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COPYRIGHT CRIMINALS examines the creative and commercial value of musical sampling, including the related debates over artistic expression, copyright law, and (of course) money. The documentary traces the rise of hip-hop from the urban streets of New York to its current status as a multibillion-dollar industry. For decades, innovative hip-hop performers and producers have been re-using portions of previously recorded music in new, otherwise original compositions. When lawyers and record companies got involved, what was once referred to as “borrowed melody” became “copyright infringement.” Showcases many of hip-hop music’s founding figures like Public Enemy, De La Soul, and Digital Underground, while also featuring emerging hip-hop artists from record labels Definitive Jux, Rhymesayers, Nin… READ MOREa Tune, and more. Provides an in-depth look at artists who’ve been sampled, such as Clyde Stubblefield (James Brown’s drummer and the world’s most sampled musician), as well as commentary by another highly sampled musician, funk legend George Clinton.
