His books told stories that had huge range that were the first of their kind, like being a pimp (“Pimp”), Black homosexuality (“Mama Black Widow”) and being interracial (“Trick Baby”) etc. Jorge Hinojosa: He was the first to tell stories from the Black underworld that no one had done before. JR: What contribution did Robert Beck make to American literature? How do you believe Beck sizes up to other legendary Black writers in America, including James Baldwin, Toni Morrison, Donald Goines, Alice Walker, Richard Wright, Maya Angelou and others? Ice is such a power house in the hood that his name is like a skeleton key to getting people to say yes. The family knew Ice-T was the exec producer and a massive fan, so that gave me a lot of credibility to get them to say yes as well as the rest of the whole cast. I originally reached out to the publisher, who put me in touch with Misty, who then introduced me to the family. Jorge Hinojosa: Three years, because my work schedule managing Ice-T and his projects keep me very busy. JR: How long did it take for you to complete this film? How did you get Beck’s whole family in the film, including two wives and four children, as well as comedian Chris Rock to be interviewed? The politics, pain, conflicts and contradictions were eloquently laid out in a transcendent way.

He was able to articulate in a profound way what was happening in the Black inner city. Because it spoke of a world, in an authentic way, that many people knew about but had never creatively been expressed. Jorge Hinojosa: Because he gave a voice to the voiceless – Black inner city men and women. JR: After completing the film, why do you think that Iceberg Slim aka Robert Beck had such a profound impact on America’s Black communities? As it goes, SAG made a deal the next week and Ice said I should direct it. The idea came up because I thought there was going to be a SAG strike and wanted to figure out something Ice could do if that happened. He told me he got his name as a result of reading Iceberg Slim. Jorge Hinojosa: I was introduced to Iceberg Slim’s book by Ice-T almost 30 years ago just when I started managing Ice. JR: What prompted you to do a documentary about the prolific writer Iceberg Slim? Did you grow up reading his work? Here is director Jorge Hinojosa in his own words.

It screens Friday, June 14, 4 p.m., at the African American Arts and Culture Complex, 762 Fulton, San Francisco. You could see the captivating “Iceberg Slim: Portrait of a Pimp” at the San Francisco Black Film Fest this year. Before there was gangsta reality rap to talk unapologetically about the ghetto Black experience, there was Robert Beck writing under the pseudonym of Iceberg Slim.įinally, there is a documentary, by Ice-T and Jorge Hinojosa, to talk about the life and lessons of this literary giant as well as talk to some of the many people we see as greats who were influenced by Beck’s work. Without pulling punches, the street language and vivid imagery of Beck, like that of Donald Goines and others provided a window into a world that most people were only barely aware of. Much different from the writings of Ralph Ellison, Toni Morrison and Richard Wright, who all hold up a piece of the American pantheon of legendary Black writers, the work of Iceberg Slim was a chronicle into what was going on in the underbelly of capitalism, America’s ghettos.

The literary work of Robert Beck, aka Iceberg Slim, has captivated the imaginations of ghetto-dwellers for decades. By The People’s Minister of Information JR

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