four good reasons to see the series on the beginnings of NTM and French hip-hop

It took almost forty years for the birth of French hip-hop to finally become a subject. It was documented very recently with an exhibition at the Philharmonie de Paris (hip-hop 360) and told in part in a biopic on the beginnings of NTM (Supremes). But the emergence of the movement, with its different disciplines (graff, breakdance, DJ’ing and rap), had never been told to us as in this remarkable choral series in six episodes co-directed by Katell Quillévéré (Susanna, mend the living) and Hélier Cisterne (Vandal, Of Our Wounded Brothers, The Office of Legends).

Here are four good reasons to see The world of tomorrowwhich won the Grand Prize at the Series Mania festival, available from Monday October 10 on Arte.tv and broadcast on October 20 on the Arte channel, before migrating to Netflix.

1Because it is based on the testimonies of the pioneers

Inspired by real events, faithful as much as possible to the very many hours of interviews and testimonies collected from the pioneers of the movement, this series widens the field explored by Supremes to other major protagonists, and in particular to DJ Dee Nasty, pivot of the arrival of hip-hop in France whose personal itinerary had been little exposed until now. The trajectory of Lady V (alias Vivi, Virginie Sullé of her real name), graffiti artist, dancer, companion of Kool Shen and stakeholder of NTM on stage, is also highlighted, showing the difficulty of women to impose themselves in this virile and misogynistic environment.

Kool Shen, JoeyStarr and Dee Nasty had “a right to watch all the episodes” and were very present on the set, advising and coaching the actors who played them.

In this choral story, we therefore follow on the one hand Dee Nasty, who, returning from a stay in the United States where emerging hip-hop dazzled him, never ceases to bring this new culture to life and his music in France, and in parallel the NTM adventure with the progressive immersion in the movement of two guys from the city, Bruno Lopes (Kool Shen) and Didier Morville (JoeyStarr) and their entourage, harpooned first by dance , then graffiti buffs, before establishing themselves in rap by mastering verb and rhyme.

It is therefore a collective epic made up of mixed passions and emulation, the quest for recognition and the thirst for freedom, the desire to stand out from the crowd and perseverance, which the directors brilliantly reconstitute before our eyes. Without forgetting the humor and the art of “chambering”…

2Because the actors are remarkable accuracy

The actors, let’s face it, are fantastic. The casting, which lasted a year and a half and brings together professionals, young people from hip-hop and people spotted in the street, is close to perfection. “All went through intense coaching. They learned to dance, rap, graffiti, scratch…”, indicates the production. Melvin Boomer, who was initially a breakdancer on the ground, for example had to learn to dance standing like his model. But the direction of the actor and the staging, worthy of a feature film , are also noteworthy.

Anthony Bajon, hope of the cinema in full rise, confirms his talent by slipping into the skin of the modest Kool Shen with great ease. The promising Melvin Boomer, to whom falls the mission of incarnating JoeyStarr whose presence and animality are particularly difficult to match, renders well the complexity of the character of injured braggart and unmanageable electric battery. As a sincere, loving and terribly fragile Dee Nasty, Andranic Manet is a revelation, just as much as the masterful Léo Chalié, who embodies his companion Béatrice, a powerful and liberated young woman, as tender as she is eruptive. Spotted also, for her solar grace, Laïka Blanc-Francard as Lady V crossed by contradictory feelings and seeking her place.

As for the supporting roles, they all deserve a medal (really), especially the earthy parents of Kool Shen (the father, terrific), but also the mother of Lady V, the rogue graffiti artist Colt, the master of chambering Yazid, and even the boss of the neighborhood drug dealers. All are endearing, all ring true, without apparent artifice, with a simplicity of play and a bluffing naturalness.

3For the precision of period reconstructions

It was not so long ago but everything was different then. Regarding the sets and costumes, nothing was left to chance in the series, and those who lived through the era will find themselves there. “The bond created with our witnesses proved to be essential“, explains Katell Quillévéré. “They gave their opinion on the scenes, corrected attitudes, replies. They allowed us to be even more precise, down to the vintage collector’s clothing recovered thanks to Dee Nasty, to the trophies and photos of the Lopes family donated by Christiane, Kool Shen’s mother!“. And up to the Lionel Richie cut of Kool Shen’s big brother, a nice detail.

The camera superbly films the effervescence of the celebrations, both outdoors, on the famous La Chapelle site, and indoors, notably at the Grange aux Belles and at the Globo at Roger Boîte Funk. She also works wonders in the reconstitution of the open microphones at Radio Nova, just as much as she restores the sweet madness of free radios with the emblematic Carbone 14 which has earned us some hilarious scenes.

The series immerses the viewer. She sets him up with the family on Kool Shen’s sofa facing the TV screen, she takes him on a trip, to the Trocadéro where the first breakdancers go to tape Kool Shen and JoeyStarr, or else in graf vandal mode on the quays of Seine, and she passes fluidly from the city of Saint-Denis to the bourgeois Parisian decors of the fashion world (for which JoeyStarr is both courier and model on occasion) and the apartment of star graffiti artist Bando, from from a wealthy family.

4Because it is worth recalling the genesis of the movement

While French hip-hop is currently celebrating its forty years of existence, this series will usefully remind the youngest how and with what values ​​this currently dominant movement was born, where the leaders of the rope are no longer necessarily found.

The social and political dimension, which manifests itself in the series as a backdrop (notably via television news) but also through the desire to get by of the main characters from modest backgrounds and battered families, still resonates strongly with the present.

As for those who knew the time, they will have with these six episodes more than memories to put in their mouths: a host of forgotten or ignored details and the assurance that they were not dreaming.

“The World of Tomorrow”, a series in six 52-minute episodes. To see on Arte.tv from October 10, 2022 (and until November 16), then on the Arte channel from October 20 and later on the Netflix platform.