Refreshing and enlightening conversation with filmmaker and activist Byron Hurt on his renowned documentary on male identity in hip hop “Hip Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes”. The film deconstructs hip hop as it relates to African American culture and consciousness, and it illustrates the elements of violence, misogyny and homophobia that are often endemic in this cultural form. This conversation also engages on aspects of modern race relations, culture and the rise of inspiring new models of African American manhood, including Barack Obama.