Raisin' Kane: A Rapumentary

A gutsy doc that crackles with energy, Raisin' Kane takes you into the hidden world of independent hip-hop artists. Hip-hop has been embraced by the mainstream, but independents like Juno Award-nominated Citizen Kane still struggle for music industry respect. The public-housing projects where many young Black men come of age offer no economic power and no political voice. In the eyes of the kids who live there, that equals no future. For the band members, music is their only ticket out.

Friends since kindergarten, the members of Citizen Kane are: Jeff Duke, a.k.a. Spade: A brooding first-generation Canadian determined to provide a better life for his daughter, he navigates treacherous industry demands without selling out. Rob Paris, a.k.a. Blye: A fiery-tempered Nova Scotian whose ghetto credo is to live one day at a time. He has no time for "business bull." Adrian Perry, a.k.a. Aje: A university grad from the better side of the tracks, he uses street savvy and professionalism to promote the band.

More than a story about overcoming insurmountable odds, Raisin' Kane is about something magical--the reality of artists hell-bent on being heard over the din of a sometimes indifferent world. Warning: the film contains coarse language and scenes of drug use.