The great Harry Belafonte was one of the producers of this "gritty streetwise musical," as it was hyped. A hopelessly dated and patronizing portrayal of hip-hop culture, the film is full of cheesy and corny dialogue, with unfortunately little music to redeem it. However, as a snapshot of hip-hop given the Hollywood treatment, it is fascinating. My personal favorite song is "Tu Cariño" (Carmen's Theme), written by Rubén Blades and Carlos Franzetti and performed by Blades.
Review of Beat Street
