‘What does rap mean to you?” Simple question, but posed by Ice T to his fellow musical legends, it yields smart, funny and surprising insights into the artistic process. “Make it plain,” advises Melle Mel, while Eminem describes his ornate style as an exercise in puzzle-solving. Origin stories abound: KRS-One’s first attempt at freestyling came about when a rapper dissed his pants; Cypress Hill’s B-Real says his normal voice turned out not to be marketable.
In his debut as a documentarian, Ice T creates a vibrant portrait of how and why rap came to be. And for all the self-referential lyrics and talk of battling, most interviewees show an unguarded delight in sharing favorite old-school lyrics and swapping tricks of the trade.
Still, T’s formulaic interview style gives the proceedings a bit of a student-project vibe — perhaps understandable for a guy who clearly thinks artists should always be open to learning more.