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 Popular mixtape DJ, Vlad, has recently wrapped up filming for a documentary chronicling the movement created by late Bay Area legend Mac Dre and popularized by E-40. It's called the hyphy movement.
The upcoming documentary, titled "Ghostride The Whip: The Hyphy Movement," will capture the energy and danger of the exploding scene in the San Francisco Bay Area, while exploring the political, social and musical history behind the entire culture, according to a press release for the film.
With two Bay Area natives guiding the film -- Vlad is a Bay Area native and MTV News' Sway, who is from Oakland -- it provides an authentic look into living life "hyphy."
"I grew up all around the Bay Area -- Oakland, Berkeley, San Mateo, Sunnyvale," DJ Vlad told BallerStatus.com. "I saw the Bay get national attention with Too Short and MC Hammer, and then I saw the attention fade out. When the hyphy movement brought the national spotlight back to the Bay, I felt inspired to show people the deeper story -- beyond what the media was scratching on the surface."
Vlad, who acts as director and producer, said the film has been two years in the making. As a well-known DJ from the area, he was able to gain access to all of the major players, and get all the antics and authentic lifestyle first hand. For example, he says he was able to shoot footage of the sideshows, the drugs and all the ghostriding you can imagine.
"We got footage of the sideshows, where dozens of cars spin out in the middle of intersections. We have footage of people getting hit by cars while trying to 'dance with the cars.' We went inside multiple 'cannabis clubs' where marijuana is legally sold. We saw people shutting down major bridges as they would 'ghostride' their cars," he explains.
His favorite part of the movie, though, is where they go in-depth about the movement's creator, Mac Dre.
"My favorite part of the film is when we go deep into the story of Mac Dre," admits Vlad. "Dre was always an underground figure. They never played his songs on the major radio stations. But when he died, all of his work suddenly came to the forefront, and it was amazing. When I started interviewing his crew, and learning about the Romper Room bank robberies and his role in that, it was this incredible story that I knew needed to be told."
When the mass media began to cover the Bay Area and its culture, it seemed very one-sided. They were either praised for their innovation or scrutinized for the dangers of things like "ghostriding" or "thizzing." Vlad, however, feels his attempt is a little more personal. With his heart anchored in the Bay, he didn't just show you where the Bay is at now, but delves a little deeper, tracing the Bay Area's music back to its roots.
"This is the first movie that actually traces the history of Bay Area music from the 40s -- from jazz, to funk, to the Too Short's and MC Hammer's, and finally to the Mac Dre's, E-40's and Keak Da Sneak's," explains Vlad. "We also explain the how the music is tied into the car culture, the dancing, and even the drugs. This is the first time a major company like Image Entertainment has released a real, full-length documentary about the Bay."
"Ghostride The Whip: The Hyphy Movement" was directed and produced by Vlad, while acclaimed producer/director Peter Spirer ("Rhyme & Reason," "Thug Angel: Life of An Outlaw," the "Beef" series) helped mold the overall vision, acting in the executive producer role.
It will feature music and interviews with the likes of Mac Dre, E-40, Mistah FAB and Keak Da Sneak, among others. And will delve into the sideshows, the dancing, the slang, the unique fashion sense and even the drugs.
The film is slated for release on June 24 via Image Entertainment. View the trailer for the film here.
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