In the netflix series “The Get Down”, all of the characters struggle both internally and externally with a multitude of conflicting issues and messages. Notions of success, self expression, familial trauma and legacy along with interpersonal dynamics reveal the depth of pain and turmoil that further motivates the characters to seek solace in their expressions of art. Kuttner and Hammond write in “(Re)building the cypher: Fulfilling the promise of hip hop for liberation” that “PHH looks to the past in order to learn from the ways that people of color have resisted oppression, particularly through arts and culture” (49). This is exactly what Mylene and Ezekial, along with the other people in the Fantastic 4 + 1, including Shaolin Fantastic are doing – for Mylene and Zek, their goal is to get out of the Bronx. Getting out of the Bronx for them means proving themselves as artists and as being self made and successful. The song “Black Man in a White World” plays repeatedly during the 4th episode, heightening the tension for the viewer to understand just how deep the resistance towards oppression is for the characters.

The entire plot of the show cultivates a tension between individual and group success as well. Most notably this is demonstrated with Mylene wanting to be a star on her own and then forming the all girls group in the fourth episode. Another example of this is with Shaolin walking away after their spot burnt down, then coming back and realizing that the crew could and would be more successful as a crew. The end of the 5th episode leads into a beautiful reconnection of the community mindset as the Fantastic 4 + 1 prepare for the Cypher – if they are successful and win, they would prove their worth in the hip-hop community. The way they prepare as a group shows their commitment and dedication to their purpose: this purpose is provided and paved through the avenue of hip-hop, and leads into their desire to create a legacy for themselves as artists. “The Get Down” shows just how difficult this world of hip-hop is to get into, and the world of music in general for a young Puerto Rican artist like Mylene. As young people desiring to make a name for themselves, this show follows almost exactly what the article by Kuttner and Hammond lay out as the point and purpose of what rebuilding the cypher actually is and means – and just how valuable these spaces of artistic expression are for youth.