1982 • United States • Directed by Charlie Ahearn

HERE'S A LITTLE STORY THAT MUST BE TOLD...

In early 1980s New York City, independent filmmaker Charlie Ahearn and downtown artist Fred Brathwaite ventured uptown with the aim of capturing an exciting new underground scene that was happening in the South Bronx, a scene that featured graffiti artists, breakdancing b-boys and two turntables and a microphone. The result was Wild Style, and to many viewers it was their first glimpse of the musical and cultural phenomenon called hip-hop.

In this unique hybrid of fiction and documentary, the story of lone graffiti artist Lee ""Zoro"" Quiñones trying to achieve success on his own terms is brought to vivid life with support by Fred ""Fab 5 Freddy"" Brathwaite, Sandra ""Lady Pink"" Fabara and Patti Astor, and with historic music performances by such luminaries as Grandmaster Flash, Busy Bee, The Fantastic Five, The Cold Crush Brothers and The Rock Steady Crew. To create the score, Chris Stein (Blondie) would collaborate with Brathwaite to produce the actual breakbeats to be used in the film, an inspired decision that would provide a source of obsession among crate diggers for decades to come.

Endlessly sampled, imitated and debated, Wild Style is the truest portrait of the hip-hop scene during its early years, and remains one of the most important music films ever made.