‘Hip Hop DNA: Breaking Down the Caribbean’s Impact on the Culture’

Having just returned from covering the 21st annual St. Kitts Music Festival which delivered a full ride of Caribbean rhythms and internationally renowned names like, Third World, Shabba Ranks, Goo Goo Dolls, etc., I found the inescapable truth is that, popular music culture as a whole, not just Hip-Hop has benefitted from the music of the region. It’s embarrassingly true that acknowledgement of the Caribbean influence on the Hip-Hop culture is underreported and thus the documentary “Hip Hop DNA: Breaking Down the Caribbean’s Impanct on the Culture” is right on time.

A solid project put together by a collab between Complex Hustle and CÎROC, I’m going to call it an essential piece of any music history collection…its pretty empirical data…no “alternative facts” that I could find…Ok, I’m sorry! ~ JD

Here’s the official line on the documentary…view the full film after the jump

COMPLEX HUSTLE PARTNERS WITH CÎROC TO CELEBRATE NATIONAL CARIBBEAN AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH WITH “HIP HOP DNA: BREAKING DOWN THE CARIBBEAN’S IMPACT ON THE CULTURE”

Groundbreaking Documentary Featuring Commentary from French Montana, Fat Joe, Doug E. Fresh, Trinidad James and More Premieres Today

Complex Hustle presented by CÎROC honors Caribbean music’s influence on hip hop with “Hip Hop DNA: Breaking Down The Caribbean’s Impact on the Culture” a new documentary which premiered recently. The documentary honors the musical accomplishments of Caribbean artists and highlights the often under-reported story of Caribbean artists’ importance in hip hop music, both in the creation of the genre and with today’s hottest chart toppers. Featuring appearances by Doug E. Fresh, Fat Joe, French Montana, Trinidad James, DJ Evil Dee, DJ Sucio Smash, DJ Prostyle, Kranium, Ruddy Rock, Constanze Han and DJ Laylo, the documentary provides a history of hip hop’s true orgin, touches on the A-list artists currently influenced by the culture and dives into the current immigration issues Caribbean artists face that potentially threaten their ability to continue to move the genre forward.

View The Documentary:

In observance of National Caribbean-American Heritage Month, Complex Hustle seeks to honor the contributions that Caribbean immigrants have made in American culture and advocate their achievements in hip hop music in a way that has never been told. Viewers learn the more about Kool Herc’s – often credited as the founder of hip hop – Jamaican roots; explore how Bajans (Barbados) like Grandmaster Flash and Doug E. Fresh flipped a beat by adding a island vibe; discover how Puerto Ricans like Crazy Legs shook up the culture; journey through a look back at the 90’s with contributions from Haitians like the Fugees, briefly show Trinis like Phife Dawg, and Dominicans like the Beatnuts.

Additionally, the timely documentary tackles the current political climate and the pushback against immigrants. Artists discuss the challenging relationship between politics and hip hop, and what they believe a future without Caribbean artists contributions in music would look like without their constant contribution.

Bonus

Read the official White House proclamation for June 2017 as National Caribbean-American Heritage Month here.

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Tags: Arts, Caribbean music, culture, DJ Prostyle, documentary film, Doug E. Fresh, entertainment, Fat Joe, film, French Montana, Goo Goo Dolls, GrandMaster Flash, Hip Hop, Hip Hop culture, Pop, Shabba Ranks, Trinidad James

About the Author

Dr. Jerry Doby Editor-in-Chief of The Hype Magazine, Media and SEO Consultant, Journalist, Ph.D. and retired combat vet. 2023 recipient of The President's Lifetime Achievement Award. Partner at THM Media Group. Member of the U.S. Department of Arts and Culture, the United States Press Agency and ForbesBLK.