Moving to the Beat (2008)

In Moving to the Beat, an African American hip-hop group journeys to Freetown, Sierra Leone to discover a spiritual homeland and resurrect Chuck D's notion of hip-hop as the "black CNN." Going against the stereotypes of mainstream rap music, the documentary creates a dialogue between Black youth in Africa and America on war, sexuality, and gender, and portrays their visions of what it means to be a non-violent rebel. As each group confronts romanticized images of the other, whether of Africa or America, the result is a deeply forged connection and a commitment to ongoing struggle through hip-hop.