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Hip-hop is a competition culture. It's based around, My DJ is better than you. My graffiti artist is better than you.

Ice T

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Ice T
Age: 66
Born: 1958
Born: February 16
Actor
Film Actor
Film Director
Musician
Podcaster
Rapper
Television Actor
Voice Actor
Writer
Newark
New Jersey
Tracy Lauren Marrow
Tracy Marrow
Ice T
Iceberg
Ice Oscillator
Around
Better
Graffiti
Hops
Hips
Competition
Based
Culture
Artist

More quotes by Ice T

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When you start to really travel and you get to these abstract like places in the world, you would see certain people's names. It seemed like we could go anywhere. Like when we went to Afghanistan, you'd see in the dressing room Run DMC's name. Certain rappers are like journey men.
Ice T
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I think that a rap aficionado, the hardcore rap fan, will always go away from pop, in the same way a hardcore jazz fan will never think Kenny G is really a jazz artist. You gotta kind of know there's always going to be that purist who's going to be like if it ain't beats and rhymes, if there ain't a DJ, then that ain't Hip Hop.
Ice T
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Rapping is a vocal delivery, so you can do it without being part of hip-hop and not knowing what hip-hop is about.
Ice T
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I'd say people are victims of circumstances and they're limited to the opportunities that they see. Even though there might be more opportunities, you might not see them. You might just think, I don't have any options. You usually go to the dark side, in that situation.
Ice T
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I didn't start off with the responsibility because I didn't think anybody would care. But as you do meet these people influenced by your music, then you start to understand you have a responsibility. I don't think you initially know it until you feel the power of what you're really doing.
Ice T
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A lot of people play single to work some angle. I'm always about keeping it real. If that's how I'm living, that's how I'm living.
Ice T
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You know, the radio never wanted you to speak about anything, so the music is kinda influenced by the hands of the radio which wants to homogenize it and dilute it and sanitize it. And for the most part, nobody's takin' the time to seek out the cats that are still tryin' to talk, so they have a difficult time being heard.
Ice T
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When the President (of the United States) mentions your name in anger, you know the sh*t has hit the fan!
Ice T
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If I'm going to be a jazz player, I need to understand Miles Davis.
Ice T
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I just don't believe that there's any way that you're ever gonna get one peace, because everybody has different ways of seeing life.
Ice T
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When I got a chance to rap, I just busted my ass. When I got a chance to act, I busted my ass. Anytime I get a chance. I'm not wasting time. I won't do it if I'm not doing it 110 percent. You've got to work hard if you want to play hard. I like to play, but I know I gotta bust my ass.
Ice T
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When I recorded my first album, my ego didn't let me believe that what I was gonna say on the mic, anyone would really care about. But then when I found out that they did, I started to take it more seriously.
Ice T
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...As an artist, you need the naysayers and the nonbelievers to add fuel to your creative fire.
Ice T
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I'm a big fan of all styles, even Biggie and Wu-Tang, but I gotta do my thing.
Ice T
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I didn't really realize how big I was 'til I started to tour, because being in your own neighborhood, people don't actually give you full props.
Ice T
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It's like a paradox. For one side, being popularized rap got better and the other side of it got worse. It's very pop and it's very different now. When you make it as pop and as soft as it is, it lacks its integrity. It lacks its accountability. It lacks a lot of other things that came from that dangerous time in hip hop.
Ice T
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Los Angeles is a microcosm of the United States. If L.A. falls, the country falls.
Ice T
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The best way to compliment an emcee is to say his lyrics. That's how you say, Hello.
Ice T
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The trick with hip-hop-hip-hop is a sport. The only music that's really, really close to a sport. It starts off, My DJ's better than yours. I can out-rap you, I can out-dance you, my graffiti piece is better than you. It's very competitive.
Ice T
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If you believe that I'm a cop killer, you believe David Bowie is an astronaut.
Ice T