Dave Chappelle’s Block Party opens with the participants of the concert locked hand-in-hand, joined together in prayer. They pray to God for peace and they thank God for blessing their lives and for their talent. This may be the only film I have ever seen that starts in such an inspirational way, and this moment of positive spirituality sets the tone for the entire film, which is comprised of one uplifting moment after another.
Block Party perfectly exemplifies the rising differences between rap culture and hip-hop culture. By focusing on bands and emcees who strive for a positive message, and who are more than just a bunch of thugs, Chappelle and Gondry showcase an example of real urban culture; one not tainted by Hollywood producers, MTV, or wannabe gangsters. All too often, we are inundated with rampant negativity in rap music, a form of expression that really has nothing at all to say – it is no different than the vapid heavy-metal hair-band music that proliferated the air waves during the early 1980’s. By focusing on girls, clothes, and violence, most modern rap stars have forgotten the true message of hip-hop and urban culture.
I have always been mild fan of smart and intelligent hip-hop. I consider groups such as De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest, Public Enemy, EPMD, The Beastie Boys and cLOUDDEAD to be amongst the most talented groups around. The musicians featured in Block Party are no different. With a line up that includes The Roots crew as the house band backing up the talents of Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Jill Scott, Erykah Badu, Common, The Fugees and others, the concert is something of a hip-hop and neo-soul fan’s dream come true. However, the music is so great that it really does transcend the conventions of the hip-hop genre – it’s just good music, period.
There are three main stars to this concert film. The first of course is the man himself: Dave Chappelle. Chappelle is truly a gifted comedian – he is funny, smart, and humble, and comes across as a genuinely decent human being. He commands attention by being good at what he does, and not just by being an attention whore like so many lesser comedians. The second man of the hour is none other than ?uestlove, the genius on the drum throne. Let’s get one thing straight: Next to Steven Drozd of the Flaming Lips, ?uestlove is the best drummer alive today. This guy eats, sleeps and craps rhythm. Every time Michele Gondry focuses the camera on Love’s huge afro, as his head bops up and down to the beat, it brought a smile to my face. And, last but not least, we have Mos Def. Def has made quite a name for himself as a hip-hop artist and as an actor, and I have to say I admire him in both roles. He is soft-spoken, immensely talented, and like Chappelle, appears to be someone whom I would love to go out and drink a few bears with.
Most of all, and more than anything, the positive spirit and the earnestness of the performances, comedic and musical, made me feel good, and happy to be alive. It is rare these days to leave a movie feeling like you have seen something powerful and uplifting. Block Party is a prefect concert film, in that it deftly captures the buzz of the event, and it also makes the viewer envious of those who were actually there. My only complaint is that the film ended too soon – I would have loved to see the entire concert filmed from start to finish, unedited, a luxury I am sure will be afforded on the DVD. I cannot recommend this film enough. If you are a Chappelle fan, or a hip-hop fan, it really is a no-brainer. Even if you are not a fan, the film so expertly transcends any kind of genre or social boundaries, that I imagine anyone who likes good music and great cinema to be thoroughly engaged.
I did notice an interesting contrast between Block Party and the trailers shown before hand. The trailers shown were most definitely marketed towards the intended urban crowd, and they were full of the negative and mean spirited stereotypes so often depicted in urban entertainment. The films previewed looked like nothing but cheap Boys in the Hood rip-offs intended to cash in on the popularity of gangsta’ culture that is poisoning urban and suburban communities across the Nation. At one point during Block Party, ?uestlove and Chappelle discuss how sad it is that most of their fans do not look like them. It would be a wonderful thing if African-Americans and urban entertainers who professed a positive attitude could have the same influential force as the wannabe gang bangers and drug dealers that seem so cool to the youth of today. Unfortunately in today’s eat or be eaten climate, being positive just ain’t hip.
