The Reel Life Of Eight Mile Arrives On DVD

NEW YORK (Pretty Special Inc) - Over ten years in the making, FREESTYLE: THE ART OF RHYME makes its highly anticipated DVD debut on May 24th, providing an explosive inside look into the creative framework of hip-hop culture and the improvisational art of freestyle � where MC's express themselves by creating rhymes in the moment. Following some of hip-hop's biggest luminaries, FREESTYLE explores the art form's history, rules, legendary MC battles, taboos, social impact, and the previously unexamined dimensions of improvisational rapping as a spiritual and community-based art form. The New York Times' A.O. Scott hails FREESTYLE as "Joyful! Ferocious! A celebration of the verbal artistry of hip-hop � A rousing education in an art form that is too often misunderstood" while Jami Bernard of The NY Daily News writes, "The Hollywood version is "8 Mile" but the real thing is this admiring documentary that explores the phenomenon with spirit. It contains footage that is as exciting as an Ali/Foreman fight."

Directed by rising filmmaker Kevin Fitzgerald (a.k.a. DJ Organic), FREESTYLE: THE ART OF RHYME documents the freestyle scene from the early 1980s through the present day, featuring a who's who list of seminal hip-hop figures including MC Supernatural, Mos Def, Roots members Black Thought & Questlove, Notorious B.I.G., Tupac Shakur, Freestyle Fellowship, Lord Finesse, Cut Chemist, Craig G, DJ Kool Herc, Juice, Boots of the Coup, Medusa, Planet Asia, MTV's Sway, Crazy Legs, Jurassic 5 members Cut Chemist, DJ Numark & Chali Tuna, Wordsworth, Bobbito Garcia, and The Last Poets, providing a rarely seen portrait of hip hop that is at once entertaining, historical, and educational.

FREESTYLE: THE ART OF RHYME will be available on DVD beginning May 24th, 2005 for a suggested retail price of $19.98. The film has a running time of 75 minutes, special features on will include:
� Over 45 minutes of bonus footage including deleted scenes, interviews, and footage.
� Director's commentary track.
� Original Film Trailer
� English and Spanish Subtitles

"The energy is contagious, the poetry inspired, the most lively
and informative movie about hip-hop since Wildstyle"
- Amy Taubin, The Village Voice


FREESTYLE: THE ART OF RHYME experienced great success at countless film festivals:
Winner - Documentary Jury Prize, Florida Film Festival
Winner - Best Documentary, Pan-African Film Festival
Winner - Audience Award, Pan-African Film Festival
Winner - Best Documentary, Urban-World Film Festival
Winner - Best Soundtrack, LA Independent Film Festival
Winner - Best Documentary, Woodstock Film Festival
Winner - Best of the Festival, Adelaide International Film Festival

Palm Pictures (www.palmpictures.com), Chris Blackwell's audio/visual entertainment company, produces, acquires and distributes independent film and music projects with a particular focus on the DVD format. Palm Pictures was founded in 1998 by Blackwell, an innovator in the entertainment business who founded Island Records, Island Pictures and Island Outpost, and who was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in March 2001. Palm Pictures' entertainment properties include a film division, a music label, sputnik7.com, epitonic.com, Arthouse Films and RES Media Group.