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Poster for Something from Nothing: The Art of Rap

Something from Nothing: The Art of Rap

Hip Hop didn't invent anything. Hip Hop reinvented everything

2012 · 1h 46m · R Documentary, Music
Directed by Ice-T , Andy Baybutt

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Overview

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.

Director and cast

Critics on Rotten Tomatoes

Top critics, in their words

All reviews
86%
Tomatometer
Fresh

There's no faulting the lyrical excellence on display. These guys are legends for a reason.

Tom Huddleston, Time Out
Fresh

Rap confirms the art of the form from the inside. Only time can sort out the rest.

Michelle Orange, Village Voice
Fresh

Essential viewing and a nice companion piece to "Wild Style," "Style Wars" and other key hip-hop documentaries.

Kevin C. Johnson, St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Fresh

In his debut as a documentarian, Ice T creates a vibrant portrait of how and why rap came to be.

Sara Stewart, New York Post
Fresh

This is a film that does sweat the technique, with at times illuminating and spirited results.

Nicolas Rapold, New York Times

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