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I bet you didn’t know queer hip-hop existed, and that it’s even a social movement. Well, queer hip-hop is one of the many subcultures that mainstream America knows nothing about… so here’s Alex Hinton with his documentary Pick Up the Mic to enlighten viewers about a rather unusual underground music scene. Or bore them.

Despite its fascinating, quirky subject matter, Pick Up the Mic gets dull real quickly. In other words, I fell asleep during it.

Ooh, how shocking!!! Gay rappers!!! Thanks to the likes of super masculine, occasionally gay-bashing rap “artists” like Eminem and 50 Cent, it’s a little weird to think of gay, lesbian, and transsexual rappers. Why would gay people want to participate in music that objectifies and demeans women?

But you’ll get used to the idea after a few live performances and behind the scenes testimonies from artists who consider queer hip-hop a genre they don’t mind exploiting and others who want to speak to a more universal audience. You’ll see folks on stage in front of hyped up crowds, rhyming conventional and unconventional lyrics, and be treated to their opinions about this controversial music. (Ah, the irony, that popular rap is more socially acceptable than this kind, which generally sports much more parent-friendly themes.)

But that’s all there is – just interview after performance after interview after performance. It gets old after a while and eventually you either want juicier, personal stories to back it all up or famous, straight rappers like Snoop Dog to reflect on the issue. Maybe even a history of hip-hop and more discussion about how its spirit has been distorted by popular music today would have improved Pick Up the Mic. As well, it certainly doesn’t help that the dry doco has not a single iota of style.

For many, Hinton’s exposure of this largely unknown group of musicians is sufficient and even preferable over a flashier presentation. But it bored me and by the end credits, I just didn’t care anymore about these marginalized rappers who I most definitely SHOULD care about. I’m an open-minded liberal after all and I even like music!

However, maybe it’s a good sign that Pick Up the Mic wasn’t all that shocking to me after the first 10 minutes or so. Because that means “gay” isn’t all that shocking, not even when it’s associated with activities that are typically reserved for heterosexuals.

Even with Hinton's disinterested, hands-off approach, Pick Up the Mic is probably pretty good PR for what I would think is a frequently misunderstood and unfairly judged segment of the population. So kudos to the freshman documentarian for spreading awareness about this flamboyant brand of rap/music revolution. I just hope that next time around, he makes a more compelling film.

link directly to this review at https://www.hollywoodbitchslap.com/review.php?movie=12840&reviewer=369
originally posted: 03/21/06 18:16:44
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