Ice-T, a popular 90s gangster rapper turned actor, is set to release a documentary on Hip-Hop that he directed and starred in, NPR reports.
The documentary “Something From Nothing: The Art of Rap” details the craft of rap and navigates the viewer through various cities, including Harlem, South Bronx, Detroit and South Central Los Angeles.
The film features Hip Hop pioneers, such as Doug E. Fresh, Ice Cube, Snoop Dogg, Run-DMC and Big Daddy Kane, to provide an accurate account of various styles of rap.
The rapper, born Tracy Marrow, reveals Hip-Hop saved his life and was a positive way for him to channel his aggression, as he was “actively in the streets,” he told NPR.
Ice-T told Morning Edition host David Greene the documentary “isn’t about the money, the cars, the jewelry, the girls…”
“This film is about the craft — what it takes to write a rap, what goes on inside the head of the masters,” he said.
The “Law & Order” actor said all music, not just Hip Hop, has become “diluted.”
“…Everyone’s singing about money, having cars and having fun when really people are losing their homes,” he said. “We’ve got wars. We’ve got unemployment. But the music doesn’t reflect that. I challenge anyone to find music on the radio that reflects that.”
