The Beat

Appeared at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival

Twenty-year-old Brandon Sonnier was a USC sophomore when he wrote, produced and directed this surreal story of Flip (Rahman Jamaal), a young man from South Central LA who dreams of hip-hop glory. Following the murder of his brother and musical partner, Flip must choose between a steady job as a cop or the risky life of a street rapper. In fact, both destinies collide as Flip's life on the beat coincides with his secondary life setting the beat. Rahman Jamaal also wrote all the raps heard in Sonnier's stylish and thought-provoking film.