Fear of a Black Hat

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Fear of a Black Hat
Fear of a black hat.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Rusty Cundieff
Written byRusty Cundieff
Produced by Darin Scott
Starring
CinematographyJohn Demps Jr.
Edited byKaren Horn
Music by Jim Manzie
Larry Robinson
N.W.H.
Production
company
Distributed by The Samuel Goldwyn Company
Release dates
  • January 24, 1993 (1993-01-24)(Sundance)
  • June 3, 1994 (1994-06-03)(United States)
Running time
89 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$1 million [1]
Box office$233,824 [2]

Fear of a Black Hat is a 1993 American mockumentary film on the evolution and state of American hip hop music. Written and directed by Rusty Cundieff in his directorial debut, the film stars Cundieff, Larry B. Scott and Mark Christopher Lawrence. Fear of a Black Hat is similar in format to the satirical film about early 1980s heavy metal, This is Spinal Tap . It is told from the point of view of a graduate student who is documenting the hip hop group N.W.H. (which stands for "Niggaz With Hats", a reference to N.W.A.) for a year as part of her thesis.

Contents

The title is derived from the 1990 Public Enemy album Fear of a Black Planet . The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 24, 1993, and was later theatrically released on June 3, 1994. While critically acclaimed, it was a box office bomb. Its stature has grown in the years since its release and the film has acquired a cult following.

Plot

Nina Blackburn, a sociologist who analyzes hip hop as a form of communication, chooses to make a documentary on the hardcore gangsta rap group called N.W.H. ("Niggaz With Hats") for her graduate thesis. The N.W.H. members are Ice Cold, the main rapper and the intelligent and vulgar backbone of the group; Tasty Taste, the ultra-violent secondary rapper who always seems to be armed with a variety of dangerous assault weaponry; and Tone Def, an esoteric DJ who is talented enough to scratch with his buttocks and his penis (the latter is not shown directly, but humorously implied).

As Nina documents N.W.H. for a year, she becomes familiar with the band members, their beliefs, and their often strange behavior. The members wear outrageous headwear during their performances, because according to N.W.H., hats are a symbol of resistance and revolution since their hatless slave ancestors were too tired from working all day in the sun to revolt. This is a typical example of the bizarre logic the group uses to explain the deeper meanings behind their otherwise crude and base music and images.

A running joke is N.W.H.'s use of over-the-top graphic language (e.g. sex, violence and rantings against the police), which their detractors see as a cheap means to sell records, but in their eyes is essential to conveying a "socially relevant message". They offer jaw-dropping explanations on why songs such as "Booty Juice" and "Come and Pet the P.U.S.S.Y." are in fact deep and socially significant, and that critics obviously do not truly understand the "real meaning". Throughout the movie, it is difficult to tell if the members of N.W.H. truly believe what they are saying, or are just portraying an image.

A lot of time also goes into describing N.W.H.'s feud with another rap group, the Jam Boys. The groups constantly insult and discredit each other, sometimes resulting in the brandishing of weapons. At one point, N.W.H. brings to light evidence that the Jam Boys' lead rapper attended a prep school, directly threatening his street credibility. A macabre running gag involves their white managers dying under mysterious circumstances (the group originally insist that they "wasn't in town when the shit happened"). They explain to Nina that their first few managers were black—in fact, were their relatives—and that they decided switching to white managers would be better for their families and the black community.

N.W.H.'s internal matters turn sour when Ice Cold wants to break away from the group because of his desire to participate in a film, and Cheryl C., a groupie, hooks up with Tasty-Taste. Although she is clearly more interested in his money than in him, Tasty lets her take over his life. When Tasty finds Cheryl and Ice Cold in bed, the group has an argument that leads to the dissolution of N.W.H., with each member launching a solo career. Ice dedicates himself to house music; Tasty makes a diss track in which he curses Ice; and Tone Def becomes a hippie (with obvious references to "flower rappers", such as P.M. Dawn). None of the guys sees much success until they ultimately reunite for a triumphant comeback in which their differences have been set aside, at least for the time being.

Cast

Characters

Along with the film's title and its central characters, there are other characters seen briefly who are parodies of real-life prominent figures in hip-hop:

Music

Songs

Albums

Soundtrack

The original soundtrack was released by Avatar Records on June 1, 1994. [11] The soundtrack has eleven songs; however, the song from the film A Gangsta's Life Ain't Fun was not included in the soundtrack.

  1. Wear Yo Hat - N.W.H.
  2. My Peanuts - Ice Cold
  3. Guerrillas in the Midst - N.W.H.
  4. Booty Juice - N.W.H.
  5. F**k the Security Guards - N.W.H.
  6. A Gangsta's Life Ain't Fun - N.W.H.
  7. Come Pet the P.U.S.S.Y. - The Ice Plant
  8. I'm Just a Human Being - New Human Formantics
  9. Granny Said Kick Yo Ass - Extreme Use of Force
  10. Grab Yo Stuff - N.W.H.
  11. White Cops On Dope - N.W.H. feat. Ric Ocasek
  12. Ice Froggy Frog - N.W.H.

Release

Fear of a Black Hat debuted at the 1993 Sundance Film Festival to strong critical reception. [1] [12] However, CB4 , a film that similarly parodies the hip hop world and starred Chris Rock, was released in March of that year to moderate box office success. [1] [13] A deal to distribute Fear of a Black Hat fell through, delaying the film's release. [1] [8] [12] The film premiered in limited theatrical release on June 3, 1994, more than a year after its Sundance debut. Its worldwide box office take totaled $233,824, making the film a financial flop. [2]

Critical reception

Despite the film's poor box office performance, it was lauded by critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a rating of 83% based on 24 reviews, with an average rating of 6.9/10. [14] On Metacritic, the film has a score of 62 out of 100 based on 20 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [15]

Janet Maslin of The New York Times wrote:

Flattering the daylights out of Rob Reiner and his "Spinal Tap" crew, Rusty Cundieff turns "Fear of a Black Hat" into an unapologetic "Spinal Tap" imitation. And there's no point in faulting Mr. Cundieff for such derivativeness, because "Fear of a Black Hat" is too savvy and cheerful to warrant complaints. Anyway, the more the merrier: what "Spinal Tap" did for heavy metal certainly deserves to be done for rap, which is the target this time. If Mr. Cundieff doesn't match the satirical genius of Mr. Reiner's film, he does understand the rules of the game. [16]

Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly gave the film a B− grade, opining that although it "never achieves the dizzying cinema verite swirl that made Spinal Tap such a timeless satire [...] Cundieff has what nearly every commentator on the rap scene has lacked: a first-class bull detector." [17]

In a three-star review, Roger Ebert wrote the film "is not as fearless and sharp-edged as it could be—but it provides a lot of laughs, and barbecues a few sacred cows." He added:

A truly uncompromising satire on this subject could probably not be filmed at this time, I suppose. You can almost feel "Fear of a Black Hat" pulling back in sensitive areas; going so far and no further. Nor does the movie really have much to say about the music itself - music which, like the heavy metal of "Spinal Tap", takes itself more seriously than anyone with common sense is likely to take it (rap and heavy metal are both more about attitudes than about melody). But the movie is funny and fresh, and filled with wicked little moments like the uneasy meeting of five or six rappers who all have "Ice" in their names. [18]

A decidedly more mixed review came from Peter Rainer of the Los Angeles Times , who wrote that "the idea is so funny that for a long time the film coasts on our good will. But it should be funnier than it is. Writer-director Rusty Cundieff, who also stars, along with Larry B. Scott and Mark Christopher Lawrence, as one of the three members of the rap group N.W.H., has a loose-limbed comic sense, and there are hilarious bits poking through the tedium. What the movie lacks is any kind of smart, sociological sense. It's a defanged spoof." [19]

The film's reputation has grown since its release, and it has gained a cult following. [20] [21] [5] [22] In August 2023, The Criterion Channel included Fear of a Black Hat as part of its film series celebrating 50 years of hip hop. [23]

Year-end lists

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Marriott, Michel (May 29, 1994). "FILM; A Rap Movie Opens, and It's Only A Year Late". The New York Times. Retrieved November 20, 2023.
  2. 1 2 "Fear of a Black Hat". Box Office Mojo . Retrieved November 20, 2023.
  3. ↑ Harrington, Richard (June 17, 1994). "'Fear of a Black Hat'". The Washington Post . Retrieved November 27, 2023.
  4. 1 2 Huff, Quentin B (May 17, 2010). "Fear of a Rap Parody". PopMatters . Retrieved November 27, 2023.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Rabin, Nathan (February 10, 2020). "Exploiting the Archives: The Simpsons Decade: Fear of a Black Hat". nathanrabin.com. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
  6. 1 2 Rogers, Nick (May 29, 2014). "Class of 1994: Fear of a Black Hat". Midwest Film Journal. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
  7. 1 2 3 Topel, Fred (March 12, 2018). "CB4 vs. Fear of a Black Hat: 25th Anniversary of a Rap Battle". We Live Entertainment.
  8. 1 2 3 Levine, Robert (June 2, 1994). "Meet the Ice Cold King of Gagsta Rap : Rusty Cundieff's 'Fear of a Black Hat' Was Inspired by 'Spinal Tap'". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved November 27, 2023.
  9. ↑ "Quick Reviews: Fear of a Black Hat". The DVD Journal. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
  10. ↑ ""White Cops on Dope" – N.W.H. with Ric Ocasek". Dave's Strange World. July 20, 2013. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
  11. ↑ "Fear of a Black Hat Original Soundtrack". AllMusic . Retrieved November 20, 2023.
  12. 1 2 Greene, Jay (February 23, 1994). "Goldwyn picks up ITC's 'Black Hat'". Variety. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
  13. ↑ Collier, Sean (August 7, 2020). "The Number One Movie in America: CB4". Box Office Prophets. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
  14. ↑ "Fear of a Black Hat". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved November 20, 2023.
  15. ↑ "Fear of a Black Hat". Metacritic . Retrieved January 2, 2024.
  16. ↑ Maslin, Janet (June 3, 1994). "Reviews/Film; Giving the 'Spinal Tap' Treatment to Rap". The New York Times . Retrieved November 6, 2011.
  17. ↑ Gleiberman, Owen (June 3, 1994). "Fear of a Black Hat". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved November 20, 2023.
  18. ↑ Ebert, Roger (June 17, 1994). "Fear of a Black Hat". Chicago Sun-Times . Retrieved November 6, 2011.
  19. ↑ Rainer, Peter (June 3, 1994). "Movie Review : 'Black Hat' Tries to Give the 'Spinal' Treatment to Rap". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved November 6, 2011.
  20. ↑ Caramanica, Jon (September 28, 2003). "MOVIES/DVD'S; This Was 'Spinal Tap' For the Hip-Hop Generation". The New York Times. Retrieved November 20, 2023.
  21. ↑ Kang, Jay Caspian (June 9, 2015). "Letter of Recommendation: 'Fear of a Black Hat'". The New York Times. Retrieved November 20, 2023.
  22. ↑ Kimble, Julian; Josephs, B (August 31, 2020). "The Best Hip-Hop Movies". Complex . Retrieved November 27, 2023.
  23. ↑ Minsker, Evan (July 11, 2023). "The Criterion Channel Announces 50th Anniversary of Hip-Hop Film Program". Pitchfork . Retrieved November 20, 2023.
  24. ↑ Lovell, Glenn (December 25, 1994). "The Past Picture Show the Good, the Bad and the Ugly -- a Year Worth's of Movie Memories". San Jose Mercury News (Morning Final ed.). p. 3.
  25. ↑ Movshovitz, Howie (December 25, 1994). "Memorable Movies of '94 Independents, fringes filled out a lean year". The Denver Post (Rockies ed.). p. E-1.
  26. ↑ MacCambridge, Michael (December 22, 1994). "it's a LOVE-HATE thing". Austin American-Statesman (Final ed.). p. 38.
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