If you love classic hip-hop, particularly from the '80s and early '90s, then you owe a huge debt of gratitude to the beloved Roland TR-808 drum machine, and now a documentary is laying out exactly why.
Directed by Alexander Dunn, 808 showcases conversations with some of the giants of hip-hop and pop music production to find out why the device has been so important. This isn't a film about an obscure music tool. The Roland TR-808 was one of the most powerful pieces of music technology to ever hit the business. And its sound continues to reverberate today.
The documentary, offered exclusively on Apple Music on Saturday, features Pharrell Williams, Questlove, the Beastie Boys, legendary producers Rick Rubin and Arthur Baker, old school rappers T La Rock and Soul Sonic Force, Phil Collins, Goldie (a UK master of jungle and drum and bass), Hank Shocklee (Public Enemy) and many others.
If you're not on Apple Music, the film is expected to be accessible on iTunes on Dec. 16.
Update: A previous version of this story listed Alex Noyer as the film's director. Noyer is the film's producer.
