Freestyle: The Art of Rhyme
Palm Pictures | Release Date: July 16, 2004 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
63
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 11 Critic Reviews
Positive:
5
Mixed:
6
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
80
Village VoiceHua Hsu
Despite cloying narration, Fitzgerald's footage and interviews are fantastic. Read full review
75
New York PostLou Lumenick
A solid documentary that examines the art's roots, from ad-libs by black preachers to "toasts" delivered by Jamaican immigrants over instrumental tracks in the '70s South Bronx. Read full review
75
New York Daily NewsJami Bernard
Dispels myths about the "gangsta" aura that clings to rap and shows this poetry of the streets in all its different forms: social protest, entertainment and aggression. Read full review
70
Chicago ReaderFred Camper
An engaged and knowing look at the underground world of improvised rap, concentrating on artists less interested in commercial success and cutting records than in the "spontaneous right now" of "nonconceptual rhyme." Read full review
70
Los Angeles TimesKevin Crust
Even if you have no previous interest in or extensive knowledge of hip-hop, Freestyle will draw you in, accomplishing that rare feat of making the creative process interesting while also telling a story. Read full review
60
Film ThreatMerle Bertrand
Makes for an interesting close-up on an art form whose intricacies could all too easily go unnoticed. Read full review
60
Film ThreatPhil Hall
The film is a visceral overload of wordplay ranging from the spontaneous neighborhood park jams to the overflowing concert venues. Read full review
60
VarietyJon Matsumoto
One of the film's strengths is its abundant performance footage. Read full review
60
The New York TimesDana Stevens
The skills on display in Freestyle are too varied and idiosyncratic for one movie to contain, but this one at least offers a heady, rousing education in an art form that is too often misunderstood. Read full review
60
TV Guide MagazineKen Fox
Begun over seven years ago and described by the filmmaker as a work-in-progress, the documentary still feels a bit incomplete. Read full review
50
L.A. WeeklyHazel-Dawn Dumpert
In Fitzgerald's hands, freestyling is an all-good means of personal expression and communal identification. The dark side of rap he treats only superficially, shortchanging a well-rounded discussion in favor of wholehearted celebration. Read full review
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