Something from Nothing: The Art of Rap (2012)

A documentary on rap music and its rise to global prominence.

Directors:

Ice-T, Andy Baybutt

Stars:

Chuck D., Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre

1 win & 2 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Bun B	...	Himself
B-Real	...	Himself
Afrika Bambaataa	...	Himself
Busy Bee	...	Himself
Joe Budden	...	Himself
Grandmaster Caz	...	Himself
Common	...	Himself
Anthony 'Treach' Criss	...	Himself
Ice Cube	...	Himself
Chuck D.	...	Himself
Royce Da 59	...	Himself
Dana Dane	...	Himself
Mos Def	...	Himself
Snoop Dogg	...	Himself
Dr. Dre	...	Himself

Storyline

SOMETHING FROM NOTHING: THE ART OF RAP is a feature length performance documentary about the runaway juggernaut that is Rap music. At the wheel of this unstoppable beast is the film's director and interviewer Ice-T. Taking us on a deeply personal journey Ice-T uncovers how this music of the street has grown to dominate the world. Along the way Ice-T meets a whole spectrum of Hip-Hop talent, from founders, to new faces, to the global superstars like Eminem, Dr Dre, Snoop Dogg and Kanye West. He exposes the roots and history of Rap and then, through meeting many of its most famous protagonists, studies the living mechanism of the music to reveal 'The Art Of Rap'. This extraordinary film features unique performances from the entire cast, without resorting to archive material, to build a fresh and surprising take on the phenomenon that is Rap.

---

Genres:

Documentary | Music

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for pervasive language including sexual references, and some drug content

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 July 2012 (UK)

Also Known As:

Od ništa nešto: Umetnost repa

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$150,337 (USA) (15 June 2012)

Gross:

$288,312 (USA) (29 June 2012)

Company Credits

Technical Specs

Runtime:

106 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Connections

Referenced in The Daily Buzz: Episode dated 18 June 2012 (2012)

User Reviews

Chix Chat on Film Review: A Hip Hop hooray fun ride.

The Art of Rap is a documentary of the evolution of Hip Hop and the artists who were instrumental in creating an urban musical revolution. This film did exactly what a documentary should do, it provided a record of the pioneers of this art form through an up close and what felt like a personal conversation with these artists. Ice-T traverses the Big Apple as he talks candidly with East Coast artists like Rakim, Chuck D, Q-Tip and my personal favorite Doug E Fresh, who by the way is still phenomenal with the art form of Beat Box. Yes, I heard it here from the man himself that he is the originator of Beat Box, which he defines as an accompaniment to the Master of Ceremony. This film was educational in that I learned if you are not an MC you are just a rapper. Rappers come and go, MCs endure because they are lyricists. Apparently, Mos Def is no longer Mos Def, which sounds so much cooler than Yasiin. When Xzibit was being interviewed I had to recover my thoughts of him being an MC, I couldn't shake Pimp My Ride, but that just made me think of how far he and others like Ice Cube, Snoop Dogg and Ice T have come in the entertainment industry. I found it to be profound when Ice T spoke to Eminem after Red Man had given him his props to say that one of the greatest of all times is a white cat. It is true Eminem is one of the best. I was a bit disappointed in the fact that only one female MC was featured in the East, Salt and only one in the West, MC Lyte. I thought that Eve could have been counted, but maybe she's considered part of the new school. Salt and MC Lyte were both poised and articulate, did a bit of a freestyle as did the Guys but did not delve into the standard language of the Hip Hop culture that being the colloquialisms and the profanity. The film is not yet rated, but every conversation included: fork, beach, sheet, 4Q and knicker (figure it out). When it does get a rating it will be at minimum an 'R', just for the language alone. This film is not for the prudish or young children, but anyone who grew up listening to these artists will love the on screen journey. It's not for everybody but I liked it and am giving it a green light.