FLINT, Michigan -- The new documentary Breed & Bootleg: Legends of Flint Rap Music will be available for streaming this month at the Hip Hop Icons virtual exhibition. Register for the event online.
Hosted by the Marshall M. Fredericks Sculpture Museum at Saginaw Valley State University, Hip Hop Icons is an online viewing of over 150 original pieces related to the history of Hip Hop culture in America. All of the items were acquired by Detroit native Dr. Khalid el-Hakim who has been collecting Black memorabilia for over 30 years as part of the Black History 101 Mobile Museum.
In partnership with the Saginaw African Cultural Festival, the museum is also hosting the “Hip Hop Icons Film Speaker Series” where directors and artists connected to Hip Hop-related films discuss the film and participate in a Q&A. The director of Breed & Bootleg, MSU professor Geri Alumit Zeldes, will be joined by MC Breed’s wife, Natasha Gist-Breed, on February 25th at 7:00 pm. Upon registration, viewers will be able to ask questions in real-time. The discussion will also be streamed live on Facebook.
Breed & Bootleg first premiered at the Detroit Free Press Freep Film Festival in November 2020. The film explores the legacies of MC Breed and Bootleg of The Dayton Family as well as their friendship and the impact they made with their music. It was put together using rare photos, VHS footage, and newspaper clippings along with interviews from a slew of prominent figures such as The Dayton Family, Steven "Kidd Blast" Metcalf, Jon Connor, Frank Nitty, and Pharlon Randle, among others.
Although Bootleg shines during his interview segments, the focal point of the film is on Breed and his time in the music industry. Gist-Breed, who is also a co-producer of the film, makes a special appearance to give a heartfelt account of the pioneering rapper’s influence. Viewers also get a chance to hear some unreleased music Breed was working on before passing away from kidney failure in 2008.
The streaming link for ?Breed and Bootleg: Legends of Flint Rap Music will be available upon registration. Hip Hop Icons opened on February 1 in celebration of Black History Month and will continue to show throughout February.
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