‘Hip Hop World:’ Money is the motto 

Available on Prime Video and Freevee as of Tuesday, April 16, “Hip Hop World” focuses on both established and rising musicians to give an inside look at how the biggest hits are manufactured and the luxury associated with success. The music special follows the travels of Lenny Santiago, the senior vice president of Roc Nation, a juggernaut of a label in the rap sphere, as he connects with artists to uncover the magic of creating outside of one’s native area. 

On the surface, curators like DJ Khaled, who is prominently featured, assemble the best talent in the industry and churn out material as if they are running music factories. This special does not shy away from recognizing the number of personnel that contribute to “his” music; instead, it speaks to the inspiration he draws from the culture and environment found in Jamaica, specifically in the country’s capital of Kingston. While chilling at his property near one of his many pools, Khaled reminisces on the impact of reggae music on his life, claiming that the music of Bob Marley and Sizzla saved his life multiple times. Then, the dynamic duo of Santiago and Khaled visits Buju Banton, one of the most acclaimed reggae artists and the uncle of Sean Kingston, singer of the hit song “Beautiful Girls.” Affirming Khaled’s prestige in the game, Banton likens Khaled’s implementation of Jamaican influence in his music to that of Biggie Smalls and DMX when they were around. 

After the long and arduous five-minute interview with Banton, Santiago says they need a break because they “were going hard,” so they travel to Tastee Pattee, a go-to spot for tourists and locals to purchase Jamaican patties. Calling himself a big boy and admitting that he eats a lot, Khaled raves over the restaurant as Santiago jokes that one could open in Miami if Khaled manifested its existence. There is also a bit where he visits a clothing shop and essentially wipes away the stock of their 3XL t-shirts by buying a shirt with every design.  

Witnessing this avid wearer of designer clothes spend hundreds of dollars on average shirts he will certainly never don leads me to wonder why I feel guilty for not wearing my shirt from a Jamaican airport. I vacationed in the country roughly six years ago, so I can attest to the quality of their food and the sheer amount of merchandise they sell, mostly depicting Bob Marley and other reggae legends. Khaled suggests he used to frequent more impoverished areas of the country where tourists are recommended not to sojourn, one of them being Kingston, the location of the oldest operating recording studio in Jamaica. They stop into the studio and subsequently link up with Usain Bolt, who is apparently interested in pursuing a career in producing, as he DJ’d during his early days. 

The narrative transitions towards a focus on Lola Brooke, a Brooklyn-based rapper who raps in a style akin to Ice Spice, though she brings her own flare that has attracted fans, especially in her sleeper hit “Don’t Play With It.” She and Santiago arrive at the Hotel Plaza Athénée in Paris, possibly by force of will and industry connections since it is such an exclusive establishment. Inspired by “Ratatouille” and French rapper Mokobé, her fondness for France transforms into a business trip with abundant benefits. The entourage, including Mokobé and a translator, presents the projects of Paris, a grounding setting for Brooke, who grew up in Brooklyn’s projects. 

Contrasting with her upbringing, her newfound stardom allows Brooke to obtain a fire fit from Lanvin, a French fashion brand that consulted with her stylist to suit her up. Additionally, she partakes in an interview with Skyrock, a premiere radio station in the area, where they delve into her status as an XXL Freshman. Finally, they meet some producers to choose a beat for a record, the foundation for her song based on the documentary. After seemingly acquiring that bread, they celebrate by going to a fancy restaurant, just because they chose a beat. Having those thresholds for celebration must be nice. 

For what it is, this cookie-cutter mini-doc operates on just enough intrigue to keep viewers watching, but at the end of the day, “Hip Hop World” is an unnecessary piece of media. There is no conclusion or message to be gathered other than that DJ Khaled slaps his name on songs and dances like a buffoon in the music videos, while Lola Brooke crafts a chorus imitating Ariana Grande for a shameless song. Although Santiago manages DJ Khaled through Roc Nation, he should have focused more on the underrepresented Jamaican and French artists who receive far less recognition than their American counterparts. 

Rating: 2/5