After the tragic World Trade Center disaster, the media covered its impact on many different groups – families of victims, firefighters, policemen, people who worked close to Ground Zero, and so forth. Choosing a more unlikely approach, courageous filmmaker Darrell Wilks decided to focus on New York’s Hip Hop artists. The result? Hip Hop Hope, a provocative documentary that may shock many Americans with its underground viewpoint. Why? Because it shows these artists addressing issues of race and class as well as their sadness and horror about 9/11. 

"The city was as dangerous for me before the attack as after," claims one of the rappers interviewed in this fast-paced journey through the evolving hip hop world. "Hip hop needs to change," declares artist/activist Caridad "La Bruja" De La Luz in the film. "I hope this is the revolution. You know, consciousness, respect, thought. It’s so easy to point the finger and to hate and to fight . . . to talk about money and pimpin’ and hos. But it’s like, yo. C’mon. What’s next?"

La Bruja makes sense. Clearly, she knows how hip hop helped curtail gang violence by motivating members to channel their aggression into rap, breakdancing, deejaying, and graffiti art. All these elements receive proper attention in Wilks’ film, but I wish more breakdancing had been included. It's such fun to watch!

Among the artists appearing in Hip Hop Hope are Vernan "Dyverse" Wooten, Tanya "Flow" Fields, Alex "Raze" Duverglas, William Sanchez and Mimi Koda. They speak out on topics such as sexism, racism, music, dance, and ghetto life. Their comments are interspersed with footage of MC’s spinning tracks, graffiti artists and their art, dancers performing, and the rescue efforts at Ground Zero. One of the most impressive scenes shows "Flow" ending a wonderful performance with her emotional rendition of "The Star Spangled Banner." It almost broke my heart.

Wilks (Banned in the USA), who lives only four blocks from Ground Zero, served as director, writer and cinematographer for Hip Hop Hope. Wendell Hanes of Bang Music added a creative original score combining traditional orchestral music with a hip hop foundation and a bit of electronica. Athough producer Valerie Cates admits the film "doesn't fit into the mainstream media's concept of what hip hop should be about," this  unique documentary was selected by the 2003 Rome Independent Film Festival, 2003 Newport Beach Film Festival, 2002 Tribeca Film Festival, 2002 International Documentary Filmfestival Amsterdam, and won the award as Best Documentary of the 2002 H2o Film Festival (presented at The Bronx Museum of the Arts).

Wilks, who recently created a television award-winning spot for Bob Dylan as well as commercials for a variety of artists at Sony Music, knows something about art himself. He’s also a painter and collagist. Maybe that’s why his strong feeling for art and artists comes through so loud and clear in Hip Hop Hope.

(Released by Mineral Palace Productions; not rated by MPAA.)