Ice-T was always among the most charismatic of hip-hop's early stars, but who knew he was also such an assiduous historian? The former gangster rapper has interviewed almost 50 of his peers to chronicle the history of the genre in a tremendous new film, Something from Nothing: The Art of Rap, which received its European premiere here before some distinctly old-school live performances.
The movie focuses on the creative process behind hip-hop's most dextrous rhymes, with rappers from KRS-One to Eminem analysing their inspirations. In a sparky post-showing Q & A session, Ice-T claimed rap had paved the way for Barack Obama, and was effusive on his motivation for making the documentary: "It's simple – it's a love letter to hip-hop."
Firmly into middle age and all packing a paunch, four of rap's venerable icons then revisited their greatest moments in a section that came perilously close to being a hip-hop take on the Here & Now tour. Melle Mel from Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five sported a tartan pimp suit, but even that couldn't detract from one of rap's great voices as he rumbled through Old Testament texts The Message and White Lines.
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Pausing from Fight the Power, Public Enemy founder Chuck D reminisced about playing the same venue 25 years ago, but was more concerned with a contemporary issue: "We need to know who killed Smiley Culture." Raekwon and Ghostface Killah's Wu-Tang Clan reprise was way too short, and Ice-T himself is nowadays simply too avuncular a presence to carry off OG Original Gangster.
As a superannuated karaoke session, the evening's climax was harmless fun – but it was the stupendous documentary that had preceded it that sent the crowd buzzing into the night.
• Something from Nothing: The Art of Rap is on general release
