Ice-T says he is disillusioned by today’s Hip Hop. 

During a recent interview in Rolling Stone, Ice-T discussed his perspective on the state of the culture. 

“I’m just disillusioned with the Hip Hop sound right now,” Ice-T said. “It’s too materialistic. You know, I’m the kind of guy…I can’t do that. If you track my movement, you’ll never see a picture of me with any girl that wasn’t mine, or my own car, my jewelry, my clothes. What kind of gangsta rapper has a stylist? A stylist? So now that game? I gracefully bow out, but then you got beasts. You got Lupe Fiasco, Kendrick [Lamar], all these cats that can really spit. I don’t know. I’m just different, and I’m cool with it. The key to the game is ‘do you.’

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During the interview, Ice-T was also asked what the key is when trying to remain “fresh” in the music industry.

“Think of it like this,” Ice said. “You’re on a merry-go-round, and there’s a gold ring. I can lean off that horse so far trying to get that ring that I fall off that horse. So why fuck my fan base trying to do a pop record? See? I know the key. I make a group called Club Monster and do hot dance records and people will go ‘That’s Ice-T with them.’ But it’s [under] another name. Create a new identity and do that, but not fuck with mine.” 

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Ice-T Says He Has Nightmare Of Dying Every Night

Ice-T also said that his past life of crime haunts him nightly. When asked how often he has a recurring nightmare of being shot and killed, Ice said it happens “every night.” 

“I’ve been in heavy situations,” Ice said. “When you lived it, you’re paranoid. I carried guns so much that I had a bruise on my leg for a year after I stopped. It’s that life that I wouldn’t wish on anybody.  You think you want to do it until you get into it. Then you’re like, ‘Lord have mercy.’ My music is warning you. It might seem like I’m promoting it, but I’m really warning you against it, like, ‘You don’t wanna fuck with this.'” 

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Ice also went further in-depth regarding his paranoia. 

“I think the most successful are the most paranoid,” he said. “The first thing people do when they buy a mansion is they build the biggest wall you could possibly build around it. What happens is, now you become a target. If I go into the hood, I’m at a disadvantage. They could carry guns. I can’t. They can hit me in the face. I can’t. I hit them in the face and they could fall on the ground and sue me. I don’t have all the options they have. That lack of that edge makes you vulnerable.

“I’m so happy I’m not in that life,” Ice continued. “It’s a different way you have to operate. My friends in here can say anything and do anything, but I can’t. I’m not bitchin’ about it. You have to embrace your evolution. You have to be “I’m the best that I can ever be at this age, at this time in my life.” If you’re like a Paris Hilton, you’re not as paranoid as me, because you’re really unaware of how diabolic[al] these people are. I’m from the other side. I rolled with the diabolics.” 

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