The film takes place in Detroit, Michigan, a city that is losing …show more content…
This is because his whiteness makes the others think he doesn’t belong in rap, especially when he is at his first battle at the shelter, a local freestyle gathering. When Jimmy is on stage the rowdy crowd and opposing rappers attack him mentally and he ends up being lost for words. There is also a scene in the movie where Jimmy and his friends get into a fight with the rival gang, the “Free World” who’s comprised of all African American rappers. Jimmy’s masculinity is attacked when his new girl Alex leaves him for Wink, who’s in the rap business, but belongs to the rival gang. On top of that, Jimmy’s mother and boyfriend tear him down about his manliness and efforts to make a better life for …show more content…
To start, Jimmy is wearing gray while his opponents the Free World are all wearing black. He then goes on to rap everything that his opponent would use to degrade him about being white like saying “ I am a bum, I do live in a trailer with my mom”. When he gets to his last opponent Papa Doc, he calls him out for being not what everyone thinks he is. He says “gangsta? His real name is Clarence, and Clarence’s parents have a real good marriage”, playing on the stereotype of lower class African Americans not having a stable home. After all is said and done, Jimmy hands him the microphone and Papa Doc freezes up just like Jimmy did in the first battle reversing their roles not only in this situation but also within racial stereotypes. The crowd goes crazy for Jimmy as he wins his first battle at the Shelter. Finally those around him in the rap community can recognize him for his talents, but it doesn’t mean this is an all happy