Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival 2009

Number One With A Bullet examines the prevalence of violence in rap and hip-hop and the impact that such has had on an industry and a culture. From corporate music offices to urban city streets, the documentary spans the United States to investigate the phenomenon of gun violence in America and its strong influence on urban music. The film attempts to strip apart the connections between violence and the rap/hip-hop genre and look at each individually in order to truly understand the relationship. The documentary features an impressive array of rap and hip-hop artists who have survived violent incidents. Included are interviews with Young Buck, B Real, Obie Trice, Prodigy, Mos Def, KRS ONE, Ice Cube and 50 Cent. Police officers, educators, doctors, community activists and fans also weigh in on the effects of gun violence and the influence that such destructiveness has on music and that music has on violence. Specifically Number One With A Bullet follows five rappers with experience on both sides of the issue; Young Buck, B Real, Obie Trice, 40 Glocc and Alabama’s own The Last Mr. Bigg AKA Diamond Eye. The documentary follows the musicians back to the locations of their run in with violent crime and provides an insiders view of the less than flashy side of the story. The interviews featured in the film would be interesting on their own, but being framed with the larger context makes them all together more compelling. Number One With A Bullet is an extremely slick documentary that displays the work of an obviously seasoned cinematographer (specifically Jeff Bollman) and sharp director (Jim Dziura). Perhaps being a bit self-reflexive, the documentary, overall, makes a very tough and gritty topic aesthetically pleasing to take in. As a matter of fact it’s downright stylish.