In the brand new series, The Get Down, the world in which the hip hop movement was born is explored through the perspective of five young teenagers. These teenagers live in The Bronx, New York during the 1970’s, where Disco dominated the music and dance culture. Surrounding their love for the music and art, are numerous adversities that the children in the ghettos back then faced everyday. Corruption lead to violence, drugs, and blood shed as these children utilize their artistic expression to display the humanity in an inhumane environment.
There are numerous reasons why everyone should start watching The Get Down. Here are four:
1. See the birth of Hip Hop and how it was created.
To appreciate an art and culture to the fullest, one must know the roots and birthplace of it. In The Get Down, the show illuminates what started this revolutionary movement known as Hip Hop. From corruptive planned shrinkage to crime and poverty, the residents of communities such as the South Bronx were forced to be as innovative as possible when it came to artistic expression. With minimal resources, they eventually created a culture that represented much more than partying and rebellion. It became a symbol for all the institutional oppression that minorities faced all over the country. The Get Down is a celebration of this movement and thanks to this show, the revolution is finally televised.
2. Relatability with many of the lead roles
This is may not be true for many audiences, but seeing the teenagers in the show and their love for music, dance, and poetry directly related to me. And to see how their environment constantly prevented them from doing what they love aggravated me. It is hard to fathom the idea of rebelling against every corrupt thing in your government so directly through sound and congregation. This show put my privileges in check and made me realize how many things I am taking for granted. On top of that, the awkward teenage love story, the adrenaline rush that comes with rebellion, and the family struggle brought all kinds of memories back, triggering so many emotions as I binge-watched through to the end.
3. The focus on detail
Before this show, I was always amazed at the innovation that came out of impoverished environments. Like the original DJ’s of Hip Hop like Cool Herc, created masterpieces by taking apart a song to create a new masterpiece by marking and “scratching” classics like James Brown. But after I binge-watched all 6 episodes in one sitting, I now have a newfound respect for the technical skill that is required to not only DJ, but to also control a crowd while manipulating records. This show also focuses so much on small yet crucial detail, such as the brand of headphones that Grandmaster Flash used, or the apparel worn during the 70s. All of this is nitpicky detail, but it contributed greatly to the quality of the show as a whole. The show also made sure to not leave out the bigger, more vibrant components of that era: Voguing. Please, if you don’t know what voguing is let Kumari’s angelic voice teach you.
4. The soundtrack
I don’t care what era you were born into, but once songs like Apache or Vitamin C come on, you can’t help but release your inner bboy/bgirl. The Get Down plays classics that perfectly fits into each scene, but also has original songs that are so funky you might herniate a disc while bobbing your head. And it’s not only Hip Hop music that they play; Disco, Funk, Salsa, Merengue, and Gospel all create an atmosphere that made me envious of those who got to live through that decade of music.
I am not a film geek and do not dare to call myself a cinematic intellect, but damn this is a good show. All in all, this show is one of my all time favorites now. I have never sat through a whole season in one sitting until this. It made me, a self-proclaimed Hip Hop Head, fall in love with the culture all over again. I hope this convinced you to go watch it, and as the great Artifacts once said: Git down with The Get Down.
