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The documentary is featuring a mixt gathering of old and new hip-hop artists, such as Little Simz, Pusha T, Danny Brown, Vince Staples, and De La Soul. We are also guided by the soulful African American and British crossover artists such as Peven Everett, Kelela, Benjamin Clementine, Azekel, and Kilo Kish. All in all, an impressive collection of multi-talented artists.
The documentary takes us on a trip to Jamaica in a Port Antonio studio. We don't get to see Popcaan recording his bits on Saturnz Bars, but we get a sense of how much motion power Albarn has in the music industry. Further in the journey, we get to enter a lot in his inner soul, witness him touring and coping with insomnia, pouring his heart and soul in those songs, getting inspired by lake Geneva in Zurich, and even couching for the first time on stage.
Jamies animations and the hand drawing of characters are wonderfully glitchy, sometimes 8-bit, and a constant pop art tribute to the past 80 years of Hollywood, Bollywood, and Jollywood cultural evolution. Collaborators The Twilight Tone, Remi Kabaka Jr. (also the A&R on both albums), and Tom Ford, are working and pushing the boundaries of their game.
We get to see some special moments like Albarn sound sampling using a toy space gun for songs on The Now Now album. We get reunited with original dub reggae bassist Junior Dan, and we witness visual references of vocalist 2-D like a Bob Dylan figure. On the second record, even though the features are far less than on Humanz, they are stellar. From the funky single Humility, that has George Benson performing guitar, to the hip-hop ballad Hollywood with Jamie Principle & Snoop Dogg.
The documentary showcases 96 shows, and part of the highlights include some Ennio Morricone style of melodica playing from Damon Albarn on Clint Eastwood in Buenos Aires, a meeting with the legendary Tony Allen, a performance in Paris with Jenny Beth.
The ability to funk, to rock, and to jam is present throughout the film, and the sold-out shows at the London O2 Arena have Mos Def freestyling on a jammed version of their 2010 song Sweepstakes with a big pumping horn section courtesy of the Hypnotic Brass Ensemble.
Why go and watch Reject False Icons? Because there is no other opportunity to have both Bruce Willis and Bobby Womack on the same stage, ever!