How did Long Island influence hip hop music? The New York Borough was a picture-perfect setting for White Flight America. Director Jason Pollard delves into the explosion of talent from the municipalities. The Sixth Borough is an educational invite to learn about chapter of a musical genre that would conquer the world.
Race, ethnicity and class have unlevelled the United States since its inception regardless of the state. Skin color or a last name dictated where a family could buy a house or the school a student could attend. Newly built suburbs connected by freeways offered families of a certain demographic a “safe” enclave. As African Americas began fleeing the constrictions and dangers of The Big Apple life many turned to the leafy affordable suburbs on Long Island. First generation People of Color moved into single family housing communities bringing with them different cultural sets, including vocal sounds. Hip-hop translated “trauma to music.”
The Sixth Borough paints an ironic picture of striving to be Middle Class while melodically expressing the harsh everyday reality of the underclass. Pollard’s effusive approach the 70-minute documentary is appealing. That by chance artists such as: Eric B, Chuck D., Biz Markie, De La Soul and many stars emerged from Long Island is a fascinating portrait of a borough and the people who produced a powerful tempo.
Screened online during the 2025 Tribeca Film Film Festival