Symphonic Hip Hop 4

Beat Street

An aspiring DJ, from the South Bronx, and his best friend, a promoter, try to get into show business by exposing people to hip-hop music and culture.

7.8

2022

The Conductor

Leonard Bernstein’s protégée Marin Alsop reveals how she smashed the glass ceiling to become an internationally renowned conductor.

2021

Stockholm Syndrome

Stockholm Syndrome chronicles the meteoric rise of contemporary trendsetter A$AP Rocky, capturing the exuberance of youth and urgency of hip-hop in equal parts, before taking a detour into darkness. With amazing access, the film reveals Rocky’s experience with the inequities of the Swedish judicial system and the dangers of stardom and scapegoating through a series of twists and turns, ultimately paralleling the need for prison reform in our own backyard. Directed by The Architects, the film blends archival footage with contemporary interviews, animation, and electrifying live concert footage to tell the astonishing story of how one of rap’s biggest superstars became embroiled in an international incident, leading to an unexpected political awakening.

2025

N.W.A.: Not Without Alonzo

Chronicles the origins and evolution of West Coast hip-hop through the life and influence of Alonzo "Lonzo" Williams. Known as the "Godfather of West Coast Hip-Hop," Lonzo’s journey began in 1976 as a young DJ, and over the years, he emerged as one of the most pivotal figures in the genre, discovering legendary artists like Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, and many others who went on to revolutionize music.

7.0

2009

Notorious

"Notorious" is the story of Christopher Wallace. Through raw talent and sheer determination, Wallace transforms himself from Brooklyn street hustler (once selling crack to pregnant women) to one of the greatest rappers of all time: The Notorious B.I.G. Follow his meteoric rise to fame and his refusal to succumb to expectations - redefining our notion of "The American Dream."

8.0

2012

Joan of Arc at the Stake

On November 17, 2012, Oscar-winning French actress Marion Cotillard joined the Barcelona Symphony and Catalonia National Orchestra for a performance of Arthur Honegger’s oratorio Joan of Arc at the Stake (Jeanne d'Arc au Bûcher) at the L'Auditori de Barcelona in Spain, broadcast live on Medici.tv. By Swiss composer Arthur Honegger, Jeanne d'Arc au Bûcher (1938) is an imposing oratorio. The libretto is a highly original creation by French poet and playwright Paul Claudel, who dramatises the last moments of the martyr's life. Originally written for actress Ida Rubinstein, the oratorio is written as a flashback in which Joan recalls her life, just before she dies. Honegger creates visually evocative ambiances and fills the orchestra with new sounds (saxophones, ondes Martenot). The initial prologue to the piece was added in 1944 as a symbol of the resistance during the Nazi occupation of France: again, Joan goes beyond her own story.

2002

8 Mile

For Jimmy Smith, Jr., life is a daily fight just to keep hope alive. Feeding his dreams in Detroit's vibrant music scene, Jimmy wages an extraordinary personal struggle to find his own voice - and earn a place in a world where rhymes rule, legends are born and every moment… is another chance.

2022

Denzel Curry's Melt My Eyez: Live From Komodo City Café

Denzel Curry performs his fifth studio album live.

7.2

2005

Hustle & Flow

With help from his friends, a Memphis pimp in a mid-life crisis attempts to become a successful hip-hop emcee.

7.6

Style Wars

Tony Silver and Henry Chalfant's PBS documentary tracks the rise and fall of subway graffiti in New York in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

7.8

2008

Les Mathématiques du Roi Heenok

An immersive dive into the world of Heenok and his collective Gangster & Gentleman, while touching on broader questions about the survival of hip-hop and the state of humanity. Did Roi Heenok really earn his first million at 18? Is he a real fake gangster or a fake real MC? And ultimately, is Roi Heenok truly a king?

2021

Sonic 30th Anniversary Symphony

30 years ago, on June 23rd, 1991, Sonic the Hedgehog was released on the SEGA Genesis, beginning a new era of gaming. Since then, Sonic has been running through countless zones, beating badniks, and saving the world with the help of his friends. This performance is to thank you, all of you, for being there every step of the way, and to remind us all of the amazing journey we've been on. Happy 30th Anniversary, Sonic!

5.4

2006

Check It Out, Yo!

Tomboy Yui (Mao Inoue) brings her 3 male friends along with her to see a live performance of local Okinawan rap group, “Workaholic”. Upon witnessing the crowd reaction, the boys decide to start a rap group of their own to impress chicks—while Toru (Hayato Ichihara) has the added motivation of impressing his older, more sophisticated love interest Nagisa (Ayumi Ito). With only 2 weeks to learn how to play instruments and prepare for their first show, the performance is predictably humiliating. In order to save pride they decide to give it another shot, but this time they ditch the instruments for a sampler and stay truer to themselves. Will Toru be able to capture Nagisa’s heart? Will Yui ever confess her love to Toru or will she just keep practicing her advanced pro wrestling techniques on him instead?

Gorillaz: Demon Days Live at the Manchester Opera House

7.6

2006

Gorillaz: Demon Days Live at the Manchester Opera House

Demon Days: Live at the Manchester Opera House is a Grammy Award nominated live DVD by Gorillaz, It compiles live performances by the band from the 1st through the 5th of November 2005 at the Manchester Opera House that recreated the Demon Days Studio album.

7.6

2004

Beyoncé: Live at Wembley

Live at Wembley is a video album by American singer-songwriter Beyoncé. It was released on April 26, 2004, by Sony Urban Music and Columbia Music Video. The DVD features her concert at Wembley Arena in London, as part of her Dangerously in Love Tour in support of her debut solo studio album Dangerously in Love (2003). Most of the songs on Live at Wembley originate from Dangerously in Love, although Beyoncé also performed a medley of past songs by her former group Destiny's Child. Live at Wembley was positively received by critics, with AllMusic giving it a grade of three-and-a-half stars out of five. The cover of Rose Royce's "Wishing on a Star", included on the album, was nominated in the category for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance at the 48th Annual Grammy Awards (2006).

5.9

2022

On the Come Up

Sixteen-year-old Brianna Jackson is a gifted rapper who plans to take the battle rap scene by storm to lift up her family and do right by the legacy of her father, a local hip-hop legend whose career was cut short by gang violence. However, when her first hit song goes viral for all the wrong reasons, she finds herself torn between the authenticity that got her this far and the false persona that the industry wants to impose on her.

6.8

2009

Copyright Criminals

Copyright Criminals examines the creative and commercial value of musical sampling, including the related debates over artistic expression, copyright law, and (of course) money. This documentary traces the rise of hip-hop from the urban streets of New York to its current status as a multibillion-dollar industry. For more than thirty years, innovative hip-hop performers and producers have been re-using portions of previously recorded music in new, otherwise original compositions. When lawyers and record companies got involved, what was once referred to as a “borrowed melody” became a “copyright infringement.” The film showcases many of hip-hop music’s founding figures like Public Enemy, De La Soul, and Digital Underground—while also featuring emerging hip-hop artists from record labels Definitive Jux, Rhymesayers, Ninja Tune, and more.

2026

ROCKSTAR

This film follows Dwixatary, an experimental hip hop rapper from Cikarang, navigating life shaped by poverty and personal loss. After dropping out of school and losing his father, music becomes his only space for survival and self-expression. Through Dwixatary’s journey and the voices of other Indonesian rappers, the film exposes the harsh realities of the underground hip hop scene—limited opportunities, economic struggle, and the long distance between process and success. As rare opportunities emerge and disappear, the story questions whether holding on to artistic belief remains possible when life demands certainty.

9.0

2018

Underdogs

Téo Frank was just 18 and an aspiring director when he decided to try his luck at filmmaking on the other side of the Atlantic. After a series of encounters and experiences, his trip took a turn when he crossed paths with photographer Mason Strehl in Alaska. Their encounter took him to New York where he got the chance to work with devotees to hip hop, talented artists like Awon Phoniks. From this adventure a documentary was born called UNDERDOGS. Who are the rappers in this film? Téo didn't know them when he began, and never dreamed their encounter would change his life the way it did.

2017

JoeyStarr, l'enfant terrible

JoeyStarr, with 10 albums alongside the NTM group, 5 solo albums, around ten produced albums, several film music compositions, and also a prominent actor with 2 César nominations. Adored or detested, he is a pillar of French rap, a producer, and a committed artist. This documentary traces the career of the most controversial artist in the French artistic landscape, who has managed to occupy both the artistic and political spheres with the same vigor and tenacity since the beginning of his career.

Recommended Movies

7.0

2020

Bigflo & Oli: Hip Hop Frenzy

Go backstage with French rap duo Bigflo & Oli in this intimate music documentary, then join the superstar siblings as they embark on a major tour.

6.4

2004

You Got Served

At Mr. Rad's Warehouse, the best hip-hop crews in Los Angeles compete for money and respect. But when a suburban crew crashes the party, stealing their dancers — and their moves — two warring friends have to pull together to represent the street.

6.9

Beat Street

An aspiring DJ, from the South Bronx, and his best friend, a promoter, try to get into show business by exposing people to hip-hop music and culture.

Breakin'

A struggling young dancer joins forces with two breakdancers and together they become a street sensation.

2019

Beats

An agoraphobic hip-hop prodigy and a disgraced former music manager cross paths in Chicago’s South Side and help each other face demons of their pasts.

2012

Something from Nothing: The Art of Rap

SOMETHING FROM NOTHING: THE ART OF RAP is a feature length performance documentary about the runaway juggernaut that is Rap music. At the wheel of this unstoppable beast is the film's director and interviewer Ice-T. Taking us on a deeply personal journey Ice-T uncovers how this music of the street has grown to dominate the world. Along the way Ice-T meets a whole spectrum of Hip-Hop talent, from founders, to new faces, to the global superstars like Eminem, Dr Dre, Snoop Dogg and Kanye West. He exposes the roots and history of Rap and then, through meeting many of its most famous protagonists, studies the living mechanism of the music to reveal 'The Art Of Rap'. This extraordinary film features unique performances from the entire cast, without resorting to archive material, to build a fresh and surprising take on the phenomenon that is Rap.

Metallica and San Francisco Symphony: S&M

8.7

1999

Metallica and San Francisco Symphony: S&M

Michael Kamen conducts the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra in support of metal rockers Metallica in this 1999 concert performance.

7.0

2012

Let It Shine

A teenage rapper must use his musical talent to help a friend and win the girl of his dreams while overcoming self-doubt and the expectations of his strict religious parents.

2021

Biggie: I Got a Story to Tell

Christopher Wallace, AKA The Notorious B.I.G., remains one of Hip-Hop’s icons, renowned for his distinctive flow and autobiographical lyrics. This documentary celebrates his life via rare behind-the-scenes footage and the testimonies of his closest friends and family.

6.5

2019

Let's Dance

After his crew breaks up, a gifted but insecure hip-hop dancer teaches at a top ballet school in Paris, where he falls for an aspiring ballerina.

6.4

2002

Biggie & Tupac

In 1997, rap superstars Tupac Shakur and Christopher Wallace (aka Biggie Smalls, The Notorious B.I.G.) were gunned down in separate incidents, the apparent victims of hip hop's infamous east-west rivalry. Nick Broomfield's film introduces Russell Poole, an ex-cop with damning evidence that suggests the LAPD deliberately fumbled the case to conceal connections between the police, LA gangs and Death Row Records, the label run by feared rap mogul Marion "Suge" Knight.

2017

All Eyez on Me

All Eyez on Me chronicles the life and legacy of Tupac Shakur, including his rise to superstardom as a hip-hop artist, actor, poet and activist, as well as his imprisonment and prolific, controversial time at Death Row Records. Against insurmountable odds, Tupac rose to become a cultural icon whose career and persona both continue to grow long after his passing.

6.8

2005

Get Rich or Die Tryin'

A tale of an inner city drug dealer who turns away from crime to pursue his passion, rap music.

2008

Step Up 2: The Streets

When rebellious street dancer Andie West lands at the elite Maryland School of the Arts, she finds herself fighting to fit in while also trying to hold onto her old life. When she joins forces with the school's hottest dancer, Chase Collins, to form a crew of fellow outcasts to compete in Baltimore's underground dance battle The Streets.

Beats Rhymes & Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest

2011

Beats Rhymes & Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest

Having forged a 20-year run as one of the most innovative and influential hip hop bands of all time, the Queens NY collective known as 'A Tribe Called Quest' have kept a generation hungry for more of their groundbreaking music since their much publicized breakup in 1998. Michael Rapaport documents the inner workings and behind the scenes drama that follows the band to this day. He explores what's next for, what many claim, are the pioneers of alternative rap.

7.5

2020

Beastie Boys Story

Here's a little story they're about to tell... Mike Diamond and Adam Horovitz share the story of their band and 40 years of friendship in a live documentary experience directed by friend, collaborator, and their former grandfather, Spike Jonze.

Metallica and San Francisco Symphony: S&M2

8.7

2019

Metallica and San Francisco Symphony: S&M2

S&M2, the live concert film from Metallica and the San Francisco Symphony is the concert event of the year! S&M2 features 20 songs from the two-night event that opened San Francisco’s new Chase Center, with many Metallica fan favourites and two unique classical songs chosen by San Francisco Symphony Musical Director, Michael Tilson Thomas. S&M2 is newly re-edited by the band, with re-mixed and remastered audio, for a whole new look and sound from the original theatrical run in October 2019.

8.2

1998

Bee Gees: One Night Only

The brothers Gibb perform their greatest hits from the 60's, 70's, 80's and 90's including many songs written for and made hits by other artists but never recorded by the Bee Gees themselves.

6.5

1990

Mo' Better Blues

Talented but self-centered trumpeter Bleek Gilliam is obsessed with his music and indecisiveness about his girlfriends Indigo and Clarke. But when he is forced to come to the aid of his manager and childhood friend, Bleek finds his world more fragile than he ever imagined.

6.4

1992

The Mambo Kings

The Mambo Kings tells the story of César and Nestor Castillo, brothers and aspiring musicians who flee from Cuba to America in search of the American Dream.