Hip Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes

Donald W. Reynolds Center for American Art and Portraiture

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The National Portrait Gallery and the Independent Television Service present a special preview  screening of “Hip Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes.” “Beyond Beats and Rhymes” takes an in-depth look at representations of manhood, sexism and homophobia in hip-hop culture. This documentary is a “loving critique” of certain developments in rap music culture from the point of view of a fan who challenges the art form’s representations of masculinity. Leading rap and  hip-hop artists, including Mos Def, Busta Rhymes, Russell Simmons, are interviewed and pressed to  answer some difficult questions about the violent and sexually explicit content of many hip-hop songs  and videos.   

Patricia Harrison, president and CEO of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, will provide  introductory remarks. The film will be followed by a panel discussion featuring Byron Hurt, the  filmmaker of “Hip Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes”; Dr. Michael Eric Dyson, distinguished author  and professor at the University of Pennsylvania; and Natalie Y. Moore and Natalie Hopkinson, authors  of “Deconstructing Tyrone: A New Look at Masculinity in the Hip-Hop Generation."  Reservations are required.