Roxanne Roxanne (2017)
Storyline
The most feared battle emcee in early-'80s NYC was a fierce teenager from the Queensbridge projects with the weight of the world on her shoulders. At age 14, hustling the streets to provide for her family, Roxanne Shanté was well on her way to becoming a hip-hop legend.
Directors
Writers
Trailer
Reviews
90
Adams displays terrific range and an incandescent screen presence as she effortlessly incarnates Shante over a 10-year period, from puberty to young motherhood.
80
A well-acted, inspiring story of female empowerment, the captivating “Roxanne Roxanne” is as much about survival and the bonds of family as it is about busting rhymes.
80
It’s a vivid and unusually honest drama about the pain and bravado that were the fuel of hip-hop.
80
A film that breaks the musical biopic mold in ways that are sometimes frustrating and frequently exhilarating.
75
Telling this story with a deep specificity, Larnell does the artist proud by artfully using his camera to capture a woman forging her identity through her art. He and Adams make a formidable team and finely stamp their own mark on the hip-hop movie genre.
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