Out of the hundreds of films each year that see theatrical and straight-to-video release, there is one genre that is something of a rarity; the mockumentary. These imagined documentaries look at any manner of things, from fiction rock bands such as seen in This is Spinal Tap or The Progressives, to filmmakers such as Colin McKenzie as seen in Peter Jackson’s Forgotten Silver and even up and coming slashers met in Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon. Well, now there’s a mockumentary all about gansta rap since no one has ever covered the world of rap in this fashion before. Nope, it’s never been done; not in CB4 (1993) or even in Fear of a Black Hat (1994).

Gansta Rap is billed as a “glockumentary” where director Damon 'Coke' Daniels follows around the fictitious rap act Gangsta Rap as they try and make their comeback. As Murder Mike (Slink Capone) and Du Rag (Howie Bell) tell it, everything that bands like NWA were doing and became famous for, they were doing first, but they have never managed to get recognized, at least not until now. With a big recording deal on the table, the aging rappers seem to be on the verge of finally breaking into the mainstream, but internal struggles and problems with the record label might end their dreams before they can materialize.

The idea itself could have been one that was fairly humorous, were it not for the fact that it has been done before. Even so, I did expect to find some laughs in this mockumentary, but unfortunately Gangsta Rap has nothing that is funny in the least. If nothing else, this film is fairly insulting on just about every level. Since the members of Gangsta Rap have never managed to move beyond the hood, they are still living the life of the downtrodden for the most part, but it hasn’t taken away their dream. However, Gangsta Rap throws in as many stereotypes as it can such as that many African American’s living in poverty have a number of children, all from different mothers and ones that they aren’t necessarily certain are theirs, at least not until the paternity results finally come, something that we see time and time again on the Maury Povich Show, though Gangsta Rap excludes the standard element of running in the back, crying, and falling on the floor when the results prove to be incorrect.

There are moments with the guys drinking cheap forty’s, talking about making and selling crack and other drugs, and everything else that you would associate with the world of gangsta rap, though we find that no matter how hard core someone like Murder Mike might come across, he’s really not that much of a true gangsta. Also, I think this movie might hold the record for the usage of the word “nigga,” something I expected to hear, but it’s overused here, so much so that I think even those who are comfortable with the word and might use it on a daily basis will find that Gangsta Rap pushes it to such a level that it become offensive.

Offensive really is the main problem with the movie; it does this on every level and while I’m all for pushing the boundaries, Gangsta Rap does so to the point where it’s just not funny. It isn’t just the black stereotypes that are annoying; it’s everything else as well. White males in league with the record label apparently try and act cool but come across as being nothing more than geeks, you have to thrown in an exec who is along the lines of Suge Knight, a black woman with a name that she shouldn’t have, Urethra (Tom'ya Bowden) and every other cookie cutter, carbon copy that you can think of. There are also efforts to try and lampoon labels being upset over offensive album covers, problems getting into the recording studio, and anything else you can dream of, but the results aren’t hilarious, they aren’t side-splitting, and they aren’t even worth a chuckle. Gangsta Rap instead is a film of the lowest comedy denominator and what should be funny is just a miserable attempt to make you laugh. Imagine watching someone like Carrot Top if he were black . . . he’s not funny no matter what ethnicity he is, and that’s what Gangsta Rap is; a big dose of “not funny.”

Since the film has plenty of songs from Gangsta Rap, it’s only appropriate that a music video make it into the bonus features, but it’s just like the movie. There are also deleted scenes and a look at the theatrical trailer for the movie. I’m surprised that there isn’t commentary, but maybe those involved realized that in reality, this just wasn’t a great idea and decided to simply avoid adding in their two cents worth and regaling us with stories that amount to “I guess you had to be there.”

It doesn’t matter who much you might love or hate rap, hip-hop, and gangsta rap; this is a movie that isn’t going to provide comedy for anyone. Gangsta Rap simply wants to be the cream of the crop when compared to all of the other farcical, musical mockumentaries that have come before it but instead, it’s just the bottom of the barrel. While Gangsta Rap is trying to lay down the phat beats and the comedy, you’ll find that you’re laying down for a nap, and that’s not a good sign for any movie.

-mike-