Leonis 1

Tyler Leonis

Dr. Tani Sanchez

AFAS 371 Hip Hop Cinema

6 December 2024

Source Paper #3

In exploring Black-White relations within a post-racial context, the films Dope (2015)

and Gridlock'd (1997) function as incisive cultural commentaries that reveal the ideological

constructs of Blackness and Whiteness while challenging racial stereotypes. These films

reflect the paradox of post-racialism, which identifies as a discourse that seeks to obscure

the ongoing relevance of race while simultaneously reinforcing its boundaries. This

contradiction is obvious in how both films undermine predominant norms, presenting

nuanced depictions of race and identity that cross-examine systemic oppression. By

rejecting essentialist portrayals of Black identity, Dope and Gridlock'd critique

hypermasculinity, challenge systemic neglect, and use their visual and narrative elements

to emphasize the persistence of racial inequities in a society that claims to have moved on

from them.

Dope exemplifies this critique through its protagonist Malcolm, whose identity

disrupts stereotypical expectations of Black masculinity. Unlike the hypermasculine

"badman" archetype that dominates hip-hop culture, Malcolm is a self-proclaimed nerd

who would rather be in spaces of people like him. He refuses to be restricted by the
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violence and materialism involved in his environment. In his journal Hip-Hop Revolution:

The Culture and Politics of Rap, Jeffrey O.G. Ogbar discusses the badman trope, rooted in

hypermasculinity, bravado, and materialism, "is typically reduced to three very common

core points of reference to (male) authenticity: willful ability to inflict violent harm on

adversaries, willful ability to have sex with many women, and access to material resources

that are largely inaccessible to others" (Ogbar 75). This trope serves as a mechanism of

racial performance and is often put as a marker of authenticity within Black male identity.

Malcolm’s rejection of these traits critiques the shallow representations imposed upon

Black men. A particularly important moment in the film occurs when Malcolm uses his

intellect to outmaneuver a local drug dealer, showing him that he is that “badman trope”

the drug dealer wanted to see in him (Timestamp 1:20:00). This scene shows his

resourcefulness and challenges the notion that survival in Black communities requires

conformity to violence or criminality. This rejection of hypermasculinity supports the

argument that post-racialism often reduces Black identity to superficial performances

while ignoring systemic constraints.

Similarly, Gridlock'd challenges these reductive tropes by centering its narrative on

two Black men, Stretch and Spoon, whose vulnerability is opposite to the portrayal of the

invulnerable Black man. Struggling with addiction, their journey to access healthcare

reveals the systemic barriers faced by marginalized communities. In one particularly

striking scene, Stretch and Spoon end up in a bureaucratic nightmare at a welfare office,

surrounded by cramped spaces and hostile officials (timestamp 00:30:15). The mise-en-

scène reflects the oppressive weight of institutional neglect, visually emphasizing the
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systemic failures that post-racial ideologies seek to obscure. In her article The Paradox of

Post-Racialism, Omotayo O. Banjo examines how Black-context films navigate the

complexities of race in a society that claims to have moved past racial distinctions. But as

Banjo argues, “In some ways, the films reviewed challenge colorblind racial assumptions,

and in other ways, they reinforce post-racial assumptions. The films show Black characters

in constant negotiation of their space with White characters.” (Banjo 25). This moment in

Gridlock'd reflects how the film resists the illusion of racial harmony, exposing the enduring

presence of structural inequities that disproportionately affect Black communities.

The visual aesthetics in both films further reinforce their critique of systemic

oppression. In Dope, the vibrant streets of Inglewood mixed with symbols of violence and

decay, like the scene where young Malcom and his friends are assaulted by a group of gang

members, (timestamp 01:24:50). This juxtaposition visually summarizes the collision of

innocence and systemic violence that shapes Malcolm’s world, an evaluation of the

environments that constrain Black youth. In Jeffery O.G. Ogbar’s Article, he talks about how

controlling images of Blackness are pervasive even in their absence, shaping cultural

perspective and reinforcing stereotypes. He quotes Patricia Hill Collins, a highly respected

and well known African American Scholar, “Controlling images of Black women are not

simply grafted onto existing social institutions but are so pervasive that even though the

images themselves change in the popular imagination, Black women’s portrayal of ‘the

Other’ persists.” (Ogbar 79). Dope actively resists these controlling images, using its visual

language to highlight the resilience and complexity of its characters.

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Additionally, In her book The Hip Hop Wars: What We Talk About When We Talk

About Hip Hop and Why It Matters, Tricia Rose critiques the common destructive energies

in hip-hop and emphasizes the importance of redirecting those energies toward

constructive representations, stating, “Representing what ‘is’... but without constantly

taking that next step to ask, ‘What do I want my community to look like?’ can turn into a

vicious visionless cycle” (The Hip Hop Wars 269). This perspective mirrors the themes in

Dope, where Malcolm’s rejection of gang culture and his creative problem-solving reflect

an alternative to the stereotypical representations often glorified in hip-hop narratives.

Malcolm challenges the cultural cycles Rose criticizes by imagining a route of resistance

and self-determination rather than giving in to the systemic demands of his surroundings.

Dope demonstrates the transformative power of hip-hop when it transcends reflecting

current realities and imagines progressive futures by creating a narrative that prioritizes

justice and innovation.

In contrast, Gridlock'd employs a muted, gritty aesthetic that mirrors the bleak

realities of its protagonists. The film’s confined settings, from the welfare office to dimly lit

alleyways, evoke a sense of entrapment, underscoring how systemic neglect confines

marginalized individuals. One particularly comedic and poignant scene features Stretch

and Spoon getting aggressively patted down by the police in a dirty bathroom while the rest

of the building is in chaos unwatched by the police. The scene shows a moment that

blends humor with despair (timestamp 01:05:10). This interplay of tones reflects the

resilience required to endure systemic oppression while exposing the dehumanizing

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effects of institutional failure. Gridlock'd attacks the post-racial illusion of meritocracy by

highlighting these realities.

Both films, through their narratives and visual storytelling, critique the broader

cultural myths that sustain the illusion of a post-racial society. By deconstructing

stereotypes, exposing systemic failures, and emphasizing the intersectionality of race and

identity, Dope and Gridlock'd challenge the complacency of post-racial discourse. These

films insist on the necessity of confronting rather than obscuring the enduring impact of

race in shaping lived experiences.

Ultimately, Dope and Gridlock'd provide a stark reminder of the enduring paradox of

post-racialism. While the concept of a post-racial society promises progress, it often

obscures the very systemic inequalities it claims to have resolved. Both films criticize this

narrative by centering on the complexities of Black identity and exposing the racial

hierarchies that continue to shape social and cultural landscapes. In doing so, they

reaffirm the thesis that post-racialism, far from erasing race, intensifies its contradictions,

leaving individuals like Malcolm, Stretch, and Spoon to navigate the double binds of

visibility and invisibility. Dope and Gridlock'd challenge the idea of post-racial harmony and

demand a more open discussion of the realities of race in modern society through their

nuanced storylines, striking imagery, and sharp conversation. By exposing these

contradictions, they force viewers to consider the continued existence of racial injustices

and to imagine a future that goes beyond empty rhetoric to address the systemic causes of

oppression.
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Works Cited

Banjo, Omotayo O. “The Paradox of Post-Racialism.” Journal of Communication Inquiry, vol.

34, no. 3, 2010, pp. 225-243.

Jeffery O.G. Ogbar. Black Feminist Thought: Knowledge, Consciousness, and the Politics of
Empowerment. 2nd ed., Routledge, 2000.

Rose, Tricia. The Hip Hop Wars: What We Talk About When We Talk About Hip Hop—and
Why It Matters. Basic Books, 2008.

Dope. Directed by Rick Famuyiwa, performances by Shameik Moore, Tony Revolori, and
Kiersey Clemons, Open Road Films, 2015.

Gridlock'd. Directed by Vondie Curtis-Hall, performances by Tupac Shakur, Tim Roth, and
Thandiwe Newton, Gramercy Pictures, 1997.