- published: 27 Jul 2016
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Wild Style is an American 1983 hip hop film produced by Charlie Ahearn. Released theatrically in 1983 by First Run Features and later re-released for home video by Rhino Home Video, it is regarded as the first hip hop motion picture. The film featured seminal figures within the given period, such as Fab Five Freddy, Lee Quiñones, Lady Pink, the Rock Steady Crew, The Cold Crush Brothers, Queen Lisa Lee of Zulu Nation, Grandmaster Flash and Zephyr. The protagonist "Zoro" is played by New York graffiti artist "Lee" George Quiñones. The year 2013 marked the 30th anniversary of the film and a Blu-ray edition was slated for release to include various interviews and additional features.
An early version of the 'Wild Style' logo appeared in 1981 when Charlie Ahearn hired graffiti writer Dondi to paint the 'window down' subway car piece that appears in the film. The Dondi piece was the inspiration for the animated title sequence designed by the artist Zephyr in 1982. The Wild Style mural was painted by Zephyr, Revolt, and Sharp in 1983. Charlie Ahearn and Fab 5 Freddy began working on the film in the Summer of 1980. The approach was a hybrid of a narrative musical and documentary, having the real Hip Hop pioneers play themselves in a loosely scripted story shot entirely on location in The South Bronx, The Lower East Side and MTA Subway yards
Calvin Cordozar Broadus, Jr. (born October 20, 1971), known professionally as Snoop Dogg, is an American rapper and actor from Long Beach, California. His music career began in 1992 when he was discovered by Dr. Dre of N.W.A and, as a result, was prominently featured throughout Dr. Dre's solo debut album, The Chronic (1992). He has since sold over 21 million albums in the United States and 35 million albums worldwide.
Snoop's debut album, Doggystyle, was released in 1993 under Death Row Records, debuting at number one on both the Billboard 200 and Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts. Selling almost a million copies in the first week of its release, Doggystyle became certified 4× platinum in 1994 and spawned several hit singles, including "What's My Name?" and "Gin & Juice". In 1994, Snoop released a soundtrack on Death Row Records for the short film Murder Was The Case, starring himself. His second album Tha Doggfather (1996), also debuted at number one on both charts with "Snoop's Upside Ya Head", as the lead single. The album was certified double platinum in 1997.