American Rapstar | 2025 |

While celebrating the musical shift, "American Rapstar" also functions as a cautionary tale. It provides a cold spotlight on the substance-abuse epidemic within the scene, particularly the use of prescription drugs like Xanax and Percocet. Critics have noted that the film goes beyond the music to indict broader societal issues, including the influence of Big Pharma and the toxic nature of internet fame.

Watch the official trailer to see the 'American Rapstar' documentary's lo-fi aesthetic and high-energy artist profiles: American Rapstar | Official Trailer | Utopia YouTube• Aug 31, 2022 American Rapstar

The film focuses on the "SoundCloud era," roughly from the mid-2000s to today, highlighting artists like , Smokepurpp , Bhad Bhabie , and the late Lil Peep and XXXTentacion . These artists characterized a "new wave" fueled by: While celebrating the musical shift, "American Rapstar" also

: A Blu-Ray release includes a detailed audio commentary from director Justin Staple. Watch the official trailer to see the 'American

: The New York Times pop music critic provides a running commentary, observing that "what young people want out of pop culture isn't what old people want".

: The film uses psychologists to examine how many of these artists emerged from broken homes and turned to "homegrown" rap as an outlet for their environment. Where to Watch You can find the film on various platforms: Streaming : It began streaming on Hulu in September 2022.