Pimp. Author. Legend.
Tonight at 9pm STUDIO Loves brings you a fascinating insight into the life of an iconic Chicago pimp in Iceberg Slim: Portrait of a Pimp.
As if the enthralling anecdotes and guest appearances from stars like Ice T and Snoop Dogg weren’t enough, you can also check out these 5 reasons you need to watch ‘Iceberg Slim: Portrait of a Pimp’ below, courtesy of VIBE:
1. Knowledge about “The Game” comes straight from Iceberg Slim’s mouth.
Haven’t read Trick Baby and don’t know anything about the street life? Iceberg Slim breaks it down for those looking to learn about the seedier side of things. Acknowledging the underworld and its place in the 9-to-5 world allows the viewer to learn a few jewels to add a pimp lean to your walk.
2. The subjects interviewed all have direct ties to Iceberg Slim’s story.
Chris Rock hands out copies of Slim’s Pimp to anyone he works with. Quincy Jones is from the same Chicago streets that Iceberg roamed. Ice-T has “ice” in his name. Everyone profiled for this documentary has an intimate knowledge of the subject and a true respect for the architect of street lit.
3. Ice-T brings to light the rise and pitfalls of an American tradition.
Produced by Ice-T, this marks another installment of “real talk” for those looking to learn about rap’s founding inspirations. The project isn’t all glory and gangsterism. It shows how Slim (born Robert Beck) ultimately turned to the dark side after jail and with the help of his wife recorded his experiences in the revolutionary memoir detailing a “rags to riches” story to which many can relate.
4. Iceberg Slim’s insights are relevant in today’s time as it was back then.
Ice-T admitted in an interview that he misinterpreted the book originally, but many are making the same mistake today. With Iceberg Slim’s Pimp a heavily cited source of material from the stars of this era, many get a false start before getting it right. Make sure you’re into the art of this picture instead of the commerce of prostitution, and you’ll be alright.
5. The documentary reveals the explosion of Street Lit and how it impacted culture.
Before Iceberg Slim, authors such as Donald Goines and James Baldwin were telling the tales of the inner city street blues. After Iceberg Slim, the game was not quite the same. There is a reason why Zane, Sapphire and others owe a tip of the hat to the late, influence street griot. Check out the trailer above.
Article sourced from VIBE, you can check out the full article here.
