Veteran rapper turn actor Ice-T recently shared his opinion on the current state of hip hop.
Speaking with VH1 just before the launch of their new series Planet Rock: The Story of Hip Hop and the Crack Generation, Ice-T shared his thoughts on a number of topics including rapper Rick Ross using his friend (and convicted drug dealer) Freeway Rick Ross’ name while weighing in on the rap and pop cultures meshing together.
“That’s fake. Rick Ross stole a n—-’s name. I call him ‘Identity Crisis.’ He thinks he’s [Freeway] Rick Ross, he thinks he’s Larry Hoover, he thinks he’s Big Meech, he thinks he’s MC Hammer, he thinks he’s Tupac. Like, who the f*ck are you really, dude?”
According to Ice T, a rap record is no longer rap when you throw Katy Perry or Rihanna on the track.
“Rap is pop right now. Q-Tip said, ‘Rap is not pop. If you call it that, then stop.’ Rap was a counterculture that went against pop. But when you have Rihanna singin’ on your records and you’re doin’ records with Katy Perry, that’s no longer rap. It’s pop music, pop using rap delivery. When you hear Lil Wayne sayin’ ‘I got a chopper in the car,’ you go, ‘Yeah, right you do.‘”
He also talked about the glamorization of street life as well as his thoughts on Lil Wayne.
“I don’t draw a line, I just try to tell the truth. If you tell the truth, it’s gonna have a pro side and a con side. So I try to tell the full story, not just the story of when the hustler’s winning, but the trials and tribulations of the s–t he goes through. The only line that’s drawn is that you don’t use real names, you don’t wanna dry snitch yourself out. Why would I give authority a shovel to bury me, why am I gonna rap about something that’s really happening?[…]When we rapped about dope— me, Snoop and everybody—it was like we doin’ it because we GOT to. Now these n—– is actin’ like it’s somethin’ that’s FUN. It’s so easy to fantasize about it. To actively do it? That’s a whole ‘nother f–kin’ thing.”
Your thoughts on Ice-T comments below
These ni–as to old to be tlking if your hood drop something hood but if u got a chopper in your car please show me cause T.i did real recognize real stay married to your damn prostitute wife Iced Tea see u on some cop show LMAO.
These ni–as to old to be tlking if your hood drop something hood but if u got a chopper in your car please show me cause T.i did real recognize real stay married to your damn prostitute wife Iced Tea see u on some cop show LMAO.