Israeli Hip Hop Documentary 'Black Gold' Premieres Amid Historical Oversights and Rich Storytelling

The new documentary series "Black Gold: The Story of Israeli Hip Hop," premiering tomorrow on Kan 11, offers a visually striking and entertaining exploration of the genre's history in Israel. While praised for its cinematic quality and engaging narrative, the series has been criticized for historical inaccuracies and omissions, particularly regarding the origins of Hebrew rap. The show credits Yair Nitzani and his 1986 track "HaAsham Tamid" as the first Hebrew rapper, overlooking earlier pioneers like Yehonatan Geffen, who performed rap-like protest poetry in the 1970s, and Yoav Kutner, who released a rap song in 1978.

The documentary also portrays Israeli rock music of the early 1990s as predominantly depressive, ignoring upbeat hits from bands like Dr. Casper and Monica Sex. Additionally, it omits significant rap contributions from rock musicians such as Dan Toren's bands Shonra and Balagan. The creators, Amri Dekel Kadosh and Rom Atik, appear to have made editorial choices that exclude these figures, possibly to maintain a specific narrative about the genre's development.

"Black Gold" focuses on a relatively small community of artists and groups, including Shabak Samech, Hadag Nahash, and the TACT family (Subliminal and HaTzel), highlighting their rise, fall, and resurgence. The fourth episode uniquely blends documentary with a film-noir style parody, featuring rapper Amit Ulman as a detective investigating the "death" of Israeli hip hop around 2007, attributing blame to various artists and trends.

Despite its flaws, the series is expected to win awards for its documentary excellence. It promises to cover the genre's revival through artists from the periphery and its mainstream comeback with stars like Static, Jimbo J, Tuna, and others. "Black Gold" airs Tuesdays at 10 p.m. on Kan 11 and Kan BOX.