The Battle of the Beat Makers: The Documentary

The Battle of the Beat Makers, a beat making competition based in Toronto and held at various times throughout the year, has hot, up-and-coming producers compete in "party,” "grimy” and "smooth” categories with pre-made beats and on-the-spot production. It’s a good idea but the documentary jumps back and forth between the three beat battles held in 2005, shown in no particular order, and interviews with the producers. While it’s interesting to hear from artists that normally remain behind the scenes, it would have been more interesting to see the competitions unfold. As well, the beats that are highlighted get lost amongst everything that’s going on, and the production quality can get a bit muddy with both camera work and sound. Some extras would have been nice as well. Still, it’s great to see a DVD that gives some shine to Canadian beat makers, who many consider to be the stars of Canadian hip-hop. (Sound Supremacy, www.soundsupremacy.com)