1. MF DOOM
Superhero films are all the rage right now, so it only seems fair that THE super villain gets some screen time of his own, and after all, there are fewer interesting stories to tell in hip hop than that of the enigmatic DOOM. Starting his career in the early 90s with the hip-hop group KMD (then known as Zev Love X), alongside his brother Subroc and Onyx the Birthstone Kid, the group were weeks away from releasing a politically charged classic in Black Bastards before tragedy struck. Subroc was killed in a car accident, and the record label dropped Black Bastards due to its controversial cover art. From here, it looked as though DOOM's career in hip-hop was finished, he spent years out of the industry, allegedly living it rough on the streets of New York, determined to take revenge on the "industry that had so badly deformed him". And take revenge he did, starting out free-styling at open mic events wearing women's stockings to cover his face, he would rapidly take on the moniker of MF DOOM and acquire the infamous mask. 1999 would see the release of his classic album Operation Doomsday, and the next seven or so years would see DOOM go on a streak in hip-hop that only a few can hold a candle to. DOOM's life, whilst rapped in so much mystery, is ripe for a biopic, because it's so damn interesting - few MCs can hold a candle to his discography, and even fewer to his character building (King Geedorah, Viktor Vaughn, DOOM). The life of Daniel Dumile deserves to be told on the big screen, for its not just a story of the black struggle in America, it's also a story of the inner strength of one man to fight back against personal demons, industry bullshit and pure bad luck to become one of the greatest to hold a mic. Just remember the all caps when you spell the man's name!
2. AFRIKA BAMBAATAA
Kool Herc, Grandmaster Flash and Afrika Bambaataa. These are the three men who created hip-hop from the fires of the Bronx, but it's Afrika that has the most interesting story to tell. From a young age Afrika was a key player in the Bronx gangs, acting as a warlord for the Black Spades - one of the biggest gangs in the Bronx - yet it was a trip to Africa that changed his view on life, and thus changed hip hop entirely. Hip-hop became a medium that could incite change, and Afrika was one of the most important figures in this. Founding the Universal Zulu Nation, Afrika helped draw kids out of the gangs and into the music scene, with the intention of building a youth movement from a new generation of outcasts that would have an authentic, liberating world view. Alongside his outstanding political work, Bambaataa had an important impact on the music itself, releasing a series of genre defining electro-tracks in the 1980s that would heavily influence the entire genre. Bambaataa is a legend in the game, he took hip-hop from a cultural movement and moulded it into a social and political one, helping change the lives of countless underprivileged youths throughout the entire world, Bambaataa - more than anyone else on this list - deserves a biopic so that he can continue to inspire countless generations.
3. WU-TANG CLAN
When it comes to hip hop as a purely musical medium, it's hard to top the simple number of classics that the Wu-Tang Clan has released over the years; from their genre defining debut Enter the 36 Chambers to Only Built for Cuban Linx Pt. II fifteen years later, no hip hop group can claim to have lasted for so long and so successfully as they have. The chances of getting ten of the most talented artists together, each with their own distinctive personalities, and managing to creating classic after classic after classic is unbelievable. This would be an incredibly fun film to create as well, from their days of selling drugs so that they could fund the studio time for their debut, to selling out worldwide tours and working with the best in the game (Biggie, Nas, DOOM etc.), the Wu-Tang Clan have most likely got an endless stream of stories to tell.
4. KANYE WEST
To be completely honest, this isn't a serious entry into the list, not because Kanye doesn't deserve it, but more because of the assumed idea I have in my head for this film. If there is ever going to be a Kanye biopic, I can only imagine that Kanye wants to star, direct, write, basically do everything with the film so that he can tell his story in the most outlandish way possible. Kanye's the most important hip hop artist of the last ten years, releasing classic albums, influencing the entire sound of the industry and just about pissing off half the world along the way, there are few characters like Ye. And so imagine what a film we would get if Kanye directed his own life's story - one thing is for certain, it would definitely divide a lot of people.
5. LAURYN HILL
Lauryn Hill is perhaps the most tragic story on this list, as she's arguably the most talented musician on the list. With the Fugees she released unbelievable records, and with The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill she released not only one of the greatest hip hop albums ever, but one of the greatest albums ever, period. Since then, however, her story has not been the dream it deserved to be - struggles with fame and anger at the music industry itself led to numerous controversies, and she has not released an album since her 1999 classic. Instead reunions with The Fugees came and went, she managed to infuriate the Catholic Church (not that that's a bad thing) all the while trying to balance a personal life, before in 2013 she served three months in prison for tax evasion. Recently though Lauryn Hill appears to be back to form, narrating an award winning documentary, and garnering critical acclaim for her musical work for this year's Nina Simone documentary. Despite this, in many ways, I don't want this biopic to be made, or at least not yet, Lauryn Hill doesn't need the full-force of the public eye judging her again, even if her story is an incredibly fascinating, yet sad one.
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