Chike Ozah

You have to hand it to this intrepid filmmaker and his partner Coodie (Clarence Simmons Jr.) for playing the long-game. For nearly two decades, Ozah and Coodie chronicled the early days of Kanye West’s music career from his dropout days all the way until his current perch as a lightning rod for controversy. The documentary provides a fly-on-the-wall glimpse into the rise of Kanye West, who has undoubtedly left his mark on popular culture. The timing is also quite interesting as West’s rise to stardom can now be contrasted with his ever-evolving fall from grace, thanks to his antisemitic, racist, and misogynistic comments. Kanye had no hand in producing the film, but of course he tried it--even demanding that he be allowed into the editing room. We can only imagine what Ozah had to go through to make sure he and partner Coodie were able to stay true to their vision. For that reason and so much more, Ozah deserves his spot on The Root 100 list.