agmtw logo
search
Fear of a Black Hat (1994)

Fear of a Black Hat (1994)

An irreverent and colorful parody of the hip hop scene far ahead of its time

7.3

Movie

United Kingdom, United States of America
English
Comedy, Mockumentary, Music
1994
RUSTY CUNDIEFF
Barry Shabaka Henley, Deezer D, Devin Kamin
88 min

What it's about

Chronicling the controversial career of bad boys N.W.H. (Niggaz With Hats), this uproarious 'mockumentary' lampoons all of hardcore rap's hot-button issues. This underground laugh riot recounts the rise, fall and resurrection of a clueless bunch of would-be rappers, Ice Cold, Tone-Def & Tasty Taste performing as N.W.H.

The take

Though it's still very much a product of a time of certain jokes that haven't aged well, it's still remarkable how the humor and the satirical edge of this mockumentary has remained so current. As a very-low budget mockumentary of a still-young American hip hop scene, there's so much more effort that goes into these fake songs and music videos than you'd expect. But the film doesn't stop at simply poking fun at the rappers and hip hop artists of the era; the jokes always circle back around to the racism of the time and the self-seriousness of the culture in the music industry. It's a hilarious time capsule with some brutally incisive lines in practically every scene.

Comments

Add a comment

Your name

Your comment

UP NEXT 

UP NEXT 

UP NEXT 

Once Were Warriors (1994)

A Maori family survives in an alienating Auckland in this raw, tragic drama

8.0

Silenced (2011)

A brutal and harrowing exposé of the schoolwide abuse case that sparked outrage in Korea

9.0

My Old Ass (2024)

A pleasant mix of comedy and coming-of-age that may or may not leave you in tears

8.0

The Substance (2024)

Demi Moore swaps bodies in this standout chaotic body dysmorphia horror

8.3

Don’t Let Them Shoot the Kite (1989)

A child inspires camaraderie despite imprisonment in this moving classic drama

8.3

We Live in Time (2024)

A fullhearted non-linear romantic drama that reminds us to cherish time together

7.3

Dinner in America (2022)

A punk rock romance that, like the genre, is rough around the edges but actually sweet inside

7.5

His Three Daughters (2024)

Three sisters deal with life and death in this moving family portrait

8.2

Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress (2002)

Two boys bond with the village seamstress through banned books in this coming-of-age historical drama

7.2

Barcelona (1994)

Two Americans splash out of water in this charming comedy of manners

7.2

Curated by humans, not algorithms.

agmtw logo

© 2024 agoodmovietowatch, all rights reserved.