Parents' Guide to

Something from Nothing: The Art of Rap

By Brian Costello, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 16+

Fantastic hip-hop documentary has profanity, some drug use.

Movie R 2012 112 minutes
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What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

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age 13+

Based on 1 parent review

Mamamaria
Mamamaria Parent of 14-year-old
May 27, 2018
age 13+

Outstanding storytelling!

This movie is a fascinating insight into the origins and history of rap and the era where it emerges. The movie made Sundance in 2012. Ice-T made it because all that he had to express wouldn't fit in a song. This is a great movie and great as a role model, IMO at least as inspiring for kids living in poverty in America as footballers inspire kids in slums in Brazil or Olympic runners inspire kids in Sub-Saharan Africa. Note that I'm Swedish-Portuguese so I don't veto movies based on the appearance of swearing and/or sex and/or drugs if they are coherent appearances in a meaningful context which is the case here. Though I certainly and enthusiastically veto any movie (or video game) that makes abundant use of guns and gore for entertainment sake, irrespective of its heart-numbing effects. I disagree with the 16+ rating. I would give it 13+. This is an important, genially framed and very well crafted socio-historic tale told from the attractive frame of "the art of rap", which is probably what validated its selection for Sundance.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
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What's the Story?

In SOMETHING FROM NOTHING: THE ART OF RAP, director Ice-T interviews dozens of rap's leading luminaries. From Afrika Bambaataa to Kanye, Q-Tip to Dr. Dre, Raekwon to Eminem, KRS-One to Royce da 5'9" (among many others), the interviewees discuss rap's roots in the South Bronx and its evolution throughout New York City, Detroit, and Los Angeles. Rappers discuss how they got started and what goes into their creative processes, before standing in front of the camera and freestyling. A celebration of rap's past and present, this documentary also makes the case that rap as a musical genre deserves as much respect as other musical art forms.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1):
Kids say (2):

Something from Nothing: The Art of Rap somehow manages to be both a nearly comprehensive history lesson in hip-hop and a study in the creative processes of the genre's most famous practitioners. It's a celebration of hip-hop's past and present, as well as a vigorous defense against those who still deny that rap is as much of an art form as jazz and blues. Entertaining and enlightening, Something from Nothing: The Art of Rap is a must-see not just for hip-hop fans, but for music fans, period.

The only small problem with this documentary is the problem that plagues any documentary that attempts to be an overview of a musical genre: There's only so much information that can be given in so little time. This movie could have easily been four hours. While much is covered in under two hours, hip-hop's contributions from Atlanta, Miami, and Chicago are hardly mentioned, to say nothing of the Beastie Boys. But, to be fair, such additions would probably send this into six-hour Ken Burns territory.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about Something from Nothing's title. What do they mean by "something from nothing," and what are the ways that hip-hop is shown as a legitimate art form?

  • In the middle of the documentary, Ice-T asks different rappers why rap isn't given the same respect as jazz and blues. Do you agree with the reasons the rappers give?

  • The artists discuss their creative processes when writing new material. How do these processes seem similar to or different from the processes of other musicians, writers, painters, and actors? If you rap, play an instrument, write, paint, or act, what similarities and differences do you see in their processes and your own?

  • How does the movie depict drug use? Is it glamorized?

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