4 Documentaries That Explore Black Talent And Inventiveness
The web is filled with content and sometimes social media, Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, or your streaming service of choice are not serving you as they should, so you go to Youtube, and you can't really find anything. I personally deal with that difficulty, whether I am taking a break from research, work, or just want to watch something interesting online, so I created this series of posts with suggestions. The first installation features documentaries that cover two hip-hop duos, a technologically inventive black man, and an elite fashion group of black men inspiring the Congo with their style. Whether you live on the east coast where the forecast calls for rain all weekend or the west where it hardly ever rains, these four documentaries will surely make dull and stultifying moments move by quickly and with purpose. With a range of subjects from music to sustainability, there's a large palette of inspiration and entertainment to pull from.
A story of pure alchemy and divine precision is instantly captivating which is why I wanted to start with this Outkast, Driven episode from 2004. The contemporary obsession with Andre 3000's mysticism gets broken with a rather detailed description of his childhood from his late mother, and close family members. Although the majority of us have already seen it, we can revisit with new eyes and experiences to pull inspiration or entertainment from, but no matter which side of the viewing pool you are, rest assured you will gain a greater appreciation for their origin story and trajectory as I do with each view.
The City Girls extend the trail of rappers like Trina and Khiya with hypersexual, prideful, womanist lyrics over lavish, miami bass-driven hip-hop production. Dubbed problematic from their past homophobic tweets, this documentary positions their environment in a way that bids for why JT and Yung Miami have these convictions. Following the members, management, and family leading up to JT's almost two-year sentence, this short documentary quickly informs viewers of City Girl's genesis, stances, and projections.
Juxtaposition as a lifestyle is an interesting narrative to explore in all of its layers. In this case, it is the contrast between the clothing of dandies and their environment in ruin as a trickle-down effect of colonization. The tagline "living in poverty and spending a fortune to look like a million dollars" is not only true for the Congo Dandies or 'La Sape', but also for so many of us in the first world. As a means of self expression and acclaim, the dandies present themselves boldly to inspire and beautify their environment. As a testament to purpose and self esteem, this documentary forages inspiration in the fields of self confidence and mental health.
A telling story of passion being the driving force to someone's motivation, and how that passion alone can feed a person mentally, physically, and even spiritually at some points. At the root of his fascination with restoring Teslas is sustainability, or reuse and recycling parts to restore modern day automotive, first-world casualties. "There's plenty of benefits to fixing your own cars...you know it's less waste, eco-friendly, creates jobs, eases pressure off manufacturer, it just makes sense all in", he says reflecting on the current age of throwing things away without concern. This documentary is inspiring, educational, and nonetheless innovative from the subject matter to the storytelling, and even reveals the contradictions with Tesla's sustainability mission.