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Fear of a Black Hat

Name: Fear of a Black Hat
Genre: Comedy, Music
Released: 1994-06-03
Cast: Larry B. Scott, Mark Christopher Lawrence, Rusty Cundieff, Kasi Lemmons, G. Smokey Campbell

1994 | 88 min | Comedy, Music

Sunday Safe Betearly rating

Why it’s a Sunday Safe Bet

It earned strong reviews (86% on Rotten Tomatoes), though it had a box office loss and little lasting buzz. A safe bet when you want something reliable.

Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.

Is it for you?

Who'll love it: Made for anyone who wants a laugh. If you loved A Mighty Wind or Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, start here.
The mood: Light and funny.
The pace: Breezy, at 1 hr 28 min.
What might put you off: Rated R: meant for adults.

Chronicling the controversial career of bad boys N.W.H. (Niggaz With Hats), this uproarious 'mockumentary' lampoons all of hardcore rap's hot-button issues. This underground laugh riot recounts the rise, fall and resurrection of a clueless bunch of would-be rappers, Ice Cold, Tone-Def & Tasty Taste performing as N.W.H.

How it earned its rating

CriticsStrong
86% on Rotten Tomatoes, 62 on Metacritic
AudiencesNot counted
Not measured yet: not enough ratings
AwardsNot counted
No major awards or nominations
Box office & staying powerBelow par
$234K worldwide on a $1 million budget; still draws a steady audience long after release
Buzz & cultural impactBelow par
About 30K people sought it out in the past year

Trailer

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Cast & crew

Directed by Rusty Cundieff

Larry B. ScottTasty Taste
Mark Christopher LawrenceTone Def
Rusty CundieffIce Cold
Kasi LemmonsNina Blackburn
G. Smokey CampbellBackstage Manager 1
Faizon LoveJam Boy 1
Deezer DJam Boy 2
Devin KaminVanilla Sherbet
Don ReedDaryll in Charge
Barry Shabaka HenleyGeoffrey Lennox