Every influential movement always comes from humble beginnings. Formed in 1996 as simply a means to release a memorable, emotionally important album between two friends, Stones Throw Records has established a cult following for its catalog of classic, independent hip hop (and in more recent years, experimental indie). In Our Vinyl Weighs a Ton, director Jeff Broadway tracks the history of Stones Throw and its founder, Peanut Butter Wolf (nee Chris Manak), over its near 20-year history in a well-packaged documentary that will attract the most ardent of Stones Throw fans.
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Our Vinyl Weighs a Ton
Director: Jeff Broadway
Rating: N/A
Release Date: May 27, 2014 (VOD – Purchase Here)
Our Vinyl Weighs a Ton begins with a young Chris Manak, the San Jose-based DJ/producer who would eventually become Peanut Butter Wolf and introduces some of Manak’s childhood friends that would play huge roles in the formation of Stones Throw, namely Jeff Jank, Baron Zen, and Charizma. Following the untimely death of Charizma in the documentary’s narrative, Our Vinyl Weighs a Ton jumps around in time to highlight major moments in Stones Throw’s history with very defined chapter breaks.
The documentary is bolstered not only by interviews with current and former Stones Throw artists, but also by artists that were influenced by or fans of the record label, including ?uestlove, Earl Sweatshirt, and Kanye West. While it’s great to have heavy-hitting stars share their thoughts, it would have been nice to see reactions and testimonies from fans, as well. Also included in the documentary are archival footage featuring never-before-seen videos of Peanut Butter Wolf and Charizma during the early ’90s, videos from the studio including Madlib and J Dilla’s first meeting, and more. The historical goodies are what will attract long-time Stones Throw fans, as well as the soundtrack featuring new tracks from Madlib himself.
Our Vinyl Weighs a Ton, in a way, follows the same ethos Manak does for Stones Throw. Towards the end of the documentary, Manak says, “there’s probably three or four handfuls of people who, when I put out a record, I want them to like it. Beyond that, I don’t care.” In essence, Our Vinyl Weighs a Ton caters to Stones Throw fans; they’re the circle that will get the most out of this documentary. However, the entire package is put together so well (and entertainingly so), that it’ll capture interest from those with a cursory familiarity with the label. If you consider yourself a fan of independent hip hop, Our Vinyl Weighs a Ton isn’t necessarily a must-see, but definitely a documentary worth catching when you come across it.