Eyes on the Prize

By Adam McKibbin, June 6, 2007

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Grind and Glory follows Bay Area youth who see hip-hop as their only means of expression and escape.

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Founded two years ago, UthTV.com began providing its local UPN affiliate in San Francisco with original programming created entirely by youth. Since then, it has relocated to the online world, and its ongoing content ranges from socially conscious documentaries to zany animated films.

While following a Bay Area hip-hop competition called Grind and Glory (organized by Horizons Unlimited's The DJ Project) the Uth TV crew realized that they'd discovered a topic -- and a cast of characters -- deserving deeper exploration. Thus was born the powerful feature-length documentary (directed by Keith Morikawa) Grind and Glory, hopefully coming soon to film festivals and schools near you. The film follows a diverse group of finalists showcasing their raw, heartfelt performances throughout the competition while stepping back to examine their personal stories and the circumstances that have compelled so many young people to seek out hip-hop as a desperate means of expression and escape.

To learn more about the creative process behind the film, WireTap's Adam McKibbin sat down with Uth TV Head of Programming Dave Yanofsky and Grind and Glory director of photography Bryant Jow, who just finished his freshman year at NYU Film School.

WireTap: In the wake of the Don Imus firing, there's been a lot of talk about sexism and racism in rap music. But the artists in Grind and Glory are practicing a more socially conscious strain of hip-hop. How do they manage to subvert that stereotype that's being perpetuated in the mainstream?

Dave Yanofsky: I think within our five artists, you do see a spectrum. The Trunk Boiz are certainly part of the hyphy movement -- I think they are less misogynistic and their lyrics are not violence-based, but it's definitely what some would say more vacuous in lyrics; it's all about going dumb and having fun. You have Trinidad on the other end of the spectrum, and Mistreat and D.Nok and Sincere as well, who are really trying to infuse a message in their music. I hope that, in some way, this film can show that those two things are not mutually exclusive. You can have young artists who are making people dance and move at the same time that they're making them think and explore their behavior.

Bryant Jow: These youth are caught in this transitional phase. They're trying to find their own voice. It's interesting to see how they bring in the music around them, but also tell their own stories, and bring a more conscious message with them.

Dave Yanofsky: They're being bombarded with one type of music, and they're trying to figure out how to incorporate those elements on MTV, VH1 and BET while staying true to themselves. A lot of these kids are trying to make it, and they see one model: 50 Cent and The Game. I think it's very much to their credit that they're still able to find a conscious message. As D.Nok says, he doesn't want to go to sleep without his soul. That's the line that I think stands out among all of it. These kids are hip-hop heads, they live and breathe music, but they're not going to sell themselves out just to make a dollar.

Grind and Glory was a great test to go against the best young acts in the East Bay. It was good to see how I fell into place with them because it lets me know on what I need to work on. I also learned that I had to be an individual and really present myself as a solo artist to have my presence felt and my message heard.

--DNok of The Faculty

WireTap: Did you have any difficulties with access? There's an exploitation line that can be easy for documentarians to cross if they're not conscientious.

Bryant Jow: We had footage of a really young child holding a shotgun, and the aunt in the family would not let us keep that footage without the blur filter over the baby. Even getting to the point where we could film that kind of footage, it takes time with the people to gain their trust to make sure that we're not trying to exploit their lives -- we're trying to tell this story.

Dave Yanofsky: There are concentric circles, and our first point of access was with the performers themselves -- and a lot of them are trying to hustle and get their names out there, and they saw this as a potential vehicle. That initial point of entry was relatively easy. But when you start to expand out into their communities and families, you can encounter some resistance -- and that's where the individual performers were our advocates, and they would say "Hey, this is really important to me, can you cooperate?"

WireTap: What are the distribution plans for your film? How can people find it?

Dave Yanofsky: I'm pretty confident we can get it in theaters and some high-profile outlets here in the Bay Area, but I personally think it's a national story. A lot of the stories that are happening in this film have tremendous relevance for young people all over the country -- and internationally as well. We want to pull out some of those themes and have the film be a catalyst for a much deeper conversation about the issues. We're reaching for the stars in terms of distribution, but we're also keeping our eyes on the prize and trying to use it as a social tool for change and awareness and discussion.

View the official Grind and Glory documentary trailer.

And check this behind the scenes outtake from one of the Grind and Glory competition's early events (note: this is not an excerpt from the documentary, but an informal clip)

Adam McKibbin is the U.S. web editor of VideoJug and editor of the music-and-politics webzineTheRedAlert.com.

Disclosure: WireTap editor Tomas Palermo was a co-organizer of the Grind & Glory contest in his capacity as summer internship coordinator for the DJ Project from March to August 2006.