“Baltimore has its issues,” says an interview subject in Dark City Beneath the Beat. He says this while standing in front of a shop that hasn’t opened for the day yet. The paint at the shop’s gate is chipping but vibrant, which, as cheesy as that sounds, is symbolic of Baltimore life. One of the things keeping that city vibrant is its music scene, the documentary’s main focus. That music plays in the background as it documents its people, smiling despite hours of hard work. And the music itself and its beats get much louder, bubbling up onto the foreground.
TT the Artist is the film’s director, and there are scenes here where she’s honest about her struggles as a musician. She doesn’t just point her camera at herself though, as she gives some screen time to dance mentors like Uneek and dance crews performing in the streets. There’s a frenetic energy as it goes from interview scenes to dance breaks, but there’s a part of me that wishes that it slowed down and use more conventional storytelling methods. There’s so much talent on screen here that I wish it showed their names outside of its creative opening credits.
Nonetheless, TT’s also showing that’s she’s doing the work that she needs to do. She has to explain herself in ways that her male counterparts do. reluctantly moves to LA but she’s keeping Baltimore close to her heart, starting a record label focusing on Black female artists. Her film also gives a spotlight to the city’s queer rappers, club kids and rappers, all of whom have their own struggles. Through the film and her record label, she hopes that there’s one less hurdle for them to jump through. She shows that resilience unfold in Baltimore where so much talent exists.
- Release Date: 10/1/2020
