Synopsis
Word Is Bond, a documentary film by Sacha Jenkins (Fresh Dressed, Burn Motherf*cker, Burn!) and Mass Appeal, will explore the transformative power of lyrics in the world of Hip-Hop. Rap music is the modern-day personification of the blues—and yet today’s blues encompass a broad spectrum of emotions hailing from North, South, East, West and the Far East, even. What was born in the South Bronx has now taken root globally, and the young poets of New York have helped to spawn regional dialects everywhere. Through dynamic archival footage, in-depth interviews and verite excursions with artists like Nas, Tech9, J Cole, Rapsody, Anderson .Paak and oodles more, Word explores the many dimensions that hip hop poetics occupy.
The old school hip-hop catchphrase “keep it real” isn’t just some hollow request. It’s a rallying cry, demanding that the apostles of the culture stay true to who they are and the environment that shaped them; it is both mantra and challenge. Gauntlet thrown. Historically, when it comes to rock n' roll, kids don’t discuss whether or not Ozzy Osbourne wrote his own lyrics. But when Meek Mill questions whether or not Drake’s lyrics are his own, true rap fans stand at attention. They want to know if Drake is keeping it real. That’s because authenticity is the backbone of hip hop—being true to yourself while being true to the culture is paramount. Your words are your bond to the philosophies that drive hip hop. If your words are false—if you are looking to pass yourself off as a gangster when really you’re a geek—then you might as well jump into a vat of hot plastic, feet-first.
Artists like Nas and Rakim and Big Daddy Kane and Rapsody are proof positive that words—weather they are rapped or sung—can change your life. The human voice, when broadcasting words with harmony and feeling and rhythm, have the ability to echo the essence of the human condition. Lyrics can be ripe with social commentary, or touch on hope or the magic of significant others. Lyrics can contemplate death, target sucker emcees, broadcast a secret language, give you knowledge, put the ‘B’ in braggadocio.
The work that today’s top emcees create is astounding, but we never see the writing process, rarely learn of their inspirations, seldom hear about what makes them tick, or why lyrics are so important to them and important to the hip-hop masses. Rap today is popular music. Word Is Bond takes us on a trip—from the parks of the South Bronx to the top of the pop charts.