Hip-hop films debut at 'U' free of charge

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Tweet Art comes in all different forms, from sculptures and oil paintings to graffiti and headstands.

The Scion Screening Series aims to educate people on the art and lifestyle of the hip-hop culture with recent and classic films.

Tonight's film, "The Freshest Kids," is an in-depth look into the 25-year-old world of break dancing and the b-boys and b-girls who participate in it. The film is more than two hours long and is free of charge for anyone who wishes to attend. Two more films will be shown back to back next Wednesday.

"The films themselves, they contrast the old and new of hip-hop," said Ben Moore, aka DJ Benny Ben, host of The Cultural Vibe on WDBM (88.9-FM).

Moore added that having the films shown for free on a university campus will draw in viewers who normally might not have an interest in the culture of hip-hop.

"There's people who would see these films coming to campus who might not typically see them in any other context. It exposes the culture to a wide audience, and the college campus is the perfect place to do it."

"The Freshest Kids" is a true understanding of the b-boy aspect of hip-hop culture, Moore said.

"It's finally like a legitimate b-boy movie," he said. "A lot of the movies in the '80s, from my understanding, a lot were turning out some cornball stuff, appealing to the fad element of breaking. And all the movies kind of played on that element."

"The Freshest Kids" is a new film, but next week's graffiti documentary, "Wild Style," is from 1982.

"It's a piece of history that all the movies showcase," said Detroit resident Hubert Sawyers, aka Gambit the MC. "Graffiti is an art form that has lasted for like 30 years."

The films have been brought to campuses nationwide by Scion, which is owned by Toyota.

Scion is a new car company that is marketing its automobiles to a specific demographic, Sawyers said. The company has put a great deal of money into various hip-hop events all over the country.

"It's interesting in the sponsorship that it does have; they're trying for the demographic, and being that most of the movies are about graffiti, I wonder if all of a sudden graffiti is going to show up all over East Lansing and they'll blamed for it," Sawyers said. "But it's cool that they're putting it out there like that."

The movies are about history, Sawyers said, adding that these films likely will clear up a few misconceptions about hip-hop culture.

"The whole idea of the b-boy is like a mute entity, not too many people are aware of them in this day and age. A few years ago, it would have been a different story," he said. "But now, it's like a novelty; you watch commercials and see all these guys that can do graffiti and a headstand. B-boys, they take their craft very seriously. They didn't just come upon it because they thought it was cool. They live and breathe it."

Sawyers said he hopes films like tonight's "The Freshest Kids" and next week's "Wild Style" and "Dithers" will enlighten people about the seriousness of the culture.

"I know a lot of graffiti guys; you can tell they have spent many years sniffing aerosol," he said. "A lot of people don't understand what's going into it. You might not like the idea of graffiti, but to a degree, you should respect it."

History and philosophy junior Emily Friedberg said it's important for people in the MSU community to take advantage of the free showings.

"I'm most excited that something like this is being brought to the university, and people will realize all the intricacies of hip-hop and the culture and that it goes beyond what you hear on the radio," she said. "Hip-hop is a lot of things. First and foremost, it's the music I've grown up listening to. It's the beats and the lyrics; it's like poetry for me; it does something to your soul that no other music does. It's so expressive and can be so raw and so true, I haven't found anything else that does that to me."

Moore said early arrival to the screening is suggested because of limited capacity. To ensure a spot, log onto www.scion.com/route and complete the RSVP form online.

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