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| Gawk >> Toronto Rap Project |
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What spurred you to create the Toronto Rap Project? I guess what spurred me was what seems to spur a great many documentary filmmakers into action - we story a story playing out in the public and media that isn't being given proper context or respect and we desire to get out there and give a better perspective to an issue - in my case, it was the desire to really check out how much influence, if any, rap music was having on the spike in Toronto's gun crime. It probably wasn't the first article in the mainstream press to debate the effect of rap music on crime that got me out, but when I started to see a steady stream of these articles appearing regularly, I just felt a lot of the journalists really didn't get it. When one Globe and Mail scribe went as far as to label rap, 'a social toxin' -- I knew the issue wasn't being given a proper context and I felt not enough peeps who are really from the culture were being given a voice in the debate. The Toronto Rap project tries to tell the story and discuss the issue from mainly from the point of view of the rapper. Though this is an independent documentary, you’ve managed to hook up with some not so indie artists for interviews and the soundtrack, how did that come about? (I’m thinking specifically of Kardi as I ask this) All I can really say to this question is -- 'I just asked'. May, I know where your coming from in that yes, some interview subjects (especially the celebrity type) can be difficult to get to and have peeps around them talking for them. I've interviewed hundreds of people in my time over different docs and I will say this from the indie perspective -- when I have wanted to talk to any type of "name" and I've gone through agents or publicists to make a request, I have rarely gotten the interview. When I've reached the person directly and plead my case, I have always gotten the interview. In Kardi's case, he was doing a toronto concert at Mod club on his album tour late last year and I just went there in the afternoon, figuring he'll do a soundcheck. sure enough he was doing it. I found his guy, told him what I was trying to do and they were very cool with it. May, I'll tell you the one interview I didn't get for the doc (the only one) - is 50 cent. I was almost finished shooting the doc when some "bright" politician decided to try and ban fiddy from coming here for concerts and suddenly the theme of my doc - is a VERY BIG story. I decided I'd try and get fiddy for an interview. I knew the chances were slim, but again, all you can do is ask. I made a formal request to his agent -- but never heard anything back. I even waited at his hotel after the Toronto concert, saw fiddy come back but his bodyguard made it very clear there was going to be NO interviews. I certainly think it's any big deal if fiddy stands there for a minute and answers a question, but I guess in their world its a very big deal. |
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Tell me about your experiences interviewing politicians and police.
Was the running question of the documentary, ‘Does rap or media glamorization of violence play any part in influencing crime on the streets?’ answered? The politicians were a lot easier to talk to then I first thought and the police where much tougher. I would just find public events where the politicians would be in attendance. -- they always would like the cameras and talk. I felt it was important to put in the documentary the other side. I knew there was people who are very influenced by the media reports and do feel a strong link between the ills of society and music is to be made. I guess it concerns me a little more when the people having those opinions are also in the position of being able to set agenda and policy. All the politicians and public figures we spoke too had no problem speaking on the ills of hip hop culture (when I ask about negatives the words would flow out of their mouths, when I ask about positives, suddenly things would go very silent). I should say here that I don't pretend to think that hip hop should be immune from criticism or debate. I don't doubt there are valid concerns in some aspects of rap music that merit further discussion. There's no question a gansterism element has crept into some of today's hip hip. I'm just saying to focus only in on the negative and not discuss the positives in the same context is doing a disservice to the issue and not really understanding anything. The same thing can be said about some of the more challenged areas of Toronto that these rappers are from. More then a few people who have seen the documentary, especially people from the 'nice and safe' suburbs have commented to me that they never really saw the positives of Jane-Finch or Scarborough like the doc showed them and then began to realize that maybe those areas are not open war zones. |
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Do you personally have a different take on this from when you started? I wouldn't say that my take is any different, but my understanding of several key issues has certainly grown. I went into making the doc thinking rap doesn't directly cause violence - and I still very much do feel that. But certain negative aspects of a gansterism culture is evident in some of today hop-hip. and I was explained to many times this sort of bravado can play a role in seeing the guns come out so quickly to settle disputes. But if you ask me what causes crime, I'll say look at the issues of kids being raised in broken homes without the moral pillars parents can provide (especially fathers) -- the issues of lack of education or job opportunity and then throw gansta rap into THAT mix, we'll... even I'll admit it can have some negative consequences. All I'm saying is that if you want to have the rap-violence debate, sure have it.. But don't forget to bring all the issues into the mix (education, social assistance, racism etc.) Actually, if anything changed for me making this doc was how I was feeling about how safe Toronto really is. Another of my motivations for tackling this subject was the feeling the mainstream press was making Toronto look to be some open war zone like Baghdad. I like in downtown t-dot and I certainly was feeling very safe. I was finished shooting the doc and well into editing when I was downtown on a fine boxing day afternoon shopping in HMV when the shots rang out. This was certainly the closest I have ever been to a shooting. Suddenly, I didn't feel safe. I did wonder for a time if one of the core themes of my doc had changed? |
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What do you hope others will learn from this documentary? I'm not sure if it's really about about learning. I mean, more then I think my doc answers any real questions, it really about raising and asking the questions. More about challenging perceptions. So maybe that one person he sees the world only though the filters of mainstream media realizes and wonders, we'll just maybe it isn't exactly like that? No, it wasn't all black gangbangers at the 50 cent concert ready to fire off rounds into the sky but MY kids and my neighbors kids that are buying fiddy... How can the public see this documentary? There'll be a few screenings over the summer around the t-dot. Next up is the York U thing.. best I can say is check out the www.RAPproject.com website and join the mailing list to keep up to date on stuff and we'll list screenings etc. |
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