Rubble Kings
2015
•
1h 11min
• Documentary, History
RUBBLE KINGS tells the story of the early 1970s, when the South Bronx was a bleak blighted area of high crime, burned-out buildings, and the aftermath of the crushed ideals and hopes of the 1960s. Amidst this backdrop, hundreds of street gangs with names like Savage Skulls, Javelins, and Assassinators lived, fought, and died for their turf, finding in gangs a sense of belonging and self-worth that they couldn't get from the institutional poverty and racism of American society. As the killing and violence spiraled out of control, one gang, The Ghetto Brothers, tried to put a stop to it. They encouraged and fostered peace in the South Bronx, pleading with rival gangs to see a bigger picture, to understand that the real enemies weren't each other but the conditions keeping them down. They even started a band, believing music to be a powerful conduit to spread their positive message. However, their altruism was put to the ultimate test when one of the Ghetto Brothers, a peacemaker named Cornell "Black Benjie" Benjamin, was murdered while trying to stop a fight between rival gangs. Despite initial feelings of anger fueling a desire for revenge, after meeting with Benjamin's mother, the Ghetto Brothers realized that the best way to honor Benjamin's memory was not through more violence, but through more peace. In that spirit, they organized a massive meeting with representatives from many of the rival gangs at a Bronx YMCA, and brokered a truce and encouraged cooperation and unity. The relative peace this created brought about concerts and dance parties in which former rivals got together, united by the love of the music and channeling their competitive spirits into dance contests. From these parties emerged the earliest beginnings of what would come to be known as hip-hop, whose musical and cultural legacy spanned the globe.
