Throwing myself into the world of the unknown isn’t something that I do very often. It’s easier that way, and I don’t have to try to understand something new. By watching Dave Chapelle’s Block Party, I felt as if I was thrown into the deep end of the world of hip-hop and neo-soul. However, Chapelle’s constant presence and the occasional performance from the main stage made me feel like there was a life preserver for my drowning sanity.
Block Party runs as every concert documentary does. Under the direction of famous visionary Michel Gondry, Chapelle is seen passing out tickets to his show, and scopes out the history of the venue. When the block is empty, he talks about how he can “see it filled”, and the film cuts to shots of the venue being packed with people. However, upon further thought, you find that Block Party is more than your stereotypical concert doc. It divulges into the sense of community and family that is felt within the fans of the music. It tells about the power of music, and how it can be used as a conduit for good, as opposed to the bad that some people mistake it for. The focus turns to the feeling of the music and the emotions that it evokes in people, instead of the music itself.
One of the things that truly struck me about the film was just how many people showed up and were excited about the concert. I personally live in a world outside of hip-hop, and never quite understood the pull that the music has until now. Objectively, I realize that the genre is popular and creates a lot of money in the industry, but I never really thought of the people who listen to it until now. With just Chapelle’s name, they came out in droves to this concert in the middle of Brooklyn. I felt that the most interesting was the Central State University Marching Band. Chapelle offers to transport the entire drumline to the concert for them to perform with Kanye West. The band actually gets permission from the school president to cancel their previous commitments (something rarely done in the realm of marching bands) in order to go to the concert. The elation on their faces is something rarely seen in documentaries. It’s refreshing to see that amount of hope and joy in their screaming faces and they hug each other tightly.
The night before we watched Block Party, I had stayed up till almost 5 in the morning watching livestreams from New York City of the eviction of the Occupy Wall Street camp in Zucotti Park. Through my tired haze, the ending scene of the movie is what really struck me, because of the political relationship to the movement. The scene shows Wyclef Jean of The Fugees chatting with the marching band about what they would do if they were President of the United States. The members give some hopeful responses, such as getting the military out of Iraq and Afghanistan, and for band participants to get scholarships to their school. Jean then goes into a solo piano performance of his smooth ballad, “President”. The lyrics to the song are a much darker and more heartfelt version of the students’ answers.
Instead of spending billions on the war,
I can use that money, to feed the poor.
I know some so poor, when it rains that's when they shower,
when screaming "fight the power".
That's when the vulture devoured
It’s interesting to see that, as a country, we haven’t moved past these same problems that we had in 2004. Seven very long years have gone by, but if anything, the problems seem to be escalating at a rapid rate that no one can stop. When I typically think of hip-hop music, one of the first things I think about is the lyrics that I can never quite understand. Jean uses this song in particular, because it’s slow, and gets the message across. We need change, and music is one way to get through to people. It gets to us on a level that no one else can touch. Especially for these students, who are young adults, and still trying to find their way around in life. When he begins to leave the students, Jean passionately speaks to them as equals, by saying that they should never expect things from “the white man”. They need to go follow their dreams for themselves, because nothing will ever be given to them. And while that description may not sound particularly uplifting, when it's coming from the mouth of Wyclef Jean, the people will listen.
I think that Chapelle’s main mission with the movie was to make neo-soul and hip-hop music more accessible to the general public. Although a majority of people who went to see the movie in theaters probably was either a fan of Chapelle or the various artists, by making this movie, he had a chance to reach a broader audience. For instance, the owner of the Broken Angel house, where the block party took place, explains to the camera that she doesn’t like hip-hop and rap music. She doesn’t think the language is “proper”, for either children or adults. However, by the end of the film, we see a clip of her throwing up a peace sign from the rooftop of the house. I think this gives a sense of acceptance and tolerance that Chapelle tries to give to all audiences.
Block Party is a new and interesting look into the typical concert documentary. It gives us a glimpse into a different culture, one that we may or may not already be familiar with. And instead of just throwing the culture in your face, it gently guides us to a land of acceptance and appreciation, no matter what your musical background may be. Even if you can’t recognize the musical artists on the poster, Chapelle acts as an anchor for the whole project, and keeps you grounded in the new territory.
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