In a time when we are getting countless made for TV biopics and big screen re-enactments of some of hip-hop’s biggest stars, it is a sort of relief when we receive a well-made documentary filled with information that even the most seasoned hip-hop enthusiast is surprised to see. The Defiant Ones tells the parallel stories of Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine and how they both came from nothing to eventually changing the music business as we know it. This is a documentary filled with never before heard stories, unbelievable footage and interviews with some of the biggest names in music.
Straight Out of Compton came out in 2015 and is still viewed as the best hip-hop biopic made to date but there were still complaints of events being left out of the film and the over glorification of the Dr. Dre character in the movie. He was basically made out to be a saint throughout most of the movie but this all changes in The Defiant Ones. It seems like Dr. Dre listened to the responses from Straight Outta Compton and decided to really open up more in this documentary and discuss some of the touchy subjects left out of the movie. The segment where we actually get to see Dr. Dre and Dee Barnes discuss their infamous incident and seeing how it has affected both of them and how they are dealing with it today was one of the top highlights from the whole documentary.
As a hip-hop enthusiast myself, I am pretty familiar with Dr. Dre’s story but it was still nice to see some footage I never knew existed and some of the stories he and people close to him told. Jimmy Iovine on the other hand, I knew of him and I knew how big he was in the music industry but seeing his story from where he started, to who he has worked with and just how much influence he had in music really kept me engaged in his portion of the documentary. He, like Dre, started from nothing and found music and found he had a gift for producing but he got push into the executive role pretty early but he never backed down from a challenge and that really showed through out the documentary. You see how important he was and how some of our favorite songs or artist would not be around if it was not for him.
The way they intertwine the two stories is very well done and when they bring it all together towards the later episodes really shows you how they really compliment each other. The ups and downs they both went through especially during the creation of Beats and the innovation they worked towards in music stream along with Apple. This documentary was edited perfectly with the old footage matching up with the stories and giving us a different facial expression of the different celebrities which portrayed so much emotion without them even saying a word. A great sequence that stood out to me was when Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine were discussing the different ways you can produce and mix vocals. As they are giving you their techniques and what they implement into the vocals you can hear the changes as they speak. This adds another layer of creativity along with the excellent directing ability of Allen Hughes to this amazing documentary
The Defiant Ones is one of the best hip-hop documentaries to ever be filmed. The depth in the details they get into is something that nobody expected, especially from two fairly closed off individuals. Both of their stories compliment on another and their struggle to greatness is perfectly portrayed. This documentary puts it in perfect perspective just how driven and confident you have to be to make it in the music business and just how much you have to sacrifice to make your creative vision a reality. I would recommend this documentary to anybody, even if you not familiar with either man or their work, this will keep you entertained and engaged throughout all four episodes. After watching The Defiant Ones, I am hoping this can open the door to many more documentaries of this quality to be produced.
Reel Talk gives The Defiant Ones 4 Reels
