Artists Unmasked In Netflix Documentaries
Rollin’, rollin’, rollin’, he had us stargazing.
Over the last year, rapper Travis Scott had the hip-hop world going “sicko mode” after releasing his Grammy-nominated album Astroworld. Now, with 2019 coming to an end, fans wondered what’s next.
One doesn’t need to look far, as the Houston native recently released a Netflix original documentary Look Ma, I Can Fly. It gives the audience a front-row seat, behind-the-scenes look at Scott’s life with footage from live shows, early childhood, preparation for the Astroworld album release and more. Similar to his music, the documentary is delivered in a unique and creative fashion.
“I feel like at some points in life, you have to just be extreme,” said Scott in the opening minutes of the documentary.
The 90-minute documentary also unveiled some of the rappers’s highs and lows. Ranging from his 2017 arrest in the middle of a Birds Eye View concert in Rogers, Arkansas for “inciting” a riot, to the birth of Stormi Webster, his daughter with Kylie Jenner. At 28 years old, the hip-hop rager has excelled beyond his years. He created his own record label, Cactus Jack, has been nominated for three Grammys and was awarded the key to the city of Houston, Texas. “La Flame” has certainly impacted the genre.
Perhaps it’s a trend for musicians to release documentaries nowadays. Other artists such as Beyoncé and Lady Gaga have documentaries streaming on the platform. Throughout the years, fans have wished for more music to release, but do we really believe the life of a musician is easy at times? Of course not. Sometimes, we may forget that they too are human beings, they have their own personal dilemmas and families to attend.
For instance, in Lady Gaga’s documentary Five Foot Two, she talks about battling insecurities for years and ultimately overcoming them. “I never felt pretty enough or smart enough or a good enough musician. That’s the good part: I didn’t feel good enough, and I do now. Of all the things I deserve, that’s where I know I’m worth something,” Gaga expressed in the documentary.
On the contrary, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter’s Homecoming gave audiences an in-depth look at the difficulties of pregnancy and recovery. After postponing her Coachella performance due to her children, it only motivated her to get back into her zone. After eight months of rehearsals, the doc captured how challenging life can be, even for big celebrities. However, if you have the will to fight for your goals, they will come true.
With the lives of our favorite artists shown to us, we have a better idea of what their world is like. Highs and lows are inevitable, though prior to watching, we weren’t shown the lows as much. But I think it’s fair to say that, if we can support them through the best of times like album releases or concerts, we can support them through the worst. In the end, that’s what makes us fans.
