Watch CB4
- R
- 1993
- 1 hr 29 min
-
6.2 (10,581)
CB4 is a 1993 comedy film directed by Tamra Davis and starring Chris Rock, Allen Payne, and Deezer D. The film follows a group of friends who form a rap group called CB4, which gains huge popularity by creating a violent and controversial image based on gangsters and drug dealers. The main character is Albert, played by Chris Rock, who is a struggling musician hoping to make it big as a rapper. Together with his friends Euripides (Allen Payne) and Otis (Deezer D), they decide to create a fake persona for their group, based on the violent lifestyle of real gangsters, which they call "Cell Block 4" or CB4 for short.
The movie satirizes the hip-hop scene of the early 1990s, and the popularity of "gangsta rap" music. The comedic premise of the film is that while CB4's image is based on violent gangsters, in reality, they are all middle-class "nice guys" who have never experienced the criminal lifestyle they are portraying.
The film takes a mockumentary-style approach, with interviews with the characters, who each provide their perspective on the events that have taken place. As CB4's popularity grows, they come to the attention of a real-life gangster named Gusto (Charlie Murphy), who takes offense at the group using his name in their songs. Gusto was once a friend of Albert, but their relationship has soured over time, leading to a final confrontation between the two characters.
The humor in the film derives from the contrast between the exaggerated image of CB4 and the reality of the characters, who are shown to be decent, everyday people outside of their fabricated gangster personas. It also pokes fun at the music industry, with characters like a sleazy record executive and an overzealous music journalist who is trying to write a tell-all book about CB4.
CB4 features cameos from several well-known rappers of the time, including Ice-T, Flavor Flav, and MC Ren. The film also features a soundtrack with original music by Chris Rock, including the hit single "Sweat from My Balls", which became a minor hit.
Overall, CB4 is a comedic take on the hip-hop genre, with a satirical look at the music industry and the culture surrounding it in the early 1990s. It's an entertaining and often irreverent movie that pokes fun at popular culture and the phenomenon of celebrity. If you're a fan of Chris Rock's humor or are interested in the Golden Age of hip-hop, CB4 is definitely a film worth checking out.
CB4 is a 1993 music movie with a runtime of 1 hour and 29 minutes. It has received mostly poor reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 6.2 and a MetaScore of 49.