This Is the Life

"How the West was One"

Feb 9 2008 N/A 1h 37m
Documentary

In 1989, a collective of young hip hop artists gathered at a health food café in South Central Los Angeles. Their mandate? To reject gang culture and expand the musical boundaries of hip hop. DuVernay's documentary chronicles the historic legacy of the Good Life Cafe — the open mic nights that became an L.A. institution, the eclectic array of talented young MCs that emerged there, the alternative hip hop movement they developed, and their worldwide influence on the artform.

Plot

In 1989, a collective of young artists gathered at a non-descript health food store in gang-infested South Central Los Angeles. Their mandate? To explore the musical boundaries of hip hop and reject gangster rap. THIS IS THE LIFE chronicles the rise and fall of this "family" of African-American street poets, while examining their obstacles to commercial success. They all took different paths but remain connected by the music they made, the alternative hip hop movement they developed, and their worldwide influence on the art form.

Written by

Ava DuVernay

Directed by

Ava DuVernay

Cast

2Mex, Chali 2na, Cut Chemist

Crew

View crew

Production Countries

United States of America

Production Companies

The DuVernay Agency

Languages

English

Awards

5 wins & 1 nomination

Trailers
THIS IS THE LIFE | Official Trailer
Scores
# of Votes
319
Average Rating
6.9 out of 10
Metascore
NA
Popularity
NA