Ice-T Explains Why He Hasn't Dropped a Solo Album in Years: "The Music Got Goofy to Me."

[LevelUp]

"In a recent interview with Variety, Hip-Hop legend, Ice-T explained exactly why he hasn't dropped a new solo album since 2006's Gangsta Rap.

"Hip-hop changed," he said simply. "The music got goofy to me. The kids started looking weird. It all turned into something I wasn’t comfortable with. There was a point where I was selling tons of records, then it cooled off. I felt a certain way. Then I realized Public Enemy, Rakim, Big Daddy Kane and Wu-Tang Clan weren’t selling records, either. There was a paradigm shift. These kids got softer, and soft is not something I’m able to give audiences. The first word in hip-hop is “hip” so how something stays hip for over 10 years is difficult."

Ice-T, who finally received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame earlier this month, did continue making music with his rock band, Body Count, however, dropping music as recently as 2020 with "Bum Rush." He says that although he's not in the market to make a solo album, he's content to continue presenting his Ice-T: Art of Rap shows, which he says is his "legacy hip-hop."

"Think of it like seeing Frank Sinatra," he said. "You want to hear the classics."

Recently, Pusha T gave the vet his flowers, explaining that Ice-T inspired his name. Pusha recalled the story of meeting Ice-T and having the opportunity to thank him for his influence. “I seen him standing outside of a hotel one day and I actually did tell him,” Pusha said, adding that he took the opportunity to give the rap legend his flowers. "Right then and there, I had to.”

Ice-T saw the clip and responded. "Absolutely nothing but Respect to [Pusha T]. Love is love,” he tweeted, adding that Pusha is "one of the best to ever do it."

Check out one of Ice-T's classics below.



Ice-T Explains Why He Hasn't Dropped a Solo Album in Years: "The Music Got Goofy to Me"

 

[I love Latina women]

he's a legend and an icon

by the time he put out that Gangsta Rap album in 2006, his legacy had long been cemented in hip hop

the culture and the music changed (as it always does in some form or fashion), so it was a natural progression for him to feel out of place and move on more into acting, which he had been doing anyway.

 

[Deltron]

His verses and losies have been fire



This was 2021

 

[Soymuscle Mike]

Ice-T in my top 10, regardless.

I Must Stand

 

[Legal]

Started out as your stereotypical hating old breh talk, and finished with self aware acceptance. For every artist, a time comes that the medium passes them by. It's just a matter of when, and how they adjust to it. In his case, he's been pretty solid in his elder statesman role for quite some time now.

 

[Complexion]

Hip replacement hop babble.

Spoiler

Only joking, Ice is a legend and I feel what he says because even though I too have onions on my belt and can't get jiggy with this new ish its nature is to move and not stand still hence hip is whats happening. Which currently isn't speaking my language. We need a renaissance.

 

[BulletProof]

Makes sense.

He made Hip Hop go harder his first time around by co-creating Gangsta Rap.

Whats he supposed to toughen it up every ten years until he dies?

Yeah, the Ye's and Drake's made the game baby cheeks soft but its thriving globally still and representative of the people who buy it.
.
Thats kind of what Hip Hop was about. Giving a voice to the people. Its just that the people changed and thats whats reflected.

Its the sensitive guys and the drill rappers who are strung out junkies who get fukked up then do fukked up shyt. Then get fukked up and snitch. They represent a certain demographic as well.

 

[Fanservice]

Translation:

 

[Yehuda]

I respect it.

The first word in hip-hop is “hip” so how something stays hip for over 10 years is difficult.

This is facts too, only people who'll disagree are oldheads still trying to make it.

 

[Oldschooler]

He a legend for sure, ofcourse time runs out for everyone in music. But that's why you pivot to other avenues to get your income. He did that.

 

[Left.A1]

His verses and losies have been fire



This was 2021

I ain’t gone lie ….This shyt suck

 

[Awesome Wells]

This is just a thing in Hip Hop.

Only in this culture, do our legends feel out of place once they've cooled off for a little while. That's the problem with the genre. We should always be open to hearing new sh*t from our icons. None of them should feel like the music has left them behind. There should never be a "time" for art. But with Hip Hop, we always give our people a limited amount of time to create and drop their art. Meanwhile, legends in other genres can tour forever and drop new music 40-50 years into their careers, and still be successful. Hip Hop needs to get its sh*t together.

 

[The Intergalactic Koala]

Dude floated on that Game intro .

 

[FeverPitch2]

Started out as your stereotypical hating old breh talk,

Translation:

nikkas are less able to deal with criticism with each generation.
nikkas like you get salty when an OG tells you the truth and doesn't hold you at their bosom.
There's a story in Miles Davis' phenomenal autobiography where Miles meets the legend Dexter Gordon.

Up until this point, people had been diggin Miles since he touched down in New York.
Dexter wasn't impressed. Dexter clowned him to his face. He could tell Miles was wet behind the ears.
Dexter especially clowned Miles' gear, telling him that he was wearing bamma shyt and that he needed to step his fashion game up to roll with the illest nikkas.
The best line being "I dunno if I can have you around me dressing like that."

Miles was mad as fukk at first but then he thought about it and realized Dexter's fashion tips were legit. Dexter was actually putting him on game.
Miles began to dress better and not only did it raise his profile but it made him a fashion icon throughout his life.

 

[Bugzbunny129]

This is just a thing in Hip Hop.

Only in this culture, do our legends feel out of place once they've cooled off for a little while. That's the problem with the genre. We should always be open to hearing new sh*t from our icons. None of them should feel like the music has left them behind. There should never be a "time" for art. But with Hip Hop, we always give our people a limited amount of time to create and drop their art. Meanwhile, legends in other genres can tour forever and drop new music 40-50 years into their careers, and still be successful. Hip Hop needs to get its sh*t together.

Its really asanine