Ice-T Chills from Reality TV to Make New Documenatry “The Art of Rap” (Video) Posted by Nathan S. on 06/01/12 | Filed under Features, Opinion, QuickHits, Movies

Yeah, I know, for years, it’s been awesome to make reasonable punch lines about Ice-T going from rapper to sliver-screen cop, and then back to a rapper, reinvented into a cop killer. And then came reality television. That aside, Ice-T is now foraying into the world of film production, and he is killing the game with his new venture, “Something From Nothing: The Art of Rap”, a documentary that gives an up-close and personal look at hip-hops humble beginnings and, eh, extreme makeovers.

Ice-T is no fool. Creating intimate dialogue with artists that forged the original path (Afrika Bambaataa, Chuck D., and, gasp, Ice Cube!), and with cats that admired him before deciding to put the pen to the pad, Ice gets to the nitty-gritty, daring these guys to remind up-and-comers of the passion that is needed to survive in the game. And there is one more thing that it takes for novices who plan to stay alive…oh, yeah, talent.

Ice maps out a tour from the East to the West Coast that reads “Hip Hop for Dummies,” with a few chapters from a few artists’ personal diaries, as they warmly reflect on the moments that help them make the fateful decision to rap. *Spoiler Alert* My favorite moment? When Kanye reveals that a childhood battle that led to a loss prompted him to seek revenge! Revenge, I tell you, mwahahaha!

"The Art of Rap" is set to hit theaters June 15. In the meantime, here's a sneak peek at a Common clip: