There is an abundance of films centered around the art of hip hop and rap. Biopics, comedies, dramas, documentaries, have all been mediums for expressing the power and love of rap music. However, in this case, these movies here selected are strictly theatrical and are not documentaries.
Most of the best films on this last take a serious approach in portraying hip hop and the genre's creators and disciples. On the other hand, the worst hip hop films, according to IMDb users, appear to be movies that satirize, and almost mock the identity of hip hop, while other worst selections are just not funny.
Best: Notorious (2009) - 6.7
Released in 2009, Notorious is a dramatization of the life of the legendary NYC rapper, The Notorious B.I.G., also known as Biggie Smalls. The film also includes intimate looks into the lives of Puff Daddy (Sean Combs) and Tupac Shakur. The rise-and-demise of the loudest and most recognized rap artists of the 90s is tragic and heart-wrenching, and director George Tillman does a brilliant job of recreating their lives on screen.
When comparing this film to more recent musical artist biopics like The Dirt, the 2009 film certainly holds its own.
Worst: Whiteboyz (1999) - 5.3
Whiteboyz is a hip hop oriented comedy about a crew of young white men who want to rap. The raps these White guys come up with in this movie are quite amusing and funny, but other than that part of White Boyz, it is rather forgettable. Snoop Dogg, as well as Dr. Dre and Fat Joe, make appearances in this comedy, but it's still not enough to save the production as a whole.
Best: Dope (2015) - 7.2
Released in 2015, Dope is a musical comedy adventure that was an absolute hit. The trio of Malcolm, Jib, and the lovable goof Diggy have started their own punk bad. However, it is the mutual infatuation with 90s hip hop that brings these three misfits together.
Dope is both funny and exciting, keeping an audience constantly entertained throughout its run time. The writing and dialogue are witty and amusing, and the film also features appearances by hip hop and fashion mogul, A$AP Rocky. However, many fans wish that Rocky played a bigger part in the movie.
Worst: Malibu's Most Wanted (2003) - 5.2
Malibu's Most Wanted is another comedy that pokes fun at White people's interactions with hip hop that lands on the 'worst' side of things. The comedy follows Brad Gluckman, the White son of a wealthy and powerful politician. Brad's desire in life is to become a rapper, and he embodies his dream with swaggy clothing and "keeping it real."
Brad's father has had enough with his son's disillusioned charade, so he hires two strong, tough black actors from Hollywood to teach Brad a lesson. From there, shenanigans run amok.
Best: 8 Mile (2002): 7.2
One of the highest-selling recording artists (internationally) in history, Eminem, stars as himself in this dramatic biopic about his life. 8 Mile not only succeeds in telling a potent story with fascinating characters, but it also succeeds in its tremendous depiction of battle rap and underground rap culture.
The music as well as the raps included in just the movie (and not the soundtrack), like Eminem's famous last bout of self deprication, are tremendous and some of the best original rap-writing included in any film. Any die-hard hip hop head should see 8 Mile if they haven't already.
Worst: Janky Promoters (2009) - 5.1)
Starring one of the pioneers of the hip hop genre, Ice Cube, and funnyman Mike Epps, Janky Promoters is a musical comedy following two promoters who are tasked with organizing a huge show for the rapper Young Jeezy. Sure, the film is kind of funny, but still, users of IMDb didn't seem to fall in love with this one.
The 85-minute runtime of the movie makes for a very quick, and greatly forgettable watch. Do not expect to walk away with a bunch of hilarious quotes and jokes after watching Janky Promoters.
Best: Blindspotting (2018) - 7.4
Blindspotting is a unique and innovative film within the small corner of hip hop movies with the way it carries out monologues and other dialogue through rapping. Blindspotting is a very serious film that considers racial and cultural identity while tracing the turmoiled relations between African Americans and the police.
Despite the important messages and objectives of the film, co-stars Daveed Diggs and Rafael Casal are able to balance the film with humor, while also turning in phenomenal dramatic performances. Blindspotting is worth the watch for everyone, regardless if they are a hip hop fan or not.
Worst: Soul Plane (2004) - 4.5
Starring the comedian Kevin Hart and rappers Snoop Dogg and Method Man, Soul Plane is a 2004 comedy directed by music video director, Jessy Terrero. Fans didn't like this one. The premise is kind of interesting, as Hart's character decides to open a 'tricked-out' airport after suing a major airline for the death of his pet.
Nevertheless, the film doesn't amount to many laughs and Hart may want to forget this production ever happened. Soul Plane is one of the worst options hip hop films have to offer.
Best: Straight Outta Compton (2015) - 7.8
Straight Outta Compton is the highest selling and most well-received hip hop film ever made. The biopic traces the assembly, emergence, and lift-off of the legendary west-coast rap group, N.W.A. Dr. Dre also released his first album in sixteen years with Compton, which accompanied the release of the film.
Although fans can always find shortcomings in biopics, such as an actor's believability or inaccurate portrayal of historical events, there is very little to complain about in this account of one of the most impactful music groups in American history.
Worst: Marci X (2003) - 2.9
Starring Damon Wayans, Marci X follows a popular rapper whose CD is currently being protested by the public. The daughter of the owner of his record label tries her best to soften up Dr. S' hard external shell in order to get his record back on the shelves.
Not only is this comedy movie considerably unfunny, but the way it flippantly coins their White-girl character as 'Marci X' is rather shameful. Although this may not have been the most controversial topic back in 2003, I'm not too sure a film centered around a white female called 'Marci X' would fly today.