So, Ice-T clearly isn't a fan of modern rap music.
In a recent interview with Variety, the 65-year-old rapper and former gang member discussed his hip-hop career and Hollywood fame.
His thrash metal band Body Count has received immense commercial success since forming in the 1990s, even getting a Grammy for Best Metal Performance with their 2020 track 'Bum-Rush'.
Despite this, Ice-T - whose legal name is Tracy Marrow - hasn't had as much success recently with a solo career, something that he claims could be down to a "paradigm shift" regarding gangsta rap, arguing that the dwindling success of his solo records in the 2000s came as fans began to focus their attention on music that contained less aggressive content.
Variety questioned Ice-T on why he hasn't come out with a solo album since 2006, to which the father-of-three responded: "Hip-hop changed. 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," Ice-T continued. "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. … Besides, I still do my 'Ice-T: Art of Rap' shows, which is my legacy hip-hop. Think of it like seeing Frank Sinatra. You want to hear the classics."
It seems Ice-T isn't the only one who isn't a fan of modern rap artists, as Jay-Z even said in 2013 that hip-hop musicians these days have a "loser's mentality."
In a discussion on music motivation with the Breakfast Club, the 53-year-old stated: "It's almost like a loser's mentality…everyone is so spoiled. 'He won’t let me shine!' I even heard someone say 'Yo, why Jay won't let Kanye..?'
"Kanye is Kanye, he's going to do what he does. That's a loser's mentality," he added. "You've got to be able to compete. Steel sharpens steel. You gotta get out there and earn your spot. It's not given. It's such a spoilt brat, loser's mentality. It's annoying."
As for Ice-T, the rapper recently received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, something he never anticipated would happen.
"I would have told you that was impossible. When I started making records, I didn't come into the music business thinking I would be a star. I was just seeing if I could get a fan base," he admitted.
"I didn't want to be the best rapper. I just wanted to be mentioned among the greats: LL Cool J, Run-DMC. Getting any 'star' was way out of reach."
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