In life, there are people we look up to who guide us, such as mentors, big brothers or even a muse. In hip-hop, we have the same thing, but we call them OGs, bosses and dons. One man who could easily be called all three is the legendary Ice-T.
Ice is one of the early pioneers of hip-hop, specifically the sub-genre known as gangster rapper, that really took it to the next level. He has been in movies such as
Surviving The Game,
New Jack City and
The Other Guys. Movies is just the tip of this Ice(berg) because he has also stared in “Law and Order: SVU” for over 12 years, and is a published author and has directing credits under his belt as well.
Ice-T is a true pioneer of, not only hip-hop, but also showing that the sky is the limit. His definition of an O.G. is schooling the youth and keeping them in check … and that is exactly what he is doing with his new film,
Something From Nothing: Art Of Rap, which hits theaters Friday (June 15). It is a documentary about the artform known as hip-hop, as told by the legends, including Grand Master Flash to Eminem to Q-Tip and Ice Cube.
We spoke to Ice about the new documentary, what hip-hop means to him and should mean to everyone else, and other topics, such as his feelings on politics and the true definition of what a gangster is.
I saw some trailers for The Art Of Rap, is it going to be in theaters?
Yea, yea. I called up the homies and I said I’m not gonna ask you about the dumb stuff like the cars and money, I wanna ask you about the craft. I called my homies and my friends to do the film. We took it to Sundance Film Festival and it got picked up the first day.
That’s pretty huge. They don’t usually put documentaries in theaters, let alone ones about hip-hop.
This is big, you are right. The soundtrack to it is crazy too, you might hear some exclusive tracks you haven’t heard before. Then you gonna hear tracks you have heard before, but not in THX movie sound quality.
Since you are an old school hip-hop artists and still relevant, how would you explain hip-hop to someone who has never heard of it?
Rap is the delivery and hip-hop is the culture. Anyone can rap. I mean, you could consider Dr. Suess a rapper. Hip-hop is a culture that includes five elements: break dancing, writing, graffiti, DJing and the last element is knowledge. It was started in the south Bronx and it was a way for kids to express themselves and connect with the community. It was a positive movement to help keep kids off the streets and getting in trouble. Fast forward to today, it’s a global thing and it’s everywhere and a part of everything.
The video with Eminem freestyling… How did you get these people in your movie. Did you call them personally?
I got all these cats on speed dial. I mean, I have known Eminem since I met him on the Warped Tour, back in the day. When you have been in the game as long as I have, you meet a lot of people. I called a lot of people, asked them to do it, and everyone was with it. Eminem is the little homie and we asked him to freestyle and he went in.
Sounds like the old technical Eminem is back.
Eminem has skills, but you got to understand: what you hear on record is different than a freestyle. You don’t just lose your skills or change, it just depends on what your sound is as you grow older.
Hip-hop is still young compared to other genres like rock. We haven’t had a chance to have a Rolling Stones or U2, bands like that. Why is hip-hop the only genre where the younger people don’t respect the elders as much?
The first word in hip-hop is hip and hip-hop likes to disregard things. We might wear a brand of clothing or a certain item, and then people say “That’s played out.” Fast forward a few years and a lot of that stuff will come back out like Air Jordans and the snapbacks people are wearing today. There is a love for the early hip-hop, but I think the new kids come in and don’t know the history. Instead of doing the history, they say f*** it. If they did do the history, they would probably like it. In jazz, you don’t see the new people saying “F*** Miles Davis,” but hip-hop is all about what’s next.
It’s so young. Guys from your era are like the first Rolling Stones of hip-hop.
That’s my job, as the O.G, to set, check, and keep the younger generation in line. My job is to make sure my set stays in pocket and maintain control like “Whoa playa, you a little outta pocket.” I love the new school and I want them to know you can do more than just rock a party. When you just rocking a party, you losing out. You can be doing more. We have to realize hip-hop helped get Obama elected. Why don’t you ask your readers what’s the last important rap album … with “important” being the word. Then, ask whose the last important MC? We want to lean towards saying and doing more things that are “important.” Rappers love Tupac and not because he could rock parties, but because he could do everything. He was well-rounded. It wasn’t just about money; he talked about politics, his mother, staying positive and all that good sh**. It wasn’t just “I got more than you” and “I am setting my money on fire” — that sh** is wack. I did a record called “Pimpin Ain’t Easy,” but that was one song. That isn’t the essence of my career.
You are very well spoken and you drop so much game. When will we see a rapper go into politics? Have you ever thought about running for some type of office or getting involved with politics?
One day I will be gone, so it’s up to y’all to keep the legacy going. If we don’t, eventually one day we might not remember what hip-hop was really all about and that would be a travesty.Nah man, I got outta crime (laughs). Hip-hop is already political because we show our conscious side and show what is going on in our communities. I don’t really give a f***, but I like inspiring the youth. One day I will be gone, so it’s up to y’all to keep the legacy going. If we don’t, eventually one day we might not remember what hip-hop was really all about and that would be a travesty. Groups like N.W.A, The Ghetto Boys and myself weren’t just gangsta rappers. We were a lot more than that and it’s my job to make sure the younger generation knows this.
It is our responsibility to put people on, especially the younger kids, to the history of hip-hop.
Then you a G ’cause that’s the job of the G. That’s what a G does, it schools the youth and does right by them. You got groups like Odd Future and different people stepping out … like Lupe is one of my favorite. You also have that bullsh** as well. I look at it like this: if your song has more hooks than actual rapping, then you hooking you, not rapping. There are rappers and then there are hookers. Some people aren’t saying sh**, but then people like Cory Gunz are spitting fire. If I’m saying something that people don’t like, then I am hating. That’s a problem if people don’t agree with you today, then you are written off as a hater. I have taken rap for a ride that very few rappers could do. I am trying to get Oscars and all that sh**; I’m not hating. I am trying to keep this alive.
Your movie Surviving the Game is still dope.
My thing is all about expanding the game because I am a hustler. My job is to show how far hip-hop can go. I have written books, directed, acted … I mean don’t just limit yourself to just one thing. Hip-hop could be a lot of great things. At the end of the day, we are just intelligent hood people.
If there is something I wanna do, I just go out and do it. My boy might say to me, “Yo Ice, I am going to the ballet, there are some bad bytches in there.” What is my response? “Aight, let’s do it. I’m with you”. That’s gangster. I don’t let anyone else dictate my moves. Nobody is bad enough to tell you what you should be doing. Who the f*** are they? Im’a do me and you do you, and that’s gangster.
The secret to your success is to just do it?
My secret is I only respect and take advice from people that I admire. I don’t listen to the peanut gallery because those cats are usually the people I used to prey on. I don’t listen to a sucka, I listen to the movers and the shakers and the people on my level. Anyone who tries to elevate themselves and stay sucka repellent is who I f*** with. This dumbass had me on the radio the other day saying, “Ice, you not gangster.” He’s the same dude if I saw him in the street, I might burn him in the street. I’ll shoot a n**** so close that he’ll get powder burns. I am at a point in my career that the sky is not the limit and it doesn’t stop and I am trying to show ya’ll that.
The Internet had questions for you, some are disrespectful questions.
Let me answer their disrespectful asses.
Just the regular dumb sh** about Soulja Boy and Coco…
The thing with Soulja Boy, it was my emotional response to what was going on. I didn’t like where I saw hip-hop headed and me being the OG, I felt I had to check the set and speak my mind. I am trying to keep hip-hop going strong and I saw the curve coming and I had to say something. Now n****s that wanna f*** Coco, tell ’em to suck it slow. Tell ’em that Ice said that little punk ass n****s, go get your own bytch, stop worrying bout mine.
Whose in your new movie?
We started from the beginning with Grandmaster Caz, Melle Mel, Big Daddy Kane, Rakim and Afrikka Bambatta. Then we got newer generation like Ice Cube, Royce Da 5’9, Eminem, Snoop and Dre, Q-Tip … I mean, we got everyone from every coast and sound. Anyone that is out now is a version of one of these cats. I tell people you might not see your favorite rapper, but you will definitely see your favorite rapper’s favorite rapper. The movie comes out June 15 and it premieres in New York the 12th. Go to
TheArtOfRap.com to check out the trailer. Or, just follow me on Twitter and listen to me talk sh** all day to these suckas
@FinalLevel.
yo ice-t is the shyt.
