Something Out Of Nothing – The Art of Rap

I am not a rapper.

I can never claim to have been one. It’s been years since myself and two friends formed a rap group originally named ‘Proud To Be Black’ then changed to The OD Squad. And we listened to acts like Flipmode Squad, Rakim, Nas, Big Pun, Tupac and so many other legends of the game

So when I was invited to the premier of Ice-T’s film ‘Something Out Of Nothing – The Art of Rap’ , I jumped at the chance. A project that took two years to create included interviews with over 30 rappers. Including such legends as Afrika Bambata, KRS-One, Rakim and many more.

Artists spoke of the beginnings of rap, of cutbacks removing musical instruments from schools. Thus removing music from the reach of young black people in deprived communities. They were therefore forced to create “something out of nothing.”

And so rap was born.

An enthralling documentary from start to finish that had us all on the edge of our seats throughout. The array of names that we grew up with, names that we listened to and learnt the lyrics of came on screen one after the other. The audience whooped, screamed and clapped all the way through as name after name, from oldschool to the new kids on the block came on to show what they have and from whom they learnt it. Each giving their views on what rap is, how they write and what the hiphop way of life means to them.

The overriding view is that music is the instrument to freedom.

The Q&A session went very well, when Chuck D, Melle Mel, Raekwon and Ice-T answered questions from the audience.

At the end of the Q & A session after one or two people had queried the absence of certain names, Ice-T said “If your favourite rapper wasn’t there, I can guarantee that your favourite rapper’s favourite rapper was.”

All artists performed to the packed auditorium. Beginning with Melle Mel, then Chuck D thrilled us with some Public Enemy classics “Fight The Power” was exceptional well received. Raekwon was surprisingly joined by Ghosface Killah and the audience went wild. When Ice-T finally showed up, the audience was at fever pitch. All in all, an amazing night was had.

The biggest message I got out of the night was that musicians must be passionate about what they do. Also, to be sure not to follow trends. As “when the trend is gone, you’re gone.”

Related articles

• Ice-t – Ice-t Launches The Art Of Rap In London (contactmusic.com)
• Ice-T raps some knuckles at The Art of Rap premiere: today’s artists ‘not raw enough’ (standard.co.uk)
• Something from Nothing: The Art of Rap (2012) (myfilmviews.com)