Soundz of Spirit

This nice little documentary manages to touch base with some of hip-hop's greatest assets to examine where artists such as Andre 3000, Mystic, Common and Blackalicious get their inspiration for writing rhymes. The independent film sometimes lacks focus, especially when talking to the likes of DJ Q-Bert about spirituality and scratching. But the interviews manage to come off as intelligent and interesting, rather than pretentious and overly religious. Even the ever so preachy KRS-One manages to come off as clever. The extras are a little slim but we get a few words from Joslyn Rose Lyons (the talented young director) as she explains that what started as a small project with local Bay Area artists ballooned into interviews with Talib Kweli and Saul Williams. The DVD even comes with a second CD soundtrack. Quality hip-hop all over this one. (Jog9/UrbanWorks, www,jog9.com)