How Malik K. Buie Made a Definitive Documentary on Mixtape DJs

In 1981, Toni Morrison famously said, “If there’s a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.” Director and filmmaker Malik K. Buie is more of a movie guy, but the point stands. The sentiment was the spark that spawned Buie’s latest work, Tale of the Tape: How the Mixtape Revolutionized Hip-Hop, an hour-long documentary that chronicles the evolution of the hip-hop mixtape and the underground kings who paved the way. Tale of the Tape—which is co-executive produced by DJ Envy, veteran journalist and television producer Kim Osorio, and Buie—is the product of more than a decade of documentation. Buie, who’d formerly shoot and produce BET’s Rap City before working his way up to director of content for the network, would lug his camera everywhere, capturing and earmarking footage for his passion project (often while on the clock at his day job). That piecemeal approach allowed him to stockpile recordings of icons turntable like Kid Capri, DJ Drama, and DJ SNS; blog era superstars like J. Cole, Big Sean, and Kendrick Lamar early in their careers; and legends like Prodigy before his departure. The final result is a comprehensive look at...