Critic Reviews

• Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

  The best hip-hop film of all.

• Emanuel Levy, Variety

  Inspired by This Is Spinal Tap, this mockumentary exposes the trials of a hardcore rap band, N.W.H. (Niggas With Hats) with wild, irreverent humor and exuberant music.

• , Time Out

  While individual interviews, pop-video parodies and album titles hit the mark, the film as a whole is insufficiently clear-cut in its satire of the bands' dubious antics and attitudes.

• Janet Maslin, New York Times

  If Mr. Cundieff doesn't match the satirical genius of Mr. Reiner's film, he does understand the rules of the game.

• Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

  Not as fearless and sharp-edged as it could be -- but it provides a lot of laughs, and barbecues a few sacred cows.

• James Berardinelli, ReelViews

  This movie is not tightly-scripted or elegantly produced, but it is (for the most part) highly entertaining. For those who have been waiting for a sequel to Spinal Tap, this may be the best alternative.

• , TV Guide's Movie Guide

  Borrowing intelligently from This is Spinal Tap, writer-director-actor Rusty Cundieff has crafted a mock music documentary that is as irreverent, hilarious, and tough-minded as its model.

• Ryan Cracknell, Apollo Guide

  The rap scene has always had its share of colourful characters that are already caricatures. Why is there a need to spoof it?

• Fred Topel, About.com

  To me, Fear of a Black Hat has more focus and is more accurate in its tearing apart of the early '90s rap industry than Spinal Tap was regarding heavy metal.

• Phil Villarreal, Arizona Daily Star

  Satire at its finest. Uproarious and endlessly creative.

• Scott Weinberg, eFilmCritic.com

  It's like "CB-4" -- only funnier.

• Alvaro Rodriguez, Austin Chronicle

  There's no plot to speak of, just gag after gag. Rap fans will likely love most of it; all others, flip a coin.

• Scott Renshaw, rec.arts.movies.reviews

  Cundieff is perhaps most adept at skewering rap's self-important politics through Ice Cold's wonderfully improbable explanations of how songs such as 'Booty Juice' actually contain an important social message.

Read all 13 critic reviews