| Fear Of A Black Hat |
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''Fear of a Black Hat'' ( 1994 , US) is a Mockumentary on the evolution of American Rap music. This pseudo-documentary gives us the perspective of fictional film-maker Nina Blackburn, as she trails a hard-core Gangsta Rap group called N.W.H. ("Niggaz With Hats", a play on the name of the popular group, N.W.A. ). In many ways, ''Fear of a Black Hat'' is similar to the Satirical film about early 1980s Heavy Metal , '' This Is Spinal Tap ''. The name of the film derives from the Public Enemy album '' Fear Of A Black Planet '' ( 1990 , Def Jam .) NWH MEMBERS
All members wear outrageous headwear during their performances. This is explained as an act of rebellion, remembering their Slave ancestors, who had to work bare-headed in the sun. According to NWH, hats are a symbol for resistance and revolution since their ancestors were too hot from not wearing hats to revolt. This is a typical example of the bizarre logic the group uses to explain the deeper meanings behind their music and images. Although it is tempting to say that each of the three members are direct parodies of specific people, they actually each combine different aspects of different rappers and other people in the rap industry to create stereotypical characters rather than direct impersonations. For instance, Tasty Taste's violent personality and lyrics are similar to the rapper Eazy-E from NWA however, his dress and name can just as easily be attributed to Flava Flav from Public Enemy . Similarly, Ice Cold's name can be said to be a parody of the many different rappers that use the name "Ice" in their name such as Ice Cube and Ice T but, it can also be said that he easily parodies others such as LL Cool J , and Snoop Doggy Dogg as well as other rappers. By not centering their parody on one particular person or group, NWH had the flexibility to satirize a wide range of artists, groups, and events in the world of gansta rap, or rap in general. PLOT The film satirizes the testosterone-fueled Gangsta Rap scene, which is obsessed by Materialism , Street Credibility , sex, violence, and their obvious connections to Bling Bling . Many topics that made Hip Hop controversial are being spoofed, from hip hop feuds, bogus Whigger s (''before'' Eminem ), Censorship , greedy record companies and many more. The film is told from the point of view of Nina Blackburn, a Sociologist who analyses hip hop as a form of Communication for her degree. She chooses NWH as the subject of her thesis and follows them around for a year. She familiarizes herself with the band members, their beliefs, and their often strange behaviour. A steady source of comedy is NWH's use of over-the-top graphic language (i.e. sex, violence and rantings against the police), which detractors see as a cheap means to sell records, but in their eyes is essential to convey a "socially relevant message". They offer jaw-dropping explanations why songs such as "Booty Juice" and "Come and Pet the P.U.S.S.Y." are in fact deep and poetic, and that detractors obviously do not truly understand the "real meaning". Throughout the movie, it is difficult to tell if the members of NWH truly believe what they are saying, or are just portraying an image. A lot of time also goes in to describing NWH's feud with another rap group, the Jam Boys. The groups constantly insult and discredit each other, even sometimes resulting in brandishing weapons. NWH emerges triumphant when they prove that the Jam Boys' lead rapper attended a prep school, utterly destroying his street credibility. A Macabre running gag - inspired by This Is Spinal Tap - involves their Jewish managers dying under mysterious circumstances. NWH's internal matters turn sour when Ice Cold cuts down his involvement because he wants 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, NWH is no more. The group breaks up and each member launches a solo career. Ice dedicates himself to House Music , Tasty brings out a Diss track in which he curses Ice, and Def becomes a Hippie . None sees much success until they ultimately reunite for a triumphant comeback in which all their differences have been settled and resolved. CAST
COMPARISON WITH "SPINAL TAP" "Fear of a Black Hat" has been often compared to This Is Spinal Tap , and critized for being somewhat derivative. Arguably, both films saterize a Subculture , and FOABH "borrows" certain plot points, such as:
However, there are several different points that arguably hint that FOABH is a film of its own:
PARODY REFERENCE
Characters
Songs
Albums
RECEPTION Although being a great critical success, sadly, ''Fear of a Black Hat'' was a financial flop. According to imdb.com (see below), it only grossed about 238000$ on a budget of just under a million dollars, thus collecting only 23,8 cents for each dollar invested. TRIVIA
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