Rap War One (2004): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 2004, Rap War One is a drama film directed by Ricardo Sean Thompson, running about 84 minutes. “The battle for fame, money and respect.” — that tagline sets the tone.

What it’s about. Dequan, just like any other kid who grows up in the jungle of Brooklyn, has a dream to escape. He does not want to end up like so many others around him who are destined for jail or the cemetery before they make it out of their teens. He tries to follow the right path but after losing his dead-end job and discovering that his live-in girlfriend is pregnant, he decides that he has to cook up a plan to get money - lots of money, and fast. His best friend Brandon introduces him to a secret club in Brooklyn known as The Pit, where unsigned street rappers from all across New York City battle it out on stage rapping for money and the title to be called the best. Run by a local gangster named G-Mega, Dequan enters The Pit where he finds himself winning the rapping wars, making more money but also getting caught in a world of corruption, drugs and death that he can't escape.

Who’s in it. Rap War One stars Justin Edwards as Dequan, Joze T. Castillo as Brandon, Morgan Bagley as Sherri and Greg Nice as G-Mega.

How it landed. With an audience score of 2.0/10, Rap War One has proved divisive with audiences.

Where to watch. In US you can rent or buy it from Amazon Video. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Rap War One page.

If you liked it. Fans of Rap War One tend to enjoy The Shawshank Redemption, The Godfather, Schindler's List and The Godfather Part II.