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.

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Genres:

Documentary | Music

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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

A solid documentary

This was a pretty good documentary, lots of nice insights and interviews...

I checked it out because I have that book which is similar, "How to Rap: The Art and Science of the Hip-Hop MC" which came out a few years ago and they interviewed many of the same rappers for that. In my opinion, that book goes into a lot more detail than this documentary, because it's wall-to-wall quotes and a lot more subjects are covered, but it was cool seeing a documentary that touched on some of the same topics.

Where it lacks actual extended discussion on writing rhymes, this doc makes up for it with quite a few interesting moments on screen -- most of the rappers kick a verse or two and they often go on tangents and happen upon some interesting topics even if they aren't really about the "craft" of rap, as the title suggests.

Well worth watching if you're a hip-hop fan, and a nice companion to the "How To Rap" book.