The Get Down- Baz Luhrmann's Netflix series on the birth of Hip Hop in the Bronx

[Arwenn]

I watched this recently, and absolutely loved it. Even if hip-hop is not your thing, the acting and the singing (most notably that of Herizen Guardiola, who plays the character of Mylene Cruz) and the cinematic techniques of Baz Luhrmann are all worth a watch. The Get Down is a Netflix series consisting of 11 episodes, produced by Baz Luhrmann and is set in the Bronx in 1977. It follows the lives of a few young teenagers in the era of disco and the genesis of Hip-Hop. Baz Luhrmann (of Strictly Ballroom, Moulin Rouge, Romeo & Juliet and The Great Gatsby fame) is an amazing story teller, with a truly visionary use of cinematic techniques, multiple story lines and music.

The Get Down is historical fiction showcasing the musical, economic, political and sociocultural climate of the Bronx in 1977. Disco was fading and giving way to the sound and voice of the underground- namely hip-hop. Instead of using violence, rival gangs battled each other with beats, rhymes, break-dancing and of course graffiti as art work. It is musical genre that took over the world. The rappers Grand Master Flash, Nas, DJ Herc also collaborated with Luhrmann to really give this show authenticity.

I grew up with hip-hop in the days before it turned into gangsta rap, so for me this reminded of my childhood. And oh dear, those disco songs!! Disco was before my time but my older siblings listened to it, so also a trip down memory lane for me. Jimmy Smits, Jayden Smith (Will Smith's son) Justice Smith, Herizen Guardiola, Shameik Moore to mention a few, are all outstanding in their acting. Nas does the contemporary raps for adult Zeke. Outside scenes were filmed in Queens with archived actual footage from the late 70s used as well.


Here is a trailer for the first half of the show which was released in August last year (second half was released this month:

https://youtu.be/usv442G6H8A


Here is Zeke's poem which moved me to tears:

https://youtu.be/a0j2sQoqkQw


One of my favourite scenes (could only find this in low res and in black&white) is when Jackie comes up with a song for Mylene, and Zeke raps in between:

https://youtu.be/m0SnTgwJyHw


And here is Mylene's voice in all its glory:

https://youtu.be/idDycf-E98Q

 

[Ca.]

Barack and Michelle Obama Sign Netflix Production Deal
May 21, 2018 9:11AM PT
Netflix has secured a deal with former President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama to produce series and movies for the streaming service. The former first couple will, according to an announcement Monday from the company, potentially work on scripted and unscripted series as well as docu-series, documentary films, and features under the multi-year deal.

“One of the simple joys of our time in public service was getting to meet so many fascinating people from all walks of life, and to help them share their experiences with a wider audience,” said Barack Obama. “That’s why Michelle and I are so excited to partner with Netflix — we hope to cultivate and curate the talented, inspiring, creative voices who are able to promote greater empathy and understanding between peoples, and help them share their stories with the entire world.”

“Barack and I have always believed in the power of storytelling to inspire us, to make us think differently about the world around us, and to help us open our minds and hearts to others,” said Michelle Obama. “Netflix’s unparalleled service is a natural fit for the kinds of stories we want to share, and we look forward to starting this exciting new partnership.”

Signing the Obamas is the latest, and by far the biggest, in a string of moves by Netflix to lock up the entertainment industry’s highest-profile producers in exclusive production and development pacts. Last year, Netflix poached “Grey’s Anatomy” creator Shonda Rhimes from ABC Studios with a deal valued at more than $100 million. “Glee” creator Ryan Murphy jumped from his longtime home at 20th Century Fox Television earlier this year to also join Netflix. Murphy’s deal was reported at the time to be worth as much as $300 million. However, sources tell Variety that tally includes money that Murphy is expected to make from his current and former Fox series over the life of his Netflix contract, and that the true value of the deal is in line with that of Rhimes’.

It is unknown how much the Obamas’ Netflix agreement is worth. In March, Penguin Random House signed the couple to a joint book deal that pays them a reported $65 million for their respective memoirs.

“Barack and Michelle Obama are among the world’s most respected and highly-recognized public figures and are uniquely positioned to discover and highlight stories of people who make a difference in their communities and strive to change the world for the better,” said Netflix Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos. “We are incredibly proud they have chosen to make Netflix the home for their formidable storytelling abilities.”

Among President Obama’s most visible public appearances since leaving office was on David Letterman’s new Netflix series, “My Next Guest Needs No Introduction.” Obama was the first guest in the former “Late Show” host’s new long-form interview program.

Word of a possible pact between the former U.S. president and first lady surfaced in March, when the New York Times first reported that the couple was in talks with the streaming service on a deal to produce several high-profile projects.

Sarandos has a close relationship with the Obamas. His wife, Nicole Avant, served as U.S. ambassador to the Bahamas in President Obama’s first term in office. Video / Now playing - Obama Impression From...
207 Comments: Update: 414 Comments
Intelligent responses from this article:

Netflix’s Tweets:

https://twitter.com/x/status/998594451378397185

https://twitter.com/x/status/998595677570682880

 

[Cosmos]

Somehow, generally speaking, I always had a strong and visceral dislike for Hip Hop and Rap, and actually, more specifically, to the so-called "culture" surrounding it. It always strongly robbed me the wrong way how people dress, talk, behave and think in that "culture". What I've found especially annoying is that this "culture" sort of promoted, enforced and endorsed the idea that it is "cool" to be stupid and "uncool" to know something and/or talk/think in coherent and complex ways. Also, the silly ape like way that this "culture" promotes to express yourself with words is something that bothered me to no end. And from what I can see, that "culture" and that "music" is getting worse by the day. I can't stand it.

Having said that, I'm not totally against it, and I've found myself to "like" a number of rap tunes in my youth. But those were always rap tunes where I found that the music behind it was acceptable (and even good) and the lyrics were not stupid but well-thought-out and complex and not ape like.

A couple of days ago, I came across what a black conservative commentator and author by the name of Vince Everett Ellison had to say on Tucker about that "culture". Although I find the Ellison rather annoying, I think he makes a number of excellent and important points about that culture! I was never quite able to articulate/see/address the problems with that "culture" like he does. I couldn't agree more, and I think what he says contributed a lot to why I'm so opposed to a lot of it (although I couldn't pinpoint it like that). The video should start at the right point in the interview:

 

[Arwenn]

There was this article on SoTT about how & why hip hop changed/devolved to what is it nowadays:

Fight the Power: The Secret Meeting that Changed Rap Music and Destroyed a Generation

Comment: In light of the Western media's characterization of Russian president Vladimir Putin as 'authoritarian' for pointing out the degrading influence of most rap/hip-hop 'music' on Russian youth - despite the fact that he explicitly argues...

www.sott.net

Whether the meeting in the article occurred or not, it wouldn’t surprise me that music (with the potential to be popular and influence many), is co-opted at some level to the detriment of most.

 

[Navigator]

A couple of days ago, I came across what a black conservative commentator and author by the name of Vince Everett Ellison had to say on Tucker about that "culture". Although I find the Ellison rather annoying, I think he makes a number of excellent and important points about that culture!

Just a quick off-topic comment, I found the interview overall pretty good. His remarks on the Civil Rights Movement were eye-opening.

 

[iamthatis]

There are true artists in any genre, including hip-hop, but you generally gotta get past the BS of the mainstream to find those voices. And there is a ton of degenerate BS to wade through.

In addition to the prison angle that @Arwenn posted, I watched this short clip from Ian Carroll. He claims that the industry is run by a vast sexual blackmail ring.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1763363318125977947

With suspected pathologicals like Sean Coombs in the mix, it's no wonder that mainstream hip-hop has turned out the way it has. What goes on behind closed doors is what comes out in the lyrics.

 

[Cosmos]

As Ellison says, that “culture“ and “music“ basically promotes extreme forms of materialism, violence, sexual perversions and more. And it is satanic. That might not apply for all of it but I would guess that at least 80-90% of what is out there of that “culture“ and “music“ strongly leans in that direction.

It also seems to be true that it started within black communities in America and then spread around the world. I wouldn’t be surprised if it was at some level designed to do exactly what it did to black communities and others.

As far as I can see, that “music“ and “culture“ is one of the most successful US exports ever! It basically infected large portions of other countries/societies around the world, even in countries that otherwise have resisted the western influence to some or even great extent like Russia. It is and has been very successful. That already was quite apparent when I grew up at the end of the 90ties early 2000thousands in germany.

But look at the new generations now! What I experienced back then is nothing compared to that. Todays kids are totally infected with it. It is actually scary to watch.

 

[Ryan]

Whether the meeting in the article occurred or not, it wouldn’t surprise me that music (with the potential to be popular and influence many), is co-opted at some level to the detriment of most.

And when you add in the influence of white psycho organisations like the CIA who flooded poor black communities with crack and other soul-destroying drugs, plus the white psycho corporations that turned the music industry into a machine for squeezing the 'juice' out of artists of all kinds, plus the white psycho academics who invented and propagated a woke DEI ideology that seems peculiarly obsessed with giving unfair advantage to black people in the US at the predictable result of creating resentment among the majority white population, then it makes sense that the worst aspects of a style of music that originated with black communities as a genuine means of self-expression would be heavily promoted by a bunch of white psycho cultural gatekeepers in order to stamp out any positive effects that might've spread rapidly through the underground and flowered.

 

[ELT]

Somehow, generally speaking, I always had a strong and visceral dislike for Hip Hop and Rap, and actually, more specifically, to the so-called "culture" surrounding it. It always strongly robbed me the wrong way how people dress, talk, behave and think in that "culture". What I've found especially annoying is that this "culture" sort of promoted, enforced and endorsed the idea that it is "cool" to be stupid and "uncool" to know something and/or talk/think in coherent and complex ways. Also, the silly ape like way that this "culture" promotes to express yourself with words is something that bothered me to no end. And from what I can see, that "culture" and that "music" is getting worse by the day. I can't stand it.

Having said that, I'm not totally against it, and I've found myself to "like" a number of rap tunes in my youth. But those were always rap tunes where I found that the music behind it was acceptable (and even good) and the lyrics were not stupid but well-thought-out and complex and not ape like.

A couple of days ago, I came across what a black conservative commentator and author by the name of Vince Everett Ellison had to say on Tucker about that "culture". Although I find the Ellison rather annoying, I think he makes a number of excellent and important points about that culture! I was never quite able to articulate/see/address the problems with that "culture" like he does. I couldn't agree more, and I think what he says contributed a lot to why I'm so opposed to a lot of it (although I couldn't pinpoint it like that). The video should start at the right point in the interview:

I found your view interesting, eventhouh I grew up strongly attracted by the hip-hop culture. As Arwenn has shared in the very next to yours post, I distinguish different types of hip-hop.
I would resume what you said in your first paragraph as not even hip-hop (nor music), but just garbage, like we can find in any genre.
What you said in your 2nd paragraph is what real hip-hop is to me.
I'll let you with 2 nuggets of this genre that made me vibrating and gave me so much goosebumps, and inspired me to grow up.
My quest has been to find them all among the shit during my adolescence. Been my entrance to the Work.

2:33 - Andre3000 :
"Softly as if I played piano in the dark
Found a way to channel my anger not to embark
The world's a stage and everybody gots to play their part
God works in mysterious ways so when he starts
The job of speakin' through us we be so sincere with this here
No drugs or alcohol so I can get the signal clear as day
Put my Glock away I got a stronger weapon
That never runs out of ammunition so I'm ready for war, okay"
+ flow

As Ellison says, that “culture“ and “music“ basically promotes extreme forms of materialism, violence, sexual perversions and more. And it is satanic.

What you're describing is the perversion of the culture, not the original culture itself.
The real culture emerged from the 70's as a light for freedom, out of the darkness of oppression. It was an artistic revolution aiming at giving the power back to the people. The core message behind its creation actually was (consciously or unconsciously) that of a great Hope toward freedom of expression and being.
It then had been perverted by hyper-consumerism, the same way disinformation acts. Its true pioneers hwvr hadn't much materially to brag about, at the point of its dawn, except their poetry and creativity to propose a new breath straight outta misery.

So much so as it's been existing for 50 years and is now one of the - if not the - most listened genre in the world. The PTB saw the potential in it and used it at its advantage.

 

[sid]

I have listened to hip-hop and it was an OK genere for me growing up. But as I aged, I have to come dislike it as well as the Pop which has been mostly trash since inception. Hip-Hop did seem to be a bit better back in 90s and early 2000s but have gone downhill fast since then. And, it does keep on spreading, even to the Asian countries amongst the younger generation.

In my view, there are better ways of expressing freedom or sing about the injustices in the world. Lyrics can be written in a more poetic way and some effort put towards voice and the control of tone and pitch, where it comes across as more lively and invigorating to the soul. Something that sends shivers down the spine and make you jump out of your chair. I don’t think Hip-Hop or rapping has that effect. 9 out of 10 times, its just noise. Fwiw