Words From The City

Running Time: 90’
Shooting Gauge: HD
Completed: 2008

Focusing on the unique lyrical and verbal artistry of the form, the film follows a diverse range of artists from around the country, including Wire MC, Hilltop Hoods, Downsyde, Layla, Koolism, Bliss N Eso, Maya Jupiter, TZU and MC Trey. From social and political rage to personal and cultural storytelling, from laneways and parks to festivals and nightclubs, the film explores the diverse environments that shape these artists and their urge to make their voices heard.

Filmed across one long hot summer against the backdrop of an increasingly conservative mainstream, Words from the City follows the daily lives of these artists at the vanguard of Australian hip hop, a movement that is exploding onto the musical landscape as one of our most powerful and energetic creative forms.

For each of these artists, hip hop is deeply connected to their lived experience and the environment in which they live, work and perform. It captures the cultural landscape and heartbeat of the cities that inspire these artists, shaping their diverse identities and unique Australian voices. Drawing on vibrant interviews, live performances and observational footage, celebrates the way that hip hop has been embraced as a powerful form of political and cultural expression and a potent form of resistance.