Past screening

Hustlers Convention

Directed by: Mike Todd
Runtime: 1hr 31min Year: 2015
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Details

Directed by: Mike Todd
Runtime: 1hr 31min Year: 2015
Country: United Kingdom, United States
Last Screened: Thu 2nd Jul 2015

Hustlers Convention is the greatest music story never told, revealing the forgotten roots of rap.

“It was a full moon, in the middle of June, I was young and cool and shot a bad game of pool…”

In 1973 a Hip Hop classic was born in the epic album, ‘Hustlers Convention‘, by Lightnin’ Rod aka Jalal Nuriddin of ‘The Last Poets’. This new documentary follows Jalal’s story over the past two years and pieces together this cultural missing link. When Jalal’s street rhyming style, met the Black Power politics of the post-Malcolm X era, the art of rap as we know it was born.

‘The Last Poets’ became the voice of a generation, they provided an expression of the anger of the streets like had never been heard before. Their street tale of card sharks, gamblers, dope peddlers and thieves, changed the face of music forever but despite its recognition, the album is largely missing from its rightful place in history. Until now.