This page has been created as a reference to UK Hip Hop Culture and the documentaries selected serve as an insite in to parts of the UK scene at various points in time since it’s birth in the early 1980’s. The documentaries featured have been selected as they reflect the stories, views, surroundings, and thoughts of the artists creating and living UK Hip Hop culture. 

The first two videos (Wild Style and Style Wars) are US Hip Hop Culture references that pre date a large part of the UK Hip Hop scene and have been included for visitors to the site that are unaware of Hip Hop’s roots in New York. Early UK Hip Hop Culture, like Hip Hop Culture around the world, exists as a result of  local people experiencing and becoming aware of what had evolved during the 1970’s in New York. The below selection of documentaries (excluding Wild Style and Style Wars) aim to give an insite in to what happened when the UK embraced Hip Hop Culture.

Please note Breaktothebeat are not attempting to give a full insite in to every UK artists/pioneer involved in UK Hip Hop Culture. Our aim with the selection of documentaries is to give visitors to the site that may not be familiar with UK Hip Hop, an overview of what UK Hip Hop is and how it evolved over time. We hope that by viewing the documentaries you will be able to note down artists featured and seek further information online……….Thanks for visiting the site…….Breaktothebeat staff……….

Wild Style (1982): This Movie/Documentary captures Hip Hop Culture and is one of several mediums on how Hip Hop Culture colonised the world. Wild Style features a selection of pioneering artists and displays all elements of Hip Hop Culture in it’s birth place.

Style Wars (1983): This documentary was filmed in New York and includes interviews with several pioneering Hip Hop artists. Style Wars gives a detailed account about the history of graffiti art and like Wild Style provided a medium for Hip Hop Culture to spread throughout  the world.

(Please not that there are many mediums that enabled Hip Hop to spread such as visiting New York, Hearing early Hip Hop recordings, etc. The above two videos have been selected as they give a good overview of Hip Hop in it’s early period.)

Electro Rock (1985): Electro Rock documents a series of live performances from early UK Hip Hop artists and was filmed in 1985 at the London Hippodrome. The video also includes several pioneering US Hip Hop artists. By this point Hip Hop Culture had been established in the UK and the first generation of artists had been born.

Bad Meaning Good (1987): This documentary by pioneering Hip Hop DJ Tim Westwood gives a insite in to the Hip Hop scene in London during 1987.

Bombin’ (1987): Parts of the documentary is filmed in and features artists from Birmingham and Bristol.

Rapping (1989): This documentary gives an insite in to young people in London and Herefordshire contributing to an already established UK Hip Hop scene.

And It Wasn’t A Dream (1991): Documentary about Manchester’s Hip Hop scene, its roots, and some of it’s pioneering Hip Hop artists.

Sounds Of The West (1996): Documentary about Bristol’s Hip Hop scene, its roots and some of the contributions made by artists from the West country.

The Pioneers (2000): Documentary made during the second golden age of Hip Hop which features artists representing the culture from different parts of the UK.