Something From Nothing: The Art Of Rap Review

Something From Nothing: The Art Of Rap
Ice-T's documentary is neither a history of rap nor an investigation into its association with gangs and the like. Instead, the pioneer gangster rapper explores the origins of the music genre, primarily by asking contemporaries like Eminem and Dr Dre about what they, as rappers, strive for - their topics, their standards, their influences, their writing and improvising and how they hope to inspire future rappers.

by David Hughes |
Published on
Release Date:

20 Jul 2012

Running Time:

111 minutes

Certificate:

15

Original Title:

Something From Nothing: The Art Of Rap

It's a clunky title but an apt one, as Ice-T’s documentary is less interested in hip-hop’s associated gangs, gals, bullets and bling than the music’s origin and influence, art and craft. An original gangster himself, Ice-T interviews an array of pioneers and hip-hop stars, many of whom give live performances to go with their words. "Hip-hop didn’t invent anything, but it re-invented everything,” says Grandmaster Caz, explaining that rap gave a voice and an identity to a disenfranchised people. A fascinating exploration of a misunderstood genre.

An extremely interesting insight, proving that rap music is an art form in its own right.

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