SANKOFA HIP HOP PROJECT
Directed by EZ STREET
Radio personality EZ Street was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY. He was a self- described military brat who went to Kansas State University, where he discovered his passion for the airwaves and became a radio disc jockey. He has worked in radio since 1990, at stations in Dallas, Philadelphia, Chicago, Baltimore, San Francisco and Washington, D.C.
While preparing for his film, “Sankofa”, EZ Street says the idea was born from the realization that most of us don’t know the connections and relationships between contemporary music, dance, and culture to our ancestors. “There’s really not much new under the sun. Everything we do has a connection to our rich African past. Most times, we just don’t know the origin. I knew for this to be my film, everything had to come from me. I had a ton of footage from Common, Talib Kweli, Wiz Khalifa, Snoop Dogg, and lots of others. Actually, I approached it like it was a term paper, and just kept on writing.”
When he was done, he had a full length documentary complete with archival footage, interviews, performances, and accounts that comprised an hour and twenty minutes worth of entertainment. The documentary explores the origins of the Hip Hop movement from its’ inception until now. When asked if he will be making another film, EZ Street responded, “I look at need. If there is a need for it, I may consider making another one. Maybe I’ll do a viral video or a short ten minute piece, focusing on the things that are near and dear to my heart. With “Sankofa”, I wanted to explore the notion of the origin of a lot of cultural things that can be traced back to Africa.
Watch the complete film in the Film/Video Cafe
