“Rough enough to break New York from Long Island.” Those lyrics (from Rakim’s 1999 hit, “Strong Island”) sum up the essence of Jason Pollard’s documentary, The Sixth Borough, a sharp, informative, and emotional tribute to the Rap/Hip Hop artists who came out of Long Island, New York. Pollard’s film examines the mostly unheralded contributions Long Island made to the world of Hip Hop music and to the lyrics and styles of artists who lived there.

Long Island is famous for its beaches, some of the East Coast’s best surfing areas, upscale summer resorts such as Fire island and the Hamptons, the historic Montauk Point Lighthouse (the first ever in New York), and the infamous house in Amityville. Throughout the decades, the island has been referenced in works by many Rap and Hip Hop artists, but the region has never gotten its proper dues for being an important base that helped shape the two musical genres. The Bronx has gone down as the true birthplace of Hip Hop, but it was Long Island that gave us some of the greatest and most innovative legends in Rap music history.

One of the best films to come out of this year’s Tribeca Film Festival, The Sixth Borough focuses on the main artists who came from the area; each one a pioneer in their field. Chuck D of Public Enemy, producer Prince Paul, Erik Sermon and Parrish Smith of EPMD, Rakim, the late Biz Markie, and De La Soul are all part of telling the complete story of how the region shaped their lives and music, and their music redefined Hip Hop. It is the Daisy Age creators themselves (De La Soul) who receive their own mini-documentary, as the later half of the film focuses almost completely on their career.

Pollard’s film explores the dichotomy of Rap music (a genre widely accepted as “from the streets”) with artists who grew up in suburbia. As many of the film’s subjects tell us, their families escaped the poverty and dangerous living conditions of 1970s New York (mostly The Bronx and Brooklyn) for the more aesthetically pleasing environment of Long Island’s greenery, tree-lined streets, and integrated schools that focused on real education. For the children, this was a paradise compared to inner city life, but as the early 80s came and the kids got a little wiser, eyes were opened to the racism and economic imbalance that singled out the Black communities. The beginning of the 1980s also ushered in the crack epidemic, a deadly plague from which Long Island was not immune. It is the “man behind the curtain” environment that gave birth to these artists’ music, as their lyrics were designed with an explosion of creative expression and both love for and harsh critiques of their beloved Long Island.

For true fans of Rap and Hip Hop music, The Sixth Borough certainly offers a fun nostalgic feel through interviews and archival footage of these artists creating and performing the music we all grew up listening to. The director balances this with an incredible amount of information about the artists, the area, and their creative processes. 

It was nice to see Parrish Smith of EPMD and producer Prince Paul get time in front of the camera. These are voices we rarely get to hear from, especially in this current era of lazy hip hop music performed by artists who don’t care to acknowledge on whose shoulders they stand. Interviews with Chuck D are always welcome and he gives great insight into his creative process and the rise of both his personal style and his legendary group, Public Enemy. 

The focus on De La Soul completes the already engrossing film and gives the deepest look yet into a group that should always be recognized as pioneers of the genre. Pollard gets members Kelvin “Posdnous” Mercer and Vincent “Maseo” Mason to dig deep regarding their process, legacy, and how Long island shaped their unique style. After their longtime label, Tommy Boy records, made a bad deal regarding their receipt of proceeds from their albums, the group fought hard to regain full control of their works. In 2001, Tommy Boy sold their catalog to Reservoir Media, allowing the group to reap the profits from the yield of their labor; a long overdue win.

Sadly, this was a bittersweet victory, as founding member David “Trugoy the Dove” Jolicoeur, succumbed to heart troubles and died in 2023, just as the group was regaining the rightful compensation after decades long battles. All of the stories in the film are interesting and well-told, but it is the life and career of De La Soul that receives the most time and the segment that hits the deepest. These three changed the flow of the rap and Hip Hop styles of the time and did so as friends, collaborators, and lifelong brothers. The pain of Trougoy’s death still haunts the remaining members hard, as neither was prepared for the shock of his passing. 

As their performance (along with Rakim) after the film’s Tribeca premiere showed, De La Soul is still “from the soul.” Their music continues to honor their fallen comrade and will always assure that all three men will endure. Trugoy may be gone, but his spirit is in every beat and lyric now and forever.

This is the type of emotion director Jason Pollard achieves from his film. Long Island made an impression on those who grew up there. As these young guys became men and began their careers, the good and the bad of a childhood in such a multifaceted region is reflected in their respective works. This was a place of resilience and that strength bled into every one of these unique artists.

The Sixth Borough is a celebration of the music and artists raised in Long Island, NY, and a deep dive into the roots of Hip Hop and Rap music. The documentary’s informative qualities are of the highest standard. That the film entertains and moves us, makes it all the more special.

Let EPMD take us out with lyrics from their 1987 track, “It’s My Thing”-

“From New York straight talk, America’s best, Cold Long Island, is where we rest.”

The film was shown as part of the Expressions of Black Freedom Program

The Sixth Borough

Directed by Jason Pollard

Producers Jennifer Ollman, Katie Taber

Executive Producers Julian Petty, Andrew Theodorakis

NR, 70 Minutes, Sweet Relief Productions

No official trailer is available