In 1991, Ice-T successfully transitioned his way from music to movies when he starred as Scotty Appleton in the iconic New Jack City.
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Twenty-two years later Ice-T is transitioning again. This time hip-hop’s O.G. is going from starring in movies and TV shows to making films. This weekend, Ice T’s Something from Nothing: The Art of Rap opens up in theaters nationwide. In the film, Ice-T goes around and asks some of the most prominent rappers of all time what their definition of hip-hop is.
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It’s a big weekend for our man Ice-T, so we were lucky that the legendary rapper/actor/director was able to kick it with us and tell us about the movie, why sons should take their fathers to see the movie (it is Father’s Day this Sunday, folks) and what being a good dad is.
Check it out below!
GlobalGrind: What’s your inspiration behind the Art of Rap?
This is a movie with all black men in it. You’re not going to see that ever again, 40 black men on screen talking. When I made the film I was like, people love hip-hop, but a lot of people don’t respect it as the art form it really deserves to be. There wouldn’t be a GlobalGrind if it wasn’t for hip-hop. So this is kind of like where it all started. And they got to remember, when we started, when Russell started, nobody even had bought a car rapping. And we kinda built this big thing that is so part of the culture, but a lot of people don’t respect it. They don’t know where it came from, and I want to give the art form that respect it deserves.
The Art of Rap comes out on Father’s Day weekend. Why do you think it’s important for guys to step up and be fathers to their boys?
Well, I mean, definitely, having that father background is what helps us become men. In the ghetto we got a lot of financial issues. I remember when I had my first kid we were dealing with the county system, where the father couldn’t be in the household for the woman to get that county check. So there’s a lot of dynamics that go around the family. But, you know, there is nothing that can substitute having that father in the household.
What was the best Father’s Day gift you’ve ever received?
Just really having my kids look at me and tell me they love me. Just that phone call is all you really want. I mean, what material can a kid give you? Just showing that — ‘hey dad I just want to tell you, you’re important and I love you.’ That’s all you really need.
How can rappers send messages out there to these younger boys out there that don’t have fathers that they can still be successful?
One of the things I let people know is I was an orphan. I didn’t have a mother or father. I lost my mother when I was in the third grade. I lost my father when I was in the seventh grade. So I think when kids learn that a lot of us came from adversity and made something from nothing that inspires them. They understand, wow, these people that they see as successful now didn’t have a spoon. As a kid, all of us deal with different adversity and it’s great to have a full family, but if you don’t that shouldn’t stop you. I mean, that makes you that much stronger.
Have you ever had that moment where you felt like you can be doing more but you just didn’t have the time?
As a parent you’re in a paradox. Somebody got to make the money. The kid wants the time but everyone wants a lot from you. So, as a father, you got to go to war. You have to go out there and you got to earn this, but it’s a tradeoff. A lot of times you won’t have that time with the family that you like. So it’s definitely hard on the dad. But somebody got to go and earn that money. If you’re independently wealthy then there’s no reason why we can’t sit around and just chill all day. But a father has to make that decision. I always tell people: People that work on the Alaskan pipeline don’t necessarily like the snow. When I came to do Law and Order, at that time I was splitting up with my girl, and I had to leave my son in L.A. to come out here to get this job, and I’ve been working this job for 13 years. But, fortunately, he understood it, and we were able to make it work. And now I’m able to out him to college. I think as kids get older they understand more.
Are you working on anything else that we should know about?
This is it. We’re in theaters tomorrow. This is my next level. To make a documentary and actually have it open in the theaters — a black documentary — that’s probably never been done. I don’t know; it doesn’t happen. So I’m really hyped about it. And, my future, I want to be the black Quentin Tarantino. I want to do features, you know? So, this is important on a lot of levels. Right now we got higher numbers than Prometheus, so we’re rolling.
That’s dope. Congratulations, man.
Yeah. But you know, I think as black people, we got to know that every win helps everybody else. When I get on Law and Order, and I do well on that, that gives more people action to getting on television, you know? When I did New Jack City it opened that door. Will smith and everybody slid through. Queen Latifah slid through. If a independent movie like this does big, well then it will be more opportunities for us to make independent films. If it falls? Then you gonna go in there with your movie and they’re gonna say ‘well, Ice’s didn’t work, so what makes me think yours will work?’ So, there’s a lot of levels we’re looking at tomorrow.
So, hopefully, take your dad out. You know your dad is the one saying ya’ll don’t know nothing abut hip-hop. I had them adidas back in the day. Ya’ll don’t know nothing about it. Let me show you what hip-hop is about. So take him to the movies and you go and everybody will have a good time. I promise you.
Remember this: in a world of hate, my movie, so far, hasn’t got one negative review. Not one. You can’t find it on a blog anywhere. That’s got to say something. You can save a baby in New York City and somebody got a problem with how you grabbed it.
