Pras Snags Rights To Iceberg Slim’s ‘Pimp’

In addition to plotting a reunion with The Fugees, rapper Pras has snagged the rights to produce the story of legendary author Robert “Iceberg Slim” Beck. The film will be an adaptation of Iceberg Slim’s book “Pimp: The Story of My Life,” which was originally released in 1969. The movie was originally set to star […]

In addition to

plotting a reunion with The Fugees, rapper Pras has snagged the rights to produce

the story of legendary author Robert “Iceberg Slim” Beck.

The film will be

an adaptation of Iceberg Slim’s book “Pimp: The Story of My Life,”

which was originally released in 1969.

The movie was originally

set to star Ice Cube, with Quincy Jones as one of the producers, but was caught

up in development at Fox Searchlight.

The plot centers

around Iceberg’s life as a hustler and pimp in late 1920’s Chicago.

Iceberg Slim had

another book turned into a feature, as “Trick Baby” was brought

to the silver screen by Universal in 1973.

Born Robert Lee

Maupin in Chicago, Illinois in 1918, Iceberg Slim was raised as a teen in Chicago.

His father abandoned

them and his mother supported the family by working as a maid. She also owned

a beauty shop.

He became a pimp

at the age of 18 and continued until the age of 42. He did a stretch of prison

time at Leavenworth and did a 10 month stint in solitary confinement at Cook

County House of Corrections in 1960.

The ordeal turned

Iceberg Slim “square,” and he started writing about his life experiences

as opposed to living a life of crime.

The film rights

to "Pimp" were originally acquired by Universal as well, due to the

popularity of “The Godfather.”

The project was

considered too controversial, so Universal put out “Trick Baby”

instead.

Many lyricists

in the rap game acknowledge Iceberg Slim as an influence, including Ice Cube

and Ice-T, who are named after the author.

"Iceberg Slim

was true to where he came from,” Ice-T wrote at the beginning of the previously

unpublished Iceberg Slim book “Doom Fox,” which was released in

1998.

“He ruled

the streets of Chicago for twenty-five years and he chose not to write about

what he didn’t know,” Ice-T continued. “He knew pimping. He knew

hustling. He knew the streets. What he calls ‘The Life’ is still the same roller-coaster

ride it’s always been."

Iceberg Slim passed

away April 28, 1992 at age 73.

No release date

was available for Pras’ production.