Genres
Production Companies
Copyright Criminals
This is a Sampling Sport
Overview
Copyright Criminals examines the creative and commercial value of musical sampling, including the related debates over artistic expression, copyright law, and (of course) money. This documentary traces the rise of hip-hop from the urban streets of New York to its current status as a multibillion-dollar industry. For more than thirty years, innovative hip-hop performers and producers have been re-using portions of previously recorded music in new, otherwise original compositions. When lawyers and record companies got involved, what was once referred to as a “borrowed melody” became a “copyright infringement.” The film showcases many of hip-hop music’s founding figures like Public Enemy, De La Soul, and Digital Underground—while also featuring emerging hip-hop artists from record labels Definitive Jux, Rhymesayers, Ninja Tune, and more.
Key Crew
Director: Kembrew McLeod, Benjamin Franzen
Writer: Kembrew McLeod
Producer: Benjamin Franzen, Kembrew McLeod
Top Cast
Aesop Rock
Himself
George Clinton
Himself
Chuck D
Himself
El-P
Himself
Sage Francis
Himself
Pam the Funsktress
Herself
Bobbito Garcia
Himself
Miho Hatori
Herself
Videos
Copyright Criminals Trailer
