“Hip Hop didn’t invent anything, Hip Hop reinvented everything.”
‘Invention’ and ‘reinvention’- two very different ideas brought together by Ice T in his documentary: Something from Nothing: The Art of Rap. These two words, which form the basis for the film, are often completely lost on the current crop of money-obsessed MCs. How do you attempt to find a fame fuelled voice when so many struggle for a simple 15 minutes? These questions were the driving force behind Ice-T’s latest quest.
I should let you know I love rap. I love hip hop and anything to do with the culture. I love snap-back caps and people break dancing along Swanston Street. I love beat boxing and using ‘ghetto’ language- the whole kit and caboodle. But I’m not alone in being excited for Ice-T’s latest masterpiece. I believe that both rap lovers and haters alike can gain something from Ice T’s latest.
Why rap lovers should see this documentary:
It’s easier to name the artists who were not featured in this documentary than the ones who were.
The following rap rats spoke with Ice-T over two long years for the documentary:
- Afrika Bambaataa
- Run-DMC
- Dr. Dre
- Ice Cube,
- Snoop Dogg
- Eminem
- Kanye West,
- Grandmaster Melle Mel
Why rap haters should see this documentary:
Unlike most genre documentaries that start at ground zero and work a historical timeline across to present day, Something From Nothing is completely focused on how an MC goes about taking an idea and putting it into lyrical form.
In Something from Nothing, Ice T looks at where rap begun, where it is headed and how the hell such heavenly (or not so heavenly) words are created. Prepare to be mesmerised watching rap artists bent over yellow legal pads, pouring out lyrics and spilling rhymes right in front of the camera.
Still unsure?
If you can’t respect rap as the art form that it has become, if you can’t respect the history, and respect what it has achieved, if you can only see the negative sides of the culture, this may be the perfect documentary for you. This feature breeds the very respect that rap deserves.
Related links:
Still haven’t heard enough?
- Ice-T’s ‘Something From Nothing: The Art of Rap’ gets release date
- Eminem opens up to Ice-T in the new documentary
- A Lesson in Hip-Hop : Ice-T talks about his new documentary, and life with Coco.
