Insomniac Magazine throws its hat into the DVD magazine genre with Street Credentials. Hosted by Insomniac founder IZ-REAL, Street Credentials patches together various interview segments with the likes of Kool Keith (as serious as I’ve ever seen him), Aesop Rock, Saul Williams, and Immortal Technique, among other independent entrepreneurs who have carved out their niche in the hip hop landscape. From Aesop Rock’s pledge of loyalty to Def Jux to Saul Williams experience on Rick Rubin’s label there are plenty of tidbits that underline the DVD’s purpose of business within the culture.

Probably the best part of the whole DVD was the interview with Immortal Technique who comes off as a man on a mission. When IZ-REAL asks him his goal in the game he deadpans, ‘I’m not here to fuck around,’ and the way he says it just makes you believe this cat is serious business. The DVD also includes a bonus trailer for Kool Keith’s new album Mr Nogatco, a Poison Pen freestyle, and a Juvy Center visit by IZ-REAL. I’d have liked to see more performances though. If you’re going to do a DVD mag you might as well maximize it with more than just interviews and a few clips of the city. Otherwise, this was a cool debut as it stuck to the concept and did a good job tying all of the various artists together to deliver its message.

Posted by Jbutters on Monday, May 15th, 2006 and is filed under SICKWIDIT, REVIEWS, DVD.