Product Description

Multiplatinum-selling rappers like DMX Method Man Jay-Z and others take you where you've never been before: behind the scenes of the hottest hip-hop concert tour ever! Hip irreverent and real BACKSTAGE rides along with the groundbreaking 50-city "Hard Knock Life Tour" and doesn't hold anything back! From the tour bus to the hotel to the stage cameras are there to capture all the craziness as the show rolls from city to city! Also featuring the powerful performances of Redman Ja Rule Beanie Sigel -- and a red-hot soundrack by DJ Clue -- you don't want to miss this exclusive chance to see what really happens when Rap hits the road!System Requirements:Starring: Jay-Z; DMX; Method Man; Redman; Beanie Sigel; DJ Clue; Memphis Bleek; Amil; Ja Rule; Memphis Black; Damon Dash Directed By: Chris Fiore Running Time: 87 Min. Color Copyright 2003 Buena Vista Home Video.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: DOCUMENTARIES/MISC. Rating: R UPC: 786936144673 Manufacturer No: 02164500

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #19620 in DVD
• Brand: Buena Vista Home Video
• Released on: 2001-02-13
• Rating: R (Restricted)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .20 pounds
• Running time: 86 minutes

Amazon.com
This raucous documentary of the 1999 Hard Knock Life Tour--featuring Jay-Z, DMX, Method Man, Redman, and other rappers--is chaotic and confusing, but that seems entirely appropriate. Life on tour is notoriously grueling, and this tour (with such an abundance of high-profile performers and support staff) proves to be no exception. Surprisingly, the egos of the performers seem reasonably under control; the driving motor of the entire event is Roc-A-Fella Records CEO Damon Dash, who rants to great effect--in one entertaining sequence, as someone fruitlessly tries to shave Dash's head, Dash vents at length about how everyone is wearing jackets publicizing Def Jam instead of Roc-A-Fella. Backstage depicts naked groupies, drug use, internal squabbles, and hardly a sentence goes by that isn't filled with obscenities or epithets, but the rappers come across as a surprisingly genial, friendly lot just enjoying themselves. Jay-Z is particularly charming, but rapper Beanie Sigel has the sharpest comments to make as he describes the treatment of demo tapes at record labels. Curiously, the concert footage only comes across in snippets, though it certainly communicates the flavor of the show. Backstage is unlikely to tell you anything you didn't know or already suspect about the touring life or rap music, but it depicts the experience vividly. --Bret Fetzer

Customer Reviews

so close its like u there
If there is one hip hop documentary u gotta pick up, its Backstage. Whats more fun than seein Red and Meth gettin high? Whats more fun than seein Damon Dash curse out da Def Jam prez? This documentary gets you so close to the backstage action even tha artists was startin to get [mad] yellin at da cameras. Some people said there wasnt enough actual concert footage: READ THE TITLE...! ITS CALLED BACKSTAGE NOT ONSTAGE!

Great but technically flawed DVD
The "Backstage" DVD is a great slice of hip hop life showing you the behind-the-scenes, industry point of view on the hip hop music touring biz mixed with snippets (NOT whole songs) of some the hits songs performed live on the tour. Just for the scene where Dame Dash puts Def Jam prez Kevin Liles on blast for trying to steal Roc-A-Fella's shine by giving all the artists on tour Def Jam Hard Knock Life tour jackets is worth the price of the DVD alone.

However, I have had trouble with 2 copies of the DVD I have bought so far. Both times, chapters 9-12 have played OK but won't fast forward or rewind. When you try to do either the DVD freezes up. I'm not sure if I'm buying from a bad batch of DVDs at the particular store I went to or if this is a problem with all the Backstage DVD's but it's frustrating if you want to just skip to a particular scene within any of these chapters. In summation: great disc for those wanting to see some of the reality behind the glitz and glamor of the hip hop music world but buyer beware: there may be problems with your DVD depending on where you purchase it.

Jay Z- Doing his best to change the game
I purchased this DVD because I was interested in seeing what actually goes on at a concert from the viewpoint of the artist. I didn't get a chance to see the concert so I also wanted to see if they were going to show a few performances as well. Overall, this is a good DVD but if you are not a Rocafella fan or if you do not like the artists that were featured in this concert, then you will not like the DVD. If you are a hip hop fan like I am, you will enjoy the artist profiles on Jay Z, DMX, Ja Rule, Memphis Bleek, Beanie Sigel, Amil and even DJ Clue. You get to see what actually goes on with the tour buses, groupies and with the artists that have to spend nearly 3 weeks with each other on various tour stops. You get to see a few freestyles from the artists as well. Overall, this was an excellent documentary of what goes on at a hip hop concert. The only thing about the DVD that I wish there was more of, was actual concert photage. Redman & Method Man show up with "How High", Redman & Busta Rhymes perform most of "Da Goodness" and DMX and Jay Z give excerpts of their songs but nothing in it's entirety. If you like hip hop as much as I do, this is the DVD for you.