Conrad B. Tillard Ministries
Visit the Web site of Reverend Conrad Tillard, the “hip-hop minister” featured in HIP-HOP: Beyond Beats and Rhymes.

Mos Def
Get the latest news, audio clips and more at this Mos Def site.

Fat Joe
The rapper’s official site includes a gallery, media samples and cell phone ringtones.

Talib Kweli
Kweli’s site features message boards, the latest updates, audio clips and more.

PublicEnemy.com
This site about the seminal rap group contains news, a message board, lyrics and the Terrordome blog by Chuck D.

Jadakiss
Get up-to-date tour and recording information at the official Jadakiss site.

Nelly
Listen to the Nelly jukebox player, view photos or download multimedia.

50 Cent
50’s official site includes a gallery, discography, headlines and audio and video clips.

Tim’m West
Poet, artist, author and rapper Tim’m West’s site features an interview, music clips, news and more.

Russell Simmons: Brilliant Careers
This 1999 Salon.com article profiles the career of hip-hop entrepreneur Russell Simmons.

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The Music

B-Boys.com
This massive site features a timeline, links, photo galleries, MP3s and track lists from old school hip-hop tapes.

RapStation.com
Chuck D’s comprehensive site includes hip-hop headlines, MP3 downloads, streaming audio, remixes, message boards and commentary.

AllHipHop.com
Read feature articles, interviews, news, editorials, music reviews, recaps, gossip and columns on hip-hop.

VIBE.com
The Web presence of the music magazine includes blogs, photo galleries, exclusive online articles and multimedia.

Rap Attack Lives
Listen to college rap radio and get the latest news, charts and picks in underground hip-hop.

Rock Steady Crew
The home page of the Rock Steady Crew, established in 1977 by Bronx b-boys Jojo and Jimmy D has photos, event listings and forum postings.

Can’t Stop Won’t Stop
Read excerpts from Jeff Chang’s book Can’t Stop Won’t Stop: A History of the Hip-Hop Generation. Check out the blog, reports on hip-hop activism and more.

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The Issues

PBS: Tavis Smiley: "Examining Hip-Hop Culture"
This Tavis Smiley feature offers a selection of video and audio interviews with top hip-hop artists and authors discussing social issues around hip-hop culture and commerce.

Mentors in Violence Prevention
Read about the work of the Mentors in Violence Prevention Program at Northeastern University, where filmmaker Byron Hurt served as associate director.

Men Stopping Violence
A social change organization dedicated to ending men’s violence against women, Men Stopping Violence strives to “dismantle belief systems, social structures and institutional practices that oppress women and children and dehumanize men themselves.”

National Sexual Violence Resource Center
The Web site for the NSVRC features an online library and information on research and policy regarding sexual violence prevention and intervention.

My Sistahs
The MySistahs Web site was created by and for young women of color to provide information and offer support on sexual and reproductive health issues through education and advocacy. Read features on related topics, including hip-hop and misogyny.

MediaChannel.org: U.S. Media Ownership Rules
Learn more about media conglomeration and ownership concentration and what you can do about it.

Media Education Foundation
The Media Education Foundation fosters “critical thinking and debate about the relationship between media ownership, commercial media content, and the democratic demand for free flows of information, diverse representations of ideas and people, and informed citizen participation.”

Center for Creative Voices in Media
The Center for Creative Voices in Media is “dedicated to preserving in America's media the original, independent and diverse creative voices that enrich our nation's culture and safeguard its democracy.”

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Books

Between God and Gangster Rap
By Michael Eric Dyson
(Oxford University Press, 1997)
These essays by Baptist minister and Professor of Communications Michael Dyson present a complex work on race, identity and American culture.

Hip-Hop America
By Nelson George
(Penguin, 2005)
The author of The Death of Rhythm and Blues tells the wide-ranging history of rap and hip-hop as both an art form and an economic and cultural force.

The Hip-Hop Generation: Young Blacks and the Crisis in African American Culture
By Bikari Kitwana
(Basic Civitas Books, 2003)
Former The Source editor Bikari Kitwana examines the state of post-civil rights black America and the legacy of the hip-hop generation.

Deconstructing Tyrone: A New Look at Black Masculinity in the Hip-Hop Generation
By Natalie Y. Moore and Natalie Hopkinson
(Cleis Press, 2006)
Journalists Moore and Hopkinson examine black masculinity from a variety of perspectives, presenting a multifaceted portrait of African American men today.

Check It While I Wreck It: Black Womanhood, Hip-Hop Culture, and the Public Sphere
By Gwendolyn Pough
(Northeastern University Press, 1994)
Pough explores the complex relationship between black women, hip-hop and feminism, demonstrating how black women rappers are constructing their own identities in hip-hop.

Black Noise
By Tricia Rose
(Wesleyan University Press, 1994)
Professor of History and Africana Studies Tricia Rose offers the first detailed exploration of rap music within its social, cultural and artistic contexts.

Everything But the Burden: What White People Are Taking from Black Culture
Edited by Greg Tate
(Harlem Moon, 2003)
Edited by Village Voice writer Greg Tate, this collection of essays examines how a majority, dominant American culture has appropriated elements of a minority culture.

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Sources

The following served as information sources for this site:

Who's Who

Beliefnet: Who’s Who: The Most Influential Black Spiritual Leaders

Michael Eric Dyson

Dragonfire: Hip-Hop 101: A Lesson in Cool Culture

African American Literature Book Club: Kevin Powell

Jelani Cobb: Bio

Biography of Jackson Katz

Spelman College: Centers of Distinction: WRRC: Beverly Guy-Sheftall

VH1.com: Fat Joe: Biography