Screens/Movies

Where: Paramount+
What: Movie, 96 mins.
When: Tue., Feb. 27
Genre: Documentary
Rating: NNNNN (out of 5)
Why you should watch: An astonishing look at the weaponization of hip hop lyrics to incarcerate Black youth in the U.S. — it happens in Canada too — that also leads to a “chill” that sees artists unable to speak their truth without fear of repercussions. Bronx rapper Kemba digs deep exploring the historical roots of attempts to limit Black music from the songs of enslaved people through to jazz, blues, rock and now hip hop. Thousands of Black youth are in U.S. jails, in many cases having swung plea deals, confessing to crimes they did not commit to avoid the risk of larger sentences. It’s a legal system that’s stacked against them as lyrics and videos they had made are used as evidence to convict them. Through interviews with artists from Killer Mike to lesser-known cotemporaries, Kemba uncovers real-life examples and the artistic impact of these actions. Director J. M. Harper brilliantly juxtaposes the words of white artists, including Shakespeare, and folk and country songs from the ’50s to illustrate the double standard that allows white artists to speak in violent imagery without it being assumed they intend to actually do it. He makes a powerful case that, if viewed through the same lens Black artists are seen, Romeo and Juliet is Shakespeare’s “gang” play illustrated through a brilliant scene with hip hop artists menacingly reading the Bard’s words. While there are some high-profile cases of rappers like Young Thug having their lyrics used against them in court, As We Speak demonstrates how widespread and destructive it is. Essential viewing.