This Is the Life 16 years old

How the West was One

In 1989, a collective of young hip hop artists gathered at a health food café in South Central Los Angeles. Their mandate? To reject gang culture and expand the musical boundaries of hip hop. DuVernay's documentary chronicles the historic legacy of the Good Life Cafe — the open mic nights that became an L.A. institution, the eclectic array of talented young MCs that emerged there, the alternative hip hop movement they developed, and their worldwide influence on the artform.

Credits

This Is the Life Cast

Name	Character
Cut Chemist He was 35, now 52 years old	as himself
Ava DuVernay She was 35, now 52 years old	as herself
Medusa	as herself

This Is the Life Crew

Name	Department
Ava DuVernay as Director. She was 35 (now 52) years old	Directing