WE WERE HYPHY
A DOCUMENTARY FILM
In the summer of 2006 the San Francisco Bay Area was alive...
We Were Hyphy is a music documentary about Hyphy, a thumping Bay Area born subgenre of hip hop that extended beyond music. Hyphy was also car culture, dance, fashion, slang and most importantly, the feeling of joy and liberation. Learn more about this bombastic movement and the people that helped create it and where inspired by it.
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ABOUT THE DOC
We Were
Hyphy Is:
A love song to the artists, dance, music, slang, clothes and, most importantly of all, the people who came of age during the Hyphy Movement.
We were there, we were hyphy.
This is a story about a generation that created and experienced something very special, the kind of something that only happens once in a lifetime, and how those hyphy roots have influenced them as they’ve grown in their lives and careers.
As filmmakers, we want We Were Hyphy to recreate the excitement of the times while showing the impact they had on millions of people in the Bay Area and beyond. The film is a fun, nostalgic experience for those lucky enough to experience Hyphy the first time around, and a tantalizing introduction to those discovering it now. But whether you went dumb or have no idea what that means, We Were Hyphy is a documentary that will excite, entice and entertain you!
ABOUT THE CREW
We Are:
Director: Laurence Madrigal
Producer: Jason O'Mahony
Director of Photography: Ryan McDowell
Narrator: Benjamin Earl Turner
Executive Producer: Rafael Casal
Executive Producer: D-Ray
Executive Producer: Matt Werner
Executive Producer: Nump
Original Music By: Trackademicks, Tanner Wilkerson
& Laurence Madrigal
Associate Producer: Tyrese Johnson
Associate Producer: Stephanie Benjamin
Associate Producer: Ernesto Melero
Story Editor: Marshall Moses
Story Editor: Kagure Kabue
Cinematographer: Kyle Doan
Cinematographer: Erendira Parra
Sound Designer: Renso Landa
Editor: Laurence Madrigal
Researcher: Gurpuran Singh
Behind the Scenes
Side Stories
Beyond the documentary...
When we started out we had little idea how to create a documentary about the Hyphy movement. We knew we loved the music. But we had no idea if anyone would share our passion. All along the creative journey, we bumped into people that fascinated us with their stories. We’ve included some excerpts of those stories here. They’re not all exclusively about Hyphy but we met such open, interesting folks that we thought we’d share some of their stories too!
Falcon Dave
Oakland has a bad reputation and while there’s no denying that it - like all urban centers - has a dark side, there’s far more to the city than you might expect from most media articles. The legendary Falcon Dave of the Falcon Boys took us for a ride to show us that Oakland has its light side too. And it does. Go along to a First Friday and be amazed at all the city has to offer.
Made with love, in the Yay Area