Set It Off is a groundbreaking film. Here's why.

Hip Hop Movie Club

Today on Hip Hop Movie Club: Set It Off, the 1996 heist movie starring Queen Latifah, Vivica A. Fox, Jada Pinkett, and Kimberly Elise that was groundbreaking – in more ways than one!

Topics discussed:

• This is Queen Latifah's first lead role, and one of the best performances of a rapper turned actor 👑
• This film is also an ode to Black women friendship and sisterhood, with strong performances from the four leads to match 👩🏾
• We see an early instance of an LGBTQ relationship in a major motion picture, and it's handled well without making it a clumsy plot point 🏳️‍🌈
• The soundtrack is hip hop heavy and important to the heist sequences 🎤
• Some of the themes (police brutality, racism, sexism, systemic oppression) are sadly still relevant, which gives the film a poignant quality 😓

Also check out:

The Film Experience: Gay Best Friend: Cleo (Queen Latifah) in "Set It Off" (1996)

Nerdist: A Brief History of Black Queer Representation in Cinema

Autostraddle: “Set It Off” Is the Queer Tribute to Black Women’s Friendship We Need After a Summer of Black Mourning

Credits

Hip Hop Movie Club is produced by your HHMCs JB, BooGie, and DynoWright. Theme music by BooGie. Follow @hiphopmovieclub on Instagram!

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