Hip hop is like complex poetry, says Ladner’s Daniel Joseph, or “Dangerous” when he’s performing. The music genre is full of literary devices, like similes, metaphors and alliteration, but more importantly, it tells a story.
And the new feature-length, narrative documentary “Vancity Raps” – which Joseph is both featured in and an associate producer for – promises to tell the story of the hip hop scene in Vancouver.
“We were looking to plant the seed. We, [the performers in the documentary and the producers], all come from fairly humble beginnings, and we worked at our craft, and we crafted our work and we evolved into these artists and producers and performers that can engage people and connect to people. And I think that’s really what it is – for the next generation, how can we show them that they can do it, too?” he says.
In addition to hopefully inspiring and encouraging younger generations to join the world of hip hop, the documentary also showcases how local hip hop artists are working to uplift their community with their music.
In January, Vancity Raps – which is written, directed and produced by Pale Christian Thomas – won a certificate of appreciation from the Vancouver Independent Film Festival for “Best Canadian Documentary.”
Joseph originally got involved in Vancity Raps through the documentary’s co-producer Travis Turner, who he used to do shows with in the past, he says, including opening for Nelly, Cypress Hill and Chamillionaire.
At first, he was asked to tell his story in the documentary, but once he shared that he had experience producing and being on the other side of the camera, the director took him on board.
This year, the documentary will be making its way through the film festival circuit and the team will be working to secure a distribution deal with streaming services or an entertainment company.
“Hip hop is all about storytelling, and why it’s important is that artists singing and rapping, it’s good for the soul. It’s good for any soul to let it out, but I also think that from a content perspective, there’s a lot of great messaging, and education and inspiration that hip hop can provide,” says Joseph.
To watch the trailers for Vancity Raps, check out their YouTube Channel, Facebook and Instagram by searching for “Vancity Raps.”
